As absentee ballots are about to arrive for California voters, Fresno County voters are facing a lengthy, and vexing, campaign for a handful of seats on the Fresno County Superior Court.
Unlike school board or Board of Supervisor seats, which are elected on a by-district or geographic basis, all Fresno County voters vote for each of the open and contested Superior Court Judge seats.
The Sun complied a list of who’s backing the various candidates to fill vacancies on the Court. All endorsements are compiled from candidate websites.
SEAT 3:
Rosalina Nunez, Attorney:
No endorsements publicly listed
Marc Kapetan, Attorney:
Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer
Fresno County Sheriff John Zanoni
Fresno County DA Lisa Smittcamp
Fresno County Sheriff Margaret Mims (Ret.)
Fresno County Supervisor Garry Bredefeld
Fresno County Supervisor Nathan Magsig
Fresno County Supervisor Buddy Mendes
Clovis Mayor Pro Tem Diane Pearce
Fresno City Attorney Andrew Janz
Lincoln Club of Fresno County
Fresno County Prosecutors Association
Sanger Firefighters Association
Former Fresno City Mayor Alan Autry
Fresno City Councilmember Mike Karbassi
Clovis City Councilmember Matt Basgall
Fresno City Councilmember Paul Caprioglio (Ret.)
Clovis Unified Trustee Clint Olivier
Hon. Gregory Fain
Hon. Gary Orozco
Hon. James Kelley
Tulare County DA Tim Ward
SEAT 6:
Ashley S. Paulson, Chief Assistant City Attorney, City of Fresno:
Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer
Sheriff Margaret Mims (Ret.)
Fresno City Councilmember Mike Karbassi
Fresno County Supervisors Chairman Garry Bredefeld
Fresno County Supervisor Luis Chavez
Fresno County Supervisor Buddy Mendes
Fresno City Attorney Andrew Janz
Clovis Mayor Vong Mouanoutoua
Clovis City Council Mayor Pro Tem Diane Pearce
Clovis City Councilmember Drew Bessinger
Clovis City Councilmember Matt Basgall
Clovis City Councilmember Lynne Ashbeck
Selma Police Chief Rudy Alcaraz
The Lincoln Club of Fresno County
Fresno Chamber of Commerce
Fresno-Tulare-Madera-Kings Building Trades Council
Fresno County Young Republicans
Operating Engineers Local 3
Ironworkers Local 155
Fresno Deputy Sheriffs Association
Fresno Police Officers Association
Fresno Sheriff’s Sergeants Association
Fresno County Deputy Probation Officers Association
Coalinga Police Officers Association
Sanger Police Officers Association
Kerman Police Officers Association
Statewide University Police Association (CSU Fresno)
Reedley Police Officers Association
Selma Police Officers Association
State Center Community College District Police Officers Association
Outgoing Seat #6 Judge Hon. Jonathan Conklin
Hon. James Kelley
Hon. Monica Diaz
Hon. Robert Whalen
Hon. Amy Freeman
Deidre Adams, Lawyer:
Dr. Joaquin Arambula
Amy Arambula
Daniel Brickey, Fresno Superior Court Commissioner
Sandra Celedon
Hon. Virna Santos
Hon. Alvin M. Harrell III
Hon. Dennis Peterson (Ret.)
Hon. Timothy S. Buckley (Ret.)
Asm. Esmeralda Soria
Fowler City Councilmember Karnig Kazarian
Fresno Unified Trustee Veva Islas
Central Unified Trustee Dr. Rama Kant Dawar (Ret.)
Professional Association of County Employees
Antoinette Taillac, Head Public Defender of the Fresno County Public Defender’s Office
La Raza Lawyers Association, Central Valley Chapter
Fresno County Public Safety Association
Steven R. Ueltzen, Senior Deputy District Attorney, County of Fresno:
Fresno County Prosecutor’s Association
Clovis Peace Officer’s Association
Hon. Gabriel Brickey, Fresno County Superior Court
Hon. Katherine Rigby, Madera County Superior Court
Hon. Eric LiCalsi, Madera County Superior Court Judge
Hon. Mitchell Rigby, Madera County Superior Court Judge
Hon. Ernest LiCalsi, Madera County Superior Court Judge
Austin Matulonis, Assistant Chief, California Highway Patrol (Ret.)
