Fresno County · Statewide General Election
Judge of the Superior Court, Office No. 6 — Fresno County
Draft candidate list — early preview until the state’s official list publishes on August 27, 2026.
This is one contest. Enter your address to see every race on your November ballot, and keep track of your picks.
On the ballot
- Ashley S. Paulson
- Steven R. Ueltzen
A countywide seat on the Fresno County Superior Court, the state trial court (6-year term).
Ashley S. Paulson led the June 2 primary with 47.1% and Steven R. Ueltzen took 29.5%; a third candidate finished with the remainder. Because no one cleared a majority, the top two meet again on November 3. This is a nonpartisan countywide seat.
A Superior Court judge serves a six-year term on California's trial court — the court where criminal cases, family law, probate, small claims and most civil disputes are actually decided. One judge's rulings affect thousands of people a year, and judicial elections draw far less attention than the stakes warrant. Judges may be reappointed or re-elected for decades, so a six-year term is often the start of a much longer tenure.
Both candidates are prosecutors, so this is not a contest between prosecution and defense perspectives — it is a choice between two people from the same side of the courtroom. Judicial candidates are limited in what they may say about how they would rule, which is why these races feel information-poor: the ethical rules cause much of that silence, not the candidates.
Ashley S. Paulson
Nonpartisan, and per GV Wire the chief prosecuting attorney for the City of Fresno. She led the June primary with 47.1%, just short of the majority that would have won the seat outright. No campaign-finance data for this race is available in the sources we track.
Strengths
A senior prosecuting role with management responsibility, and a near-majority in a three-candidate primary.
Trade-offs
A prosecutorial background is one perspective on the court's work rather than a full range of it, and no bar evaluation is available for this race.
Keep in mind
Judicial ethics limit what candidates may say about how they would decide cases, so both profiles here rest on career background rather than stated positions.
Steven R. Ueltzen
Nonpartisan, and per GV Wire a senior deputy district attorney for Fresno County. He advanced with 29.5% of the June vote. No campaign-finance data for this race is available in the sources we track.
Strengths
Long-serving county prosecutor with direct trial experience in the court he seeks to join.
Trade-offs
A prosecutorial background is one perspective on the court's work rather than a full range of it; and he finished nearly 18 points behind.
Keep in mind
Judicial ethics limit what candidates may say about how they would decide cases, so both profiles here rest on career background rather than stated positions.
June 2 primary — how they advanced
Source review: Strong (87/100) · 2 cited sources
Official records anchor this contest, with a narrow source base.
- fresnocountyca.gov (opens in a new tab)Fresno County elections office — certified June 2, 2026 primary results
- gvwire.com (opens in a new tab)GV Wire — Central Valley election coverage, Assembly District 27
Last updated August 10, 2026.