Los Angeles County voters will choose judges for the Superior Court in the upcoming general election, with dozens of seats on the ballot across 12 judicial districts.. The Southern California News Group editorial board, the Metropolitan News‑Enterprise, and former District Attorney Steve Cooley have each released endorsement lists, highlighting a mix of contested battles and uncontested walk‑overs.

Tal Valbuena vs. Robert Draper in Office No. 2: Split Endorsements Reveal Strategic Divergence

The editorial board backs deputy district attorney Tal Valbuena for Office No. 2, arguing his prosecutorial experience offers a fresh perspective. In contrast, both the Metropolitan News‑Enterprise and Steve Cooley endorse incumbent Judge Robert Draper, noting his long service despite his age of 84. Metropolitan’s endorsement explicitly warns that Draper may soon retire,suggesting a governor‑appointed replacement could be preferable to Valbuena.

Unanimous Support for Deputy District Attorney Irene Lee in Office No. 14

All three endorsers—Southern California News Group, Metropolitan, and Cooley—agree on deputy district attorney Irene Lee for Office No. 14, signaling broad confidence in her legal credentials. the consensus underscores a rare moment of alignment in a typically fragmented endorsement landscape.

Uncontested Races Highlight Structural Stability: Offices 39, 60, 141 and 196

Four seats face no opposition: deputy public defender Binh Q. Dang (Office 39), Glendale chief assistant city attorny Ann M. Maurer (Office 60), deputy district attorney Mariela Torres (Office 141), and deputy district attorney Candice J. Henry (Office 196). Their unopposed status reflects either strong incumbency advantage or a lack of viable challengers, a pattern that keeps the bench composition predictable in those distritcs.

Office 65’s Open Question: Chellei G. Jimenez vs. Potential Outsider Samuel Krause

Metropolitan endorses attorney Chellei G. Jimenez for Office 65, while the editorial board and Cooley remain silent. Observers have floated Samuel Krause, a CSUN business‑law professor, as a possible alternative who could bring academic insight to the bench,but no formal endorsement has materialized.

Where Endorsements Converge and Diverge: A Snapshot of the Full Slate

Beyond the highlighted contests, several other races show clear patterns: deputy district attorney Maria Ghobadi (Office 64) and Ben Forer (Office 66) receive unanimous backing; Judge David Walgren (Office 81) and Judge Pat Connolly (Office 116) are re‑elected with across‑the‑board support; and deputy public defender Donna Tryfman (Office 131) enjoys endorsements from both the editorial board and Metropolitan, with Cooley adding deputy alternate public defender David Ross to the mix. According to the source, the editorial board also endorsed incumbent City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto and Sheriff Robert Luna, while noting potential challengers like John McKinney and former Sheriff Alex Villanueva.

These endorsement patterns give voters a starting point, but as the source cautions, “individual research remains crucial.” The sheer number of judicial offices—spanning 36 courthouses and serving a population of nearly 10 million—means each vote carries weight in shaping the nation’s largest trial court for the next six years.