Georgia Court of Appeals Presiding Judge Sara Doyle won her current job in a highly contested election in 2000—beating even current friend and colleague Chief Judge Chris McFadden. Now she's taking the same approach to the high court.

Doyle and Athens lawyer and former Rep. John Barrow, D-Georgia, are already campaigning for election in May 2020 to the seat that will be opened by Justice Robert Benham's planned retirement in December. More candidates may come before the qualifying period next spring.

Here's a contrast that could be important in Georgia. Football. Barrow is a Bulldog, Athens born and University of Georgia raised. Doyle is … a Gator.

Doyle was born in Dallas, Texas, then graduated from the University of Florida with a bachelor's degree in business administration. She moved to Macon to attend Mercer University School of Law, where she earned her J.D. She began her practice in 1994 with the firm of Wilson Strickland & Benson. In a period of busy firm mergers, she left after 6½ years with a group of 10 lawyers who went to Holland & Knight. She worked for the bigger firm until she was elected to the Court of Appeals in 2008. She took office at the start of 2009.

Doyle rejects the labels of judicial philosophy that identify some of her colleagues, such as originalism. Instead, when people ask, she said she simply tells them, "I've been a judge for 10 years. You can look at my opinions."

She said lawyers have told her they can't put her into any particular category, or to identify her as liberal or conservative. That's her goal.

"I was proud of that," she said. "Someone can't walk in and say, 'I know how they're going to rule on this.'"

Doyle has expressed concerns about avoiding partisanship in the campaign as well as the court.

"I think Georgia does a really good job of keeping politics out of things," Doyle said. "I hope we can continue to do so."