Election 2026 · Los Angeles County
LA County Superior Court Judge, Office 64
Maria Ghobadi and Rhonda A. Haymon are the candidates for LA County Superior Court Judge, Office 64 on the November 3, 2026 ballot.
Superior court judges run the trial courts in California, where a judge, and sometimes a jury, hears testimony and other evidence and decides cases by applying the law to the facts. Each county has one superior court that handles all types of cases. Office No. 64 is one seat on the Los Angeles County Superior Court.
Summary by CityHallPass, not the official text or legal advice. The official text controls: LA County's official election information.
| Who votes | Every Los Angeles County voter |
|---|---|
| Term and pay | Six-year term. A superior court judge must have been a lawyer admitted to practice in California, or a judge of a California court of record, for at least 10 years before election or appointment. The LA Times reports the salary is more than $244,000 a year. |
| How it works | Open seat, no incumbent. Two candidates. Most votes wins. |
| Party labels | Nonpartisan |
What it means for the City of LA
Superior court judges are elected by voters across the whole county, so every City of Los Angeles voter gets this contest. The Los Angeles County Superior Court is the trial court for the entire county, including the City.
At a glance
| Maria Ghobadi | Rhonda A. Haymon | |
|---|---|---|
| June 2 primary (3 candidates) | 44.0%, first | 42.2%, second |
| LA County Bar Association rating (April 2026) | Well Qualified | Qualified |
| Contributions in 2026, through Sept 19 | $71,461 (plus $40,030 in her own loans) | $24,314 (plus $23,662 in loans) |
| Outside groups spending for / against | None found | None found |
Primary results, June 2, 2026
| Maria Ghobadi | 750,184 | 44.0% |
|---|---|---|
| Rhonda A. Haymon | 717,844 | 42.2% |
| Francisco Amador | 235,003 | 13.8% |
The candidates
Maria Ghobadi
Ghobadi was born in Iran and came to Southern California as a child after the Iranian Revolution. She holds a bachelor's degree in biology and a law degree from McGeorge School of Law, and was admitted to the bar in 2006 (campaign bio; State Bar). She prosecuted cases in San Joaquin County from 2007 and has been a Los Angeles County deputy district attorney since 2015, now in the Gang Homicide Division (LA Times).
Rhonda A. Haymon
Haymon grew up in Southern California and graduated from Gardena High School, Tuskegee University (1996) and Willamette University College of Law (1999) (LA Sentinel). She was admitted to the bar in 2001 and worked at the Orange County Public Defender's office before joining the Los Angeles County Public Defender's office in 2004 (State Bar; campaign bio). She teaches as an adjunct professor at Southwestern Law School (LA Sentinel). She ran for the Superior Court in 2024 and lost to Judge Lynn Olson (LA Times).
The job
What a judge does. Superior courts have trial jurisdiction over all criminal and civil cases in the county. Judges serve six-year terms and are elected on a nonpartisan ballot. When a seat opens between elections, the Governor fills it by appointment (Judicial Council fact sheet). LAist lists the kinds of cases the LA court hears: child custody and divorce, landlord and tenant disputes, contract fights, theft and murder trials, probate and small claims. Judges have discretion over things like sentence length and damage awards (LAist).
Size. Hoodline, citing the court, calls it the nation’s largest trial court system and reports 36 courthouses in 12 judicial districts, more than 580 judicial officers and about 5,000 full-time employees serving 9.5 million residents (Hoodline). LAist counts more than 400 judges (LAist). Superior courts also have commissioners and referees, according to the Judicial Council fact sheet. The court says it receives about 1.3 million filings a year (ABC7).
Budget. The court’s funding comes through the state budget. In September 2026 the court said it is underfunded by $233.7 million, that the current state budget covers 76.77% of its calculated need (the lowest level since 2021), and that it would offer $35,000 to employees who agree to leave. It warned of longer lines and slower processing (ABC7).
Pay. The LA Times reports a superior court judge’s salary is more than $244,000 a year (LA Times).
Rules for candidates. The Code of Judicial Ethics bars judicial candidates from making statements “that commit the candidate … with respect to cases, controversies, or issues that are likely to come before the courts” (Canon 5B(1)(a), Code of Judicial Ethics). As a result, candidates talk about how they would do the job rather than where they stand on issues.
Discipline. The Commission on Judicial Performance handles complaints against judges. In 2025 it received complaints about 1,116 judges and justices, opened 99 preliminary investigations and took 15 public actions, the Metropolitan News-Enterprise reported from its annual report (MetNews).
