Lawyer Mia Roberts Perez, the only Latina candidate on the ballot for judge, has been voted closer to the judicial bench.

Voters selected from a a record-high 52 judicial candidates, 15 of whom advanced to the general election. 

Perez, just 33, was one of the 12 Democratic nominees. 

She has been practicing law for almost nine years. She served as a public defender, a trial attorney, and an adjunct professor at Temple School of Law. Most recently she started her own law firm, Perez Law LLC, which specializes in criminal defense and family law.

Currently on the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia, there are only two Latina judges and one Afro-Latino judge out of about 100 incumbents.

In a February interview with AL DIA, Perez spoke out about the lack of Latino representation in the courts.

“We have entire floors of our criminal justice center that are dedicated to the east division of Philly, which is primarily Latino,” she said. “So why do we currently only have judge (Angeles) Roca in family court and Judge (Teresa) Sarmina in the civil division? We don't have any other Latino judges in the Common Pleas Court. That’s why we have to get the voters to understand.”

And it seems they did.

With 98 percent of the voting precincts reported, Perez locked in 3.8 percent of the vote. This may not seem like a lot, but keep in mind that voters choose up to 12 candidates for judge. Perez has ranked with the fifth highest number of votes so far.

Ken Powell, 4.8%

Scott Kai, 4.6%

Tracy Roman, 4.5%

Abbe Fletman, 4.2%

Mia Roberts Perez, 3.8%

Lyris Younge, 3.6%

Scott DiClaudio, 3.5%

Rainy Papademetriou, 3.5%

Daine Grey Jr, 3.4%

Michael Fanning, 3%

Stephanie M. Sawyer, 3%

Chris Mallios 3.1%