Orange County voters picked a new slate of judges in this election, setting up their new judicial officers with six year terms.
While races for judge rarely draw any evaluation or review from voters, their main observer is the Orange County Bar Association, who interview and rank candidates anywhere from “Not Qualified,” to “Exceptionally Well Qualified.”
As of 8:06 p.m. Tuesday, here’s where the votes stood.
Superior Court Judge Office No. 5
Claudia Alvarez was in the lead, with 58% of the 211,896 votes counted so far, according to initial returns. Behind her was Kimberly La Salle with just under 60,000 votes.
All the candidates in the race were ranked as “Qualified” from the OC Bar Association.
Superior Court Judge Office No. 9
Chistopher Duff was in the lead, with 56.3% of the 204,902 votes counted so far, according to initial returns. Behind him was Joe Dane with 43.7%.
The OC Bar Association rated Dane as “Qualified” and Duff as “Exceptionally Well Qualified.”
Superior Court Judge Office No. 11
Shawn Nelson was in the lead, with 68.8% of the 213,141 votes counted so far, according to initial returns. Behind him was Marc Gibbons with 31.2% of the vote.
Nelson, a high ranking member of the District Attorney’s office, received a “Not Qualified,” review.
Gibbons was ranked as “Well Qualified,” by the association.
Superior Court Judge Office No. 21
Erin Beltran Rowe was in the lead, with 69.2% of the 209,888 votes counted so far, according to initial returns. Behind her was Ray Brown with 30.8%.
Both candidates were ranked as “Exceptionally Well Qualified” from the OC Bar Association.
Superior Court Judge Office No. 22
Brahim Baytieh was in the lead, with just under 50% of the 202,977 votes counted so far, according to initial returns. Behind them was Craig Kleffman with 32.79%.
The OC Bar Association ranked Baytieh as “Exceptionally Well Qualified” and Fred Fascenelli, who was in third place, as “Well Qualified,” while Kleffman was ranked as “Not Qualified.”
Superior Court Judge Office No. 28
Eric Scarbrough was in the lead, with 52.2% of the 212,827 votes counted so far, according to initial returns. Behind him was Jessica Cha with 47.7% of the vote.
The OC Bar Association rated Cha as “Qualified” and Scarbrough as “Well Qualified.”
Superior Court Judge Office No. 30
Of the five candidates, Michelle Bell was in the lead, with 40.7% of the 213,657 votes counted so far, according to initial returns. Peggy Huang was just behind, with 33.3% of the vote.
The closest candidate behind them was Alma Hernandez with just over 11% of the vote.
The OC Bar Association rated Hernandez and Andrea Mader as “Exceptionally Well Qualified,” Bell as “Well Qualified,” Huang as “Qualified” and Benjamin Stauffer as “Not Qualified.”
Superior Court Judge Office No. 33
Steve McGreevy was in the lead, with over 80% of the 201,677 votes counted so far, according to initial returns. Behind him was Brett Wiseman with 11%.
The OC Bar Association rated McGreevy as “Exceptionally Well Qualified,” Thomas Martin as “Qualified” and Wiseman as “Not Qualified.”
Superior Court Judge Office No. 45
Israel Clasutro was in the lead, with 73.2% of the 208,158 votes counted so far, according to initial returns. Behind them was Kevin Brian Jones with 26.76%.
Both candidates were reviewed as “Well Qualified,” by the OC Bar Association.
Noah Biesiada is a Voice of OC Reporting Fellow. Contact him at nbiesiada@voiceofoc.org or on Twitter @NBiesiada.
Angelina Hicks is a Voice of OC Reporting Fellow. Contact her at ahicks@voiceofoc.org or on Twitter @angelinahicks13.