Bar ratings. The Los Angeles County Bar Association’s Judicial Elections Evaluation Committee rates candidates Exceptionally Well Qualified, Well Qualified, Qualified or Not Qualified. It issued its 2026 ratings on April 22, 2026, for the primary (LACBA report). LAist notes the LACBA is a private, volunteer membership group separate from the State Bar (LAist). No separate general-election report was found.
This seat. Office No. 64 is an open seat with no incumbent on the ballot (Daily News editorial; County Registrar candidate list).
Records
Maria Ghobadi
Legal career. Ghobadi was admitted to the State Bar on June 1, 2006 (bar number 242945). Her State Bar profile lists her law school as McGeorge School of Law, University of the Pacific, and shows no public discipline (State Bar profile).
- In 2007 she joined the San Joaquin County District Attorney’s office, prosecuting misdemeanors and felonies and later working in its Domestic Violence and Child Abduction units (LA Times).
- Her campaign says she then worked as a deputy trial attorney for the State Bar, prosecuting attorney misconduct (campaign bio).
- She joined the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office in 2015 and works in its Gang Homicide Division. The LA Times reports she has completed 21 homicide trials, 85 jury trials and more than 1,500 preliminary hearings (LA Times).
- In 2025 she prosecuted a man charged with killing a 13-year-old boy at a Pico Rivera gas station (LA Times; County of Los Angeles release).
- The Metropolitan News-Enterprise published excerpts of her January 2026 office evaluation, which gave her the top overall rating, “Far Exceeded Expectations” (MetNews editorial, Mar 3, 2026).
Community roles. The LA Times reports she has served on the boards of Saddleback Community College and the Waymakers Foundation and volunteered in a fifth-grade classroom through Project LEAD (LA Times).
Prior campaigns. None found.
Ethics and court records. Her State Bar history shows only her 2006 admission, with no discipline or administrative actions (State Bar profile). No public enforcement actions were found in FPPC or FEC records (FPPC case search; FEC legal search). She is not a judge, so the Commission on Judicial Performance has no record on her. No federal case that clearly refers to her appears in CourtListener. Searched Sept. 30, 2026.
Rhonda A. Haymon
Legal career. Haymon was admitted to the State Bar on April 30, 2001 (bar number 212814). Her profile lists Willamette University College of Law and shows no public discipline (State Bar profile). Her campaign says she is also licensed in Oregon (campaign bio).
- She started at the Orange County Public Defender’s office in 2001 and joined the Los Angeles County Public Defender’s office in 2004 (campaign bio).
- The LA Times reports she has handled juvenile and adult cases from petty theft to homicide, and worked in the restorative justice drug court and the Law Enforcement Accountability and Integrity Unit. She told the Times she has tried more than 100 jury trials and lost four (LA Times).
- She has taught criminal procedure and litigation as an adjunct professor at Southwestern Law School since 2021 and sits on its Women in Leadership board (LA Sentinel; campaign bio).
- She was elected to the State Bar’s California Young Lawyers Association in 2006 and served four years (campaign bio).
Prior campaign. In March 2024 she ran against Judge Olson and received about 36% of the vote (MetNews, Feb 6, 2026; LA Times).
Ethics and court records. Her State Bar history shows only her 2001 admission, with no discipline or administrative actions (State Bar profile). No public enforcement actions were found in FPPC or FEC records (FPPC case search; FEC legal search). She is not a judge, so the Commission on Judicial Performance has no record on her. No federal case names her as a party in CourtListener. Searched Sept. 30, 2026.
Where they stand
Under the Code of Judicial Ethics, judicial candidates may not commit themselves on issues likely to come before the court (Code of Judicial Ethics, Canon 5B). The rows below come from the questions the LA Times and the Southern California News Group asked every candidate in May 2026 (Ghobadi questionnaire; Haymon questionnaire).
| Issue | Maria Ghobadi | Rhonda A. Haymon |
|---|---|---|
| Court delays | Named “effective time management” as a priority: “Unnecessary delays or cases that languish in the system can undermine both due process and access to justice” (LA Times, May 1, 2026). No specific proposal. | No specific proposal. |
| Use of discretion (sentencing, diversion) | Would “articulate clear reasoning on the record” and “treat similarly situated individuals consistently” (SCNG questionnaire, May 4, 2026). No specific proposal. | Would use discretion to address “access to mental health services, treatment for substance abuse disorder, stability for those who are unhoused and family reunification where appropriate,” with restorative justice “when the law allows” (SCNG questionnaire, May 4, 2026). Cited pretrial mental health diversion under Penal Code 1001.36 and the 2021 In re Humphrey bail ruling (LA Sentinel, Sept 2026). |
| Misconduct by lawyers or police | Would address it on the record and impose sanctions, including referral to the State Bar, and would start proceedings under the Racial Justice Act where it applies (SCNG questionnaire). | Would handle claims “through the appropriate legal channels” and not be “influenced by the status, position or occupation” of anyone before the court (SCNG questionnaire). No specific proposal. |
| Access to the court | Priority on “dignity and respect in the courtroom” (LA Times, May 1). No specific proposal. | Named equal access to justice as a priority (LA Times, May 1). No specific proposal. |
| Role of a judge | “A judge’s role is not to create or advocate for public policy” (SCNG questionnaire). | “I do not believe in judicial activism. I believe in judicial responsibility” (SCNG questionnaire). |
On the other ballot measures
| Measure | Maria Ghobadi | Rhonda A. Haymon |
|---|---|---|
| County Measure A (binding arbitration for County public safety unions) | No stated position. | No stated position. |
| County Measure E (County Ethics Commission) | No stated position. | No stated position. |
Positions on the state propositions and, for City voters, the City measures were not found for either candidate.
