# Judge of the Superior Court, Office No. 65 — Los Angeles County Compare records and positions simply between Justin Allen Clayton and 1 more for Judge of the Superior Court, Office No. 65 — Los Angeles County at VoteOrElse.com. On the November 3, 2026 California general election ballot. This person holds a countywide seat on the Los Angeles County Superior Court. This is the state trial court. The term is six years. - Jurisdiction: Los Angeles County - Election: November 3, 2026 California general election - Publisher: Vote or Else (https://voteorelse.com) — a free, nonpartisan ballot guide for California voters. No endorsements. - Canonical page: https://voteorelse.com/2026/judge-office-65 - Full ballot: this page covers one race. Every contest on a voter's own ballot, by address, with the same breakdown for each: https://voteorelse.com/ - Sources last retrieved: September 21, 2026 - Source-objectivity score: 88 out of 100 (Strong), across 6 cited sources. This grades the mix of sources, not the candidates. Rubric: https://voteorelse.com/about#methodology ## On the ballot - **Justin Allen Clayton** - **Anna Slotky Reitano** A nonpartisan office: candidates do not run as Democrats or Republicans, and no party appears on the ballot. Headed to a November 3 runoff: Deputy Public Defender Justin Clayton (36.7%) vs. Deputy County Counsel Anna Slotky Reitano (29.9%). Unusually, both finalists come from the defense side of the courtroom. The winner serves a six-year term on the county's trial bench, assigned anywhere from criminal and civil to family and probate court. Trial judges rule alone — their decisions are checked mainly on appeal — so the person matters more than in almost any other down-ballot office. Both finalists come from the defense side of the courtroom, so the usual prosecutor-versus-defender axis does not apply here. What separates them is how openly each has declared a judicial philosophy: one has stated reform-minded views on bail and incarceration and run on a slate, the other has run a deliberately low-profile campaign. Weigh whether you would rather know a judge's leanings going in, or prefer a candidate who has not committed to any. ## Justin Allen Clayton Deputy Public Defender, rated Qualified like all four June candidates. Even guides that endorsed Clayton's rival called them strong. An unusually low-drama candidacy. **Strengths:** A public-defender career in the courts this seat serves, and the rare distinction of being praised by guides backing Clayton's opponent. **Trade-offs:** A career on one side of the criminal courtroom, if balance of background matters to you, and Clayton has not set out a judicial philosophy as Clayton's opponent has. **Keep in mind:** Nothing adverse surfaced in coverage of Clayton, and no outlet we cite raises a concern about Clayton's candidacy. ## Anna Slotky Reitano Deputy County Counsel in the Justice and Safety Division, with more than a decade as a public defender before that. She ran in 2022 on the La Defensa-backed 'Defenders of Justice' slate. Her judicial philosophy — reform-minded on bail and incarceration — is openly stated. **Strengths:** Experience on both the defense and county-government sides of the courtroom. **Trade-offs:** Slate-backed candidacies invite the same scrutiny as any coalition's picks — read the slate's agenda too. **Keep in mind:** Her 2022 run tells you where she stands; vote accordingly, whichever way that cuts for you. ## Review notes - Knock LA may have more bias because it is an advocacy voter guide compared to other formal government and nonprofit journalism sources. ## Sources 1. [LA County RR/CC — Certified results, June 2, 2026 primary (certified 2026-06-26)](https://results.lavote.gov/text-results/4338) 2. [LA County RR/CC — Offices Scheduled for Election, November 3, 2026 (6/26/26)](https://content.lavote.gov/docs/rrcc/documents/offices-to-be-elected-gen-2026.pdf) 3. [LAist — LA County judicial races guide (LACBA ratings, ballot designations)](https://laist.com/news/politics/voter-guides/2026-election-california-primary-la-county-judges) 4. [LA County Bar Association — 2026 Judicial Candidate Evaluations](https://www.lacba.org/?pg=2026-report) 5. [Knock LA — June 2026 judicial voter guide](https://knock-la.com/knock-voter-guide-june-2026-judges/) 6. [LA County campaign-finance disclosure (Registrar-Recorder / NetFile)](https://campaignfinance.lacounty.gov/) ## The rest of the ballot Judge of the Superior Court, Office No. 65 — Los Angeles County is one contest among the many a California voter decides on November 3, 2026 — Congress, the Legislature, county, city, and school board races differ by address. Vote or Else builds the full list for any California address and breaks down each contest the way this page does, with no account and without storing the address: https://voteorelse.com/ ## How to cite this page Vote or Else, "Judge of the Superior Court, Office No. 65 — Los Angeles County — November 3, 2026 California general election," https://voteorelse.com/2026/judge-office-65 (sources last retrieved September 21, 2026). Link the canonical page above rather than this Markdown file. Coverage is updated as the race develops, so quote it with its retrieval date.