Los Angeles County · Statewide General Election
Judge of the Superior Court, Office No. 64 — Los Angeles County
Draft candidate list — early preview until the state’s official list publishes on August 27, 2026.
On the ballot
- Maria Ghobadi
- Rhonda A. Haymon
This person holds a countywide seat on the Los Angeles County Superior Court, the state trial court (6-year term).
Headed to a November 3 runoff: prosecutor Maria Ghobadi (44.1%) vs. public defender Rhonda Haymon (42.2%) — a close race and a classic courtroom-perspective choice.
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.
Voters usually see only a three-word job title, so two independent signals matter most: the LA County Bar Association's peer ratings (Exceptionally Well Qualified → Not Qualified), and endorsements from organizations whose judgment you trust. A prosecutor-vs-defender matchup like this one is also a values question: which professional lens do you want on the bench?
Maria Ghobadi
Deputy District Attorney with about 11 years and 85+ jury trials, including 21 homicide cases. The county bar rated her Well Qualified — the higher rating in this race. She's backed by the legal press and the county Democratic Party.
Strengths
Heavy trial experience and the race's stronger peer rating.
Trade-offs
Her support spans Democratic clubs and some conservative groups — broad, but it makes her harder to place ideologically.
Keep in mind
Nothing adverse surfaced in coverage.
Rhonda A. Haymon
Deputy Public Defender with more than 25 years. The county bar rated her Qualified. She's the progressive slate's pick, backed by Knock LA and La Defensa.
Strengths
A career defending indigent clients — a perspective underrepresented on the bench.
Trade-offs
The lower bar rating of the two finalists.
Keep in mind
Trade-press coverage flagged temperament critiques from colleagues; treat that as attributed commentary rather than a formal finding.
June 2 primary — how they advanced
Source review: Strong (85/100) · 7 cited sources
Official records anchor this contest, with several source types checked for context; advocacy or endorsement sources are treated as attributed perspective.
Review note: Knock LA and Metropolitan News-Enterprise may have more bias because they are advocacy or endorsement sources compared to other formal government and nonprofit journalism sources.
- results.lavote.gov (opens in a new tab)LA County RR/CC — Certified results, June 2, 2026 primary (certified 2026-06-26)
- content.lavote.gov (opens in a new tab)LA County RR/CC — Offices Scheduled for Election, November 3, 2026 (6/26/26)
- laist.com (opens in a new tab)LAist — LA County judicial races guide (LACBA ratings, ballot designations)
- lacba.org (opens in a new tab)LA County Bar Association — 2026 Judicial Candidate Evaluations
- metnews.com (opens in a new tab)Metropolitan News-Enterprise — 2026 judicial race profiles and endorsements
- knock-la.com (opens in a new tab)Knock LA — June 2026 judicial voter guide
- campaignfinance.lacounty.gov (opens in a new tab)LA County campaign-finance disclosure (Registrar-Recorder / NetFile)
Last updated August 7, 2026.