Clovis City Councilmember Drew Bessinger
Fresno County Supervisor Sal Quintero (Ret.)
SEAT 7:
Jeff Hammerschmidt, Attorney:
Mayor Jerry Dyer
Sheriff John Zanoni
Sheriff Margaret Mims (Ret.)
Fresno City Attorney Andrew Janz
Seat #7 Outgoing Judge Hon. D. Tyler Tharpe
Fresno County Superior Court Presiding Judge Hon. Jeff Hamilton
Hon. Elizabeth Egan
Hon. Brian Alvarez
Hon. David Gottlieb
Hon. Robert Mangano
Hon. David Munoz
Hon. Gregory Fain
Hon. Gary Orozco
Hon. Michael Frye
Hon. Robert Oliver (Ret.)
Hon. W. Kent Hamlin (Ret.)
Hon. James Petrucelli (Ret.)
Hon. Harry Papadakis (Ret.)
Hon. John “Nip” Gallagher (Ret.)
Tulare County District Attorney Phillip Cline (Ret.)
Fresno Police Officers Association
Fresno County Prosecutors Association
Fresno Deputy Sheriff’s Association
The Range Pistol Club
Police Science Institute
Signal of San Joaquin Valley
Curtis Sok, Attorney at Law:
Hon. Robert M. Whalen
Hon. Irene A. Luna
Clovis Mayor Vong Mouanoutoua
Jose Salazar, Attorney:
No public endorsements listed.
Seat 9:
Noelle Elyse Pebet, Superior Court Commissioner:
Fresno City Mayor Jerry Dyer
Fresno Sheriff John Zanoni
Stephen McComas
Arley Terrence
Former Sheriff Margaret Mims
Fresno City Attorney Andrew Janz
Fresno Police Officers Association
Clovis Police Officers Association
Reedley Police Officers Association
Kingsburg Police Officers Association
Fresno County Prosecutors Association
Fresno County District Attorney Investigators’ Association
Fresno Basque Club
Fresno County Supervisor Nathan Magsig
Fresno County Supervisor Debbie Poochigian (Ret.)
Fresno City Councilman Mike Karbassi
Clovis Mayor Pro Tem Diane Pearce
Clovis Mayor Vong Mouanoutoua
Clovis Councilmember Lynne Ashbeck
Clovis City Councilman Matt Basgall
Clovis City Councilman Drew Bessinger
Kingsburg Mayor Staci Smith
Kingsburg Mayor Pro Tem Brandon Pursell
Parlier Mayor Alma Beltran
Reedley Mayor Matthew Tuttle
Marc Ediger
The Lincoln Club of Fresno County
Selma Police Office Association
Fresno Deputy Sheriff Association (FDSA)
Debbie Poochigian, Retired Board of Supervisor
Hon. Jon Conklin
Hon. David Kalemkarian
Hon. Kim Gaab
Hon. Houry Sanderson
Hon. Gregory Fain (Ret.)
Hon. Kent Hamlin (Ret.)
Hon. Jon Kapetan (Ret.)
Presiding Judge Jeffrey Hamilton
Assistant Presiding Judge Leanne Le Mon
Judge Brian Arax
Judge Raj Badhesha
Judge Melissa Baloian
Commissioner Daniel “DJ” Brickey
Judge Gabriel Brickey
Judge Steven Crass
Judge Sam Dalesandro
Judge Monica Diaz
Judge Elizabeth Egan
Commissioner Katherine Fogarty
Supervising Judge Amythest “Amy” Freeman
Judge Lisa Gamoian
Commissioner Gary Green
Supervising Commissioner Jennifer Hamilton
Judge Michael Idiart
Judge Heather Mardel Jones
Judge Charles Lee
Judge Irene Luna
Judge Robert Mangano
Supervising Judge Stephanie Negin
Judge Jonathon Skiles
Commissioner Jeff Spivak
Supervising Judge William “Billy” Terrence
Judge Jon Vogt
Judge Ryan Wells
Judge Robert “Bob” Whalen
Judge Geoff Wilson
Judge Kimberly Nystrom-Geist
Judge Kristi Culver Kapetan
Judge Brian Alvarez
Judge D. Tyler Tharpe
Eddie Ruiz, Attorney/Farmer:
No public endorsements listed.