Endorsements
Maria Ghobadi
From her campaign site, checked Sept 29, 2026, unless another source is linked.
- Judges: more than 75 current and retired judges, including Court of Appeal Justice Steve Goorvitch, Supervising Judge of the Criminal Division Yvette Verastegui, Assistant Supervising Judge Olivia Rosales, and Judge Lynn Olson (campaign list).
- Parties: Los Angeles County Democratic Party (campaign list). The Daily News reported that the County Republican Party also backed her (Daily News). The Metropolitan News-Enterprise reported that the Democratic Party endorsed Ghobadi over Haymon (MetNews, May 27, 2026).
- Unions and law enforcement groups: Los Angeles Association of Deputy District Attorneys; SEIU 721; IBEW Local 11; ILWU Southern California District Council; Ironworkers Locals 416 and 433; IUOE Local 12; IATSE Local 33; AFSCME LA County Deputy Probation Officers’ Union; Los Angeles Police Protective League; ALADS; Long Beach Police Officers Association (campaign list).
- Organizations: National Women’s Political Caucus, LA Forward, Thrive LA, Crime Survivors PAC, Chinese American Citizens Alliance, Iranian American Democrats of California, Stonewall Democratic Club and about 20 other Democratic clubs (campaign list). Citizens for Accountable Leadership is listed; her committee paid it $2,000 twice for slate mailer placement (Cal-Access filings).
- Newspapers: Southern California News Group, which publishes the Daily News (editorial, May 17, 2026); Metropolitan News-Enterprise (editorial, Mar 3, 2026); Colorado Boulevard (recommendations).
Rhonda A. Haymon
From her endorsements page, checked Sept 29, 2026.
- Elected officials: Mayor Karen Bass; Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell; Rep. Maxine Waters (listed as “Recommended by”); former state Sen. Steven Bradford; Assemblymember Sade Elhawary; Gardena Mayor Tasha Cerda; Inglewood Mayor James T. Butts; Burbank Councilmember Konstantine Anthony; Carson Councilmember Jawane Hilton (campaign list).
- Public Defender: Los Angeles County Public Defender Ricardo D. García (campaign list).
- Judges: Judges Holly Hancock and Ericka Wiley (campaign list).
- Unions: UNITE HERE Local 11, Western States Regional Council of Carpenters, LiUNA Local 1309, International Longshore and Warehouse Union (campaign list).
- Organizations: La Defensa, Americans for Democratic Action, Los Angeles African American Women PAC, Desert Democracy Project, and Democratic clubs including the Progressive Democratic Club, Democrats for Neighborhood Action, East Area Progressive Democrats, New Frontier Democratic Club, Black Los Angeles Young Democrats and Santa Clarita Valley Democrats, which also appears on Ghobadi’s list (campaign list). Both lists were checked Sept 30, 2026.
- Newspapers and outlets: Los Angeles Sentinel and Knock LA are listed on her page.
Editorial boards not found: No LA Times endorsement was found for this race.
Polls
No public polls of this race were found.
Money
Judicial candidates file with the California Secretary of State. Figures are from each committee’s Form 460 reports through Sept 19, 2026, in the state’s Cal-Access campaign finance database (bulk export dated Sept 2026): Maria Ghobadi for Judge 2026 and Haymon for Judge 2026.
| Maria Ghobadi | Rhonda A. Haymon | |
|---|---|---|
| Committee | Maria Ghobadi for Judge 2026 (ID 1488221) | Haymon for Judge 2026 (ID 1463944) |
| Contributions, 2026 (money and in-kind) | $71,460.50 | $24,313.83 |
| Loans received, 2026 | $40,030 (from the candidate) | $23,661.85 (from the candidate and one other individual) |
| Total receipts reported, 2026 | $111,490.50 | $47,975.68 |
| Spent, 2026 | $105,143.83 | $39,606.40 |
| Cash on hand, Sept 19, 2026 | $10,175.85 | $12,067.42 |
| Outstanding debts, Sept 19, 2026 | $40,030 | $89,446.21 |
| Outside spending for / against | None found | None found |
Source: Cal-Access committee pages for Ghobadi and Haymon; latest Form 460s for Jul 1 to Sep 19, 2026 (Ghobadi, Haymon). “Spent, 2026” for Haymon adds the period totals on her four 2026 reports.
