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More Take Steps Toward L.A. Superior Court Candidacies
Hancock, McKay to Take Second Crack at Running; 15 Demonstrate Interest in Competing for Open Seats
Five more persons yesterday took steps toward being listed on the June 7 ballot as candidates for Los Angeles Superior Court open seats, two of them having previously failed in their election bids.
Deputy Public Defender Holly L. Hancock, who ran unsuccessfully in 2018, filed a declaration of intent to seek Office No. 70 and Sacramento-based Administrative Law Judge Klint McKay, who lost in a run-off two years ago, took out a declaration for Office No. 118.
According to their respective campaign websites, Hancock has the endorsement of only one Los Angeles Superior Court judge—Lucy Armendariz—and McKay has none. Neither staged a particularly aggressive campaign in running previously.
Taking out and filing declarations yesterday were Deputy District Attorney Fernanda Maria Barreto, eying Office No. 67, Whittier practitioner Georgia Huerta, who indicated an intent to run for Office No. 118, and Downey practitioner Eric Alfonso Torices, who is planning to run for Office No. 70.
Baretto reports backing by nine judges of the county’s trial court and Torices tells of 14 such endorsements.
Deputy District Attorney Richard Quiñones late Monday pulled declarations of intent to run for Office Nos. 60 and 118, filing the declaration for the latter seat. A candidate may file declarations for multiple offices (paying a filing fee for each office) but may only file nominating papers for one seat.
Twenty judges of the Los Angeles Superior Court have endorsed Quiñones.
Would-Be Challengers Silent
Two potential challengers to judges remain mum.
Van Nuys attorney Naser Khoury—an unsuccessful candidate for an open seat six years ago who has incurred a misdemeanor conviction and a private reproval from the State Bar, and has declared bankruptcy—refuses to say why he has announced that he will run against Judge James Kaddo. West Hollywood cut-rate bankruptcy lawyer Frank Amador will not say if he will remain in the race for Office No. 3 if the incumbent, Sherilyn Peace Garnett, has not been confirmed by the Senate as a judge of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California by the deadline for filing nominating papers for Superior Court seats, which is March 11.
Kaddo and Garnett have both taken out but not filed declarations of intent. Khoury took out a petition on which to gather signatures, each of which reduces the filing fee by one-third of a dollar, and Amador has taken out and filed such a petition, but neither has yet taken out a declaration of intent.
Neither Amador nor Khoury has formed a campaign finance committee.
The period for filing declarations of intent ends today, except that where an incumbent who is up for election does not file one, the period is extended by five days.
15 Possible Candidates
As of press time yesterday, the following persons have taken out declarations of intent for open seats, with those who filed the declarations designated by “(f)” after their names:
Office No. 60
Deputy District Attorneys Abby Baron (f), Sharon Ransom (f), Richard Quiñones, and Anna Slotky Reitano (f).
Office No. 67
Deputy District Attorneys Fernanda Maria Barreto (f) and Ryan Dibble (f).
Office No. 70
Deputy District Attorney Renee Yolande Chang (f); attorney Eric Alfonso Torices (f); Deputy Public Defender Holly L. Hancock (f)
Office No. 90
Deputy District Attorneys Karen A. Brako and Leslie Gutierrez (f).
Office No. 118
Deputy District Attorneys Benyomin Forer, Keith Koyano (f), and Richard Quiñones (f); attorney Georgia Huerta (f); Administrative Law Presiding Judge Klint McKay.
As additional open seats become identified, some would-be candidates are apt to jump to races for those seats.
Finance Committees Formed
Seven potential Los Angeles Superior Court candidates have formed campaign finance committees, entitling them to raise in excess of $2,000. The persons, and the amount of cash their committees had on hand as of Dec. 31, are:
Baron, $135,898.99; Chang, $398,825.00; Dibble, $77,947.87; Gutierrez, $9,604.77; Hancock, $1,551.08, Koyano, $98,259.29; Quiñones, $19,074.31.
Huerta has formed a committee but has reported no contributions.
Traditionally, high-spending campaigns have had the greatest prospect of success, but the two latest elections have shown that prowess in using social media can be more significant than spending money on slate mailers.
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