Seat 12:
Jennifer L. Smith, Sr. Deputy District Attorney, County of Fresno:
Fresno County District Attorney Lisa Smittcamp
Mayor of Fresno Jerry Dyer
Fresno County Sheriff John Zanoni
Fresno County Sheriff Margaret Mims (Ret.)
Fresno City Attorney Andrew Janz
Fresno County Assessor Recorder Paul Dictos
Fresno County Superintendent Jimmy Yovino (Ret.)
Fresno County Superintendent Larry Powell (Ret.)
Hon. Jon Kapetan (Ret.) Fresno County Superior Judge
Hon. Tim Buckley (Ret.) Fifth District Court of Appeals Judge
Clovis Mayor Vong Mouanoutoua
Rev. DJ Criner
Fresno County Board of Education Trustee Marcy Masumoto
Kingsburg Police Chief Neil Dadian (Ret.)
Gordon M. Webster Jr. – Publisher, The Business Journal
Hon. Bob Whelan
Hon. Chrishna Martinez, San Joaquin County Superior Court
Fresno County District Attorney Investigators’ Association
Fresno County Prosecutors’ Association
Fresno Police Officers’ Association
Fresno County Women Lawyers Association
Clovis Police Officers’ Association
Fresno Deputy Sheriff’s Association
Black Lawyers of Central California
Fresno County Deputy Probation Association
Fresno Chamber of Commerce
Miles Harris, Father/Attorney:
No public endorsements listed.
Seat 14:
Jennifer L. Hamilton, Superior Court Commissioner:
Fresno Sheriff John Zanoni
Former Fresno Sheriff Margaret Mims
Commander Arley Terrence Reedley PD
Fresno Police Officer’s Association
Clovis Police Officer’s Association
Fresno County Prosecutor’s Association
Fresno County District Attorney Investigator’s Association
Reedley Police Officer’s Association
Police Officers Research Association of California
Sanger Police Officer’s Association
Fresno County Deputy Probation Officers Association
Presiding Justice, 5th District Court of Appeal Brad Hill
Presiding Judge Jeffrey Hamilton
Assistant Presiding Judge Leanne Le Mon
Former Presiding Judge Houry Sanderson
Former Presiding Judge David Kalemkarian
Former Presiding Judge Jon Conklin
Former Presiding Judge Kimberly Gaab
Supervising Judge Kristi Culver Kapetan
Supervising Judge William Terrence
Supervising Judge Stephanie Negin
Supervising Judge Amythest Freeman
Judge Irene Luna
Judge Michael Idiart
Judge Melissa Baloian
Judge Ryan Wells
Judge Raj Singh Badhesha
Judge David Gottlieb
Judge Monica Diaz
Judge Alvin Harrell, III
Judge Brian Arax
Judge Mary Dolas
Judge Kimberly Nystrom-Geist
Judge Robert Mangano
Judge Geoffrey Wilson
Judge Heather Mardel Jones
Judge Maria Diaz
Judge Mary Vasquez
Judge David Munoz Figueroa
Judge Sam Dalesandro
Judge Glenda Allen-Hill
Judge Charles Lee
Judge Gary Orozco
Judge Lisa Gamoian
Judge Steven Crass
Judge D. Tyler Tharpe
Judge John Vogt
Judge James Kelley
Judge Gabriel Brickey
Judge Jonathan Skiles
Judge Kent Hamlin, Ret.
Judge Francine Zepeda, Ret.
Judge Jon Kapetan, Ret.
Judge Don Black, Ret.
Judge Gregory Fain, Ret.
Judge Rosemary McGuire, Ret.
Judge Carlos Cabrera, Ret.
Judge Timothy Kams, Ret.
Commissioner Gary Green
Commissioner Noelle Pebet
Commissioner Daniel J. Brickey
Commissioner Katherine Fogarty
Commissioner Jeffrey Spivak
Commissioner Jeff Bird, Ret.
Fresno County Women Lawyers
The Lincoln Club of Fresno County
Central Valley PrideLaw Association
P.A.C.E. (Professional Association of County Employees)
Mike Elliot, former CEO Fresno Superior Court
John Arabian Fresno County Fire Protection District, Director of Clovis Area
Jamie Xiong-Vang, Administrative Law Judge, CA Dept of Soc. Serv:
No public endorsements listed.