Ghobadi’s contributions include $24,136.50 in kind. She lent her campaign $25,000 on March 13 and $15,030 on March 20, 2026 (Cal-Access filings). Haymon’s committee also ran her 2024 race. Its debts include $62,590.98 in loans from 2023 and 2024, plus 2026 loans: $5,161.85 (April 27) and $3,500 (May 26) from Haymon, and $10,000 (May 4) and $5,000 (Sept 15) from one other individual (Cal-Access filings; Sep 19 report).
Who is giving
Method: every itemized contribution (money and in-kind) on the 2026 Form 460s, deduplicated across amended reports. A donor is a normalized name plus ZIP code. Location is by ZIP code (LA County is 900 to 918). Gifts under $100 that were not itemized ($200 for Ghobadi, $762.93 for Haymon) are left out.
| Ghobadi | Haymon | |
|---|---|---|
| Donors (itemized) | 131 | 68 |
| Itemized dollars | $71,260.50 | $23,550.90 |
| Donors giving $1,000 or more | 18, $44,833.44 (62.9%) | 5, $9,906.49 (42.1%) |
| Donors giving under $250 | 67, $8,074 (11.3%) | 38, $4,700.61 (20.0%) |
| From LA County ZIP codes | 109 donors, 85.1% of dollars | 44 donors, 75.1% |
| Rest of California | 21 donors, 14.6% | 4 donors, 2.4% |
| Out of state | 1 donor, 0.3% | 20 donors, 22.6% |
Source: itemized contributions on the 2026 Form 460s filed with Cal-Access by Ghobadi’s committee and Haymon’s committee.
Maria Ghobadi
- The largest donor, an individual, gave $21,833.44 in kind: a $20,000 slate mailer (Sept 16) and $1,833.44 in yard signs and postcards (April 15) (Cal-Access filings).
- Prosecutors: 64 donors list the District Attorney’s office, or a deputy district attorney job, as employer or occupation. They gave $14,603.06 (20.5%). Sixteen of them gave on April 16, 2026 ($2,900) (Cal-Access filings).
- Law firms: seven gave directly ($5,600), including Steve Cooley & Associates, the firm of the former District Attorney ($1,000) (Cal-Access filings).
- Four donors list a court or judicial job ($1,250) (Cal-Access filings).
Spending: her committee paid slate mailers $27,000 in August and September 2026 (Budget Watchdogs $10,937; Election Digest $5,309; CalVoter $4,499.50; Senior Advocate $4,254.50; Citizens for Accountable Leadership $2,000), plus $2,000 to Citizens for Accountable Leadership in April (Cal-Access filings).
Rhonda A. Haymon
- The largest donor, an individual, gave $5,369.91 on Sept 11, 2026 (Cal-Access filings).
- Out of state: 20 donors (22.6% of dollars), including Williams & Associates of Decatur, Georgia ($1,500) (Cal-Access filings).
- Public defenders: three donors list a public defender office ($1,359.38) (Cal-Access filings).
- Judges: Judge Holly Hancock-Goode gave $500 (Cal-Access filings).
- Committees: Federation of Public Service Employees PAC ($500) and Yes We Can Democratic Club ($100) (Cal-Access filings).
Spending: in May 2026 her committee paid $6,000 for texting services to the committee of Tal K. Valbuena, a candidate for another seat (May 19 and 26) (Cal-Access filings). The Metropolitan News-Enterprise reported that Valbuena’s committee promoted a “Democratic judicial slate” that included Haymon (MetNews, May 27, 2026). It also paid $1,000 each to five slate mailers on April 28 (Cal-Access filings).
Outside spending
No independent expenditure for or against Ghobadi or Haymon was found in state filings (Form 496 and Schedule D) through the latest bulk export, or in LA County filings (Ghobadi committee; Haymon committee; County campaign finance portal).
Key moments
Debates and forums
No debate or candidate forum for this seat was found.
Events
- Primary (June 2, 2026). Ghobadi finished first with 44.05% and Haymon second with 42.15%. Francisco Amador received 13.80% (County Registrar; LA Sentinel).