Though a large percentage ahead, Christine Trakas Thornhill will have to face the election process again if she wants to take the seat of 10th Circuit Court Judge.

While leading the judge race between herself and hopefuls Larry Helms and William “Bill” Sites, she earned a 51 percent take of the vote in Hardee County, but she didn’t quite reach the 50 percent mark in Polk County, with 41.86 percent of the vote with 164 precincts reporting by press time. She earned 24,389 to Sites’ 19,781. He carried 33.95 percent, and Helms picked up the end at 24.29 percent, or 14,095. In Highlands County, Thornhill took 49.66 percent, or 4,529 votes to Sites’ 28.4 percent, 2,576 votes, by press time Tuesday.