Special to East Lee News
Jill E. Cabai, candidate for Hendry County Court Judge, Group 1, is continuing her campaign with a message centered on experience, fairness, judicial temperament, and a lifetime commitment to serving the people of Hendry County.
For nearly two decades, Cabai has worked in and around Hendry County courtrooms — first as an Assistant State Attorney for the Twentieth Judicial Circuit representing the people of Hendry County, and later as a private attorney and small business owner serving local families through the Cabai Law Office, P.A.
Cabai said that broad courtroom experience has shaped the kind of judge she believes Hendry County deserves: fair, prepared, impartial, respectful to every person who enters the courtroom, and deeply invested in the community the court serves.
“I am running for Hendry County Court Judge because I have spent nearly twenty years building my life, career, and future in this community,” Cabai said. “A county judge should understand the people, values, and challenges of the community he or she serves. I believe the strongest courts are led by judges who are deeply rooted in their communities and committed to serving them for the long term.”
“For me, this is not about holding a title. It is about serving the community that has trusted me as a prosecutor, attorney, business owner, volunteer, and neighbor. The decisions made in a county courtroom affect local families, local businesses, and the future of our community. Those decisions should be made by someone who understands Hendry County and is committed to its future.”
Cabai’s campaign emphasizes the qualities voters expect in a county judge: sound judgment, calm temperament, respect for the law, respect for public safety, and the ability to make difficult decisions with care and discipline.
Her experience began in public service. After earning her Juris Doctor from the Florida State University College of Law and being admitted to The Florida Bar in 2007, Cabai returned to Southwest Florida and served as an Assistant State Attorney in the Twentieth Judicial Circuit, representing the people of Hendry County specifically. In the LaBelle office, she represented the people of Hendry County for more than eight years. For five of those years, she served as the Special Victims Prosecutor, handling some of the most serious and sensitive cases in the criminal justice system.
“That work requires compassion, preparation, attention to detail, and the courage to make difficult decisions,” Cabai said. “It also teaches you that the courtroom affects real people, real families, and real futures. That understanding has stayed with me throughout my entire career.”
In 2016, Cabai opened the Cabai Law Office, P.A., in Hendry County, becoming a local small business owner in the same community she had served as a prosecutor. Through her private practice in criminal defense and family law, she has continued working directly with local residents during some of the most difficult moments of their lives.
Cabai said practicing as both a prosecutor and defense attorney has given her a fuller understanding of the justice system and the people who depend on it.
“Having served on both sides of the courtroom, I understand the importance of fairness, preparation, and listening carefully before making decisions,” Cabai said. “The law must be applied consistently and impartially, but it must also be applied with the seriousness and humanity the role demands.”
Beyond her legal career, Cabai has built a long record of service in Hendry County civic life. She serves as a Director on the Board of the Greater LaBelle Chamber of Commerce and has held this position since 2019. She is the Vice President of the Hendry/Glades County Bar Association. In addition, she recently became a member of the LaBelle Rotary Club. She previously served for many years on the board of the Caloosa Humane Society, where she helped open the Caloosa Humane Society Veterinary Clinic to provide needed low-cost veterinary services in the area. She has also volunteered with the Firehouse Community Theatre and the LaBelle Downtown Revitalization Corporation, supporting local arts, culture, small businesses, and community life. The Cabai Law Office, P.A., is also a longtime supporter of Hendry County youth sports.
Cabai said her commitment to Hendry County is personal.
“I show up for this community because this is where I have chosen to build my life,” Cabai said. “I am a homeowner here, a small business owner here, and I have spent my legal career serving the people of Hendry County. My commitment to this community did not begin with this campaign, and it will not end after this election. Hendry County is my home, and I am seeking this office because I want to continue serving the community I plan to be a part of for many years to come.”
Cabai was raised in Southwest Florida as the youngest of four siblings. She attended preschool at the Children’s Center on Sanibel Island, then St. Francis Xavier Catholic School, and later graduated from Bishop Verot Catholic High School. Her parents were small business owners in Fort Myers in real estate appraisal, and she credits them with teaching her the value of hard work, accountability, and investing in the community around you.
She graduated cum laude from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a minor in Environmental Studies. She later earned her law degree from Florida State University College of Law, where she also completed certificates in Land Use and Environmental Law.
Cabai lives and works in Hendry County with her husband, Alex DeStefano, a local realtor, and their rescue pets. The couple met through Cabai’s volunteer work with the Caloosa Humane Society, a connection she says reflects one of the things she loves most about Hendry County: the way service, family, friendship, and community often overlap.
Her campaign will continue meeting voters across Hendry County in the weeks ahead, focusing on experience, impartiality, professionalism, community involvement, and respect for the people the court serves.
“If elected, I will bring experience, fairness, and a deep commitment to the law to the bench,” Cabai said. “A strong judiciary depends on trust. It depends on judges who are prepared, impartial, and grounded in the community they serve. That is the kind of judge I will strive to be every day.”
The election for Hendry County Court Judge will be held on August 18, 2026. Voters are encouraged to make a plan to vote by mail, during early voting, or on Election Day.
For more information about Jill Cabai for Hendry County Court Judge, to request a yard sign, or to learn how to support the campaign, visit:
Experienced. Fair. Rooted in Hendry County.
Political advertisement paid for and approved by Jill Cabai, nonpartisan, for Hendry County
