Wednesday, May 27, 2026
Page 3
Judicial Candidate Issues Slate With Fellow Democrats
By Roger M. Grace, editor
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The campaign committee for Deputy District Attorney Tal K. Valbuena, who is challenging beleaguered Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Robert Draper for Office No. 2 on the June 2 ballot, has injected partisan politics in nonpartisan judicial contests, embracing candidates for three open seats and the opponent of another incumbent, making note that they are fellow Democrats.
Each of those with whom he has aligned himself in a slate has, individually or through his or her committee, lent financial support to Valbuena’s campaign effort.
A message accompanying the graphic displayed above, disseminated via the social medium “X,” reads:
“[T]his is Cory with Tal Valbuena for Judge. Tal and our Democratic judicial slate are all rated Qualified by the Bar Association and ready to tackle LA’s public safety, mental health, and affordability challenges with equal justice. Vote to protect our courts by June 2nd!....”
Valbuena has been endorsed by the Los Angeles County Democratic Party in his race against Draper, who is facing Commission on Judicial Performance disciplinary/forced retirement proceedings. Also endorsed by that party, and listed on the Valbuena slate, are Deputy Public Defender Justin Clayton (Office No. 65), who is seeking an open seat, and Deputy District Attorney Paul Thompson (Office No. 116), who aspires to unseat Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Pat Connolly, a registered Republican.
Two other members of the slate are Deputy District Attorney Angie Christides (Office No. 14) and Deputy Public Defender Rhonda A. Haymon (Office No. 64). The Democratic Party has endorsed Deputy District Attorney Irene Lee over Christides and Deputy District Attorney Maria Ghobadi in preference to Haymon.
Campaign Contributors
The latest financial statement by the challenger’s committee lists total donations, as of May 16, at $36,703. Filed May 19, it shows that Christides’s campaign committee on May 15 donated $3,500 to Valbuena’s effort.
On May 20, according to a May 21 “late contribution report” (required for donations of $1,000 or more), the committee for Haymon transferred $4,000 of its funds to Valbuena’s coffers and Clayton’s committee provided it $3,500.
Also on May 20, it was reported to the Secretary of State’s Office the following day, the committee for Administrative Law Judge Carlos Dammeier (who is seeking Office No. 131) supplied $4,000 to Valbuena’s treasury. Yet, his name does not appear on the slate.
Christades, individually, gave Valbuena’s committee $100 on March 24, according to an earlier campaign finances report, and Thompson, on March 21, contributed $250 to that committee.
Canons of Ethics
Under Canon 5(A)(2) of California’s Code of Judicial Ethics, judicial candidates may not “publicly endorse or publicly oppose a candidate for nonjudicial office” but, according to the Advisory Committee commentary, “may publicly endorse a candidate for judicial office.” Although Valbuena did not run afoul of the canon (which is incorporated in Rule 1-700 of the Rules of Professional Conduct for lawyers), partisan political appeals in judicial races are rare.
Among the contributors to Valbuena’s campaign—giving $1,000—is attorney William Wardlaw, a politically powerful Democrat, dubbed in a 2000 Los Angeles Business Journal article, “L.A.’s kingmaker.” Wardlaw co-chaired Bill Clinton’s 1992 California campaign for president and, having gained election, Clinton on Aug. 10, 1995, nominated Wardlaw’s wife, Kim Wardlaw, as a judge of the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
She was confirmed by the Senate and continues to serve as a member of that court.
The Los Angeles Judges Election Protection Committee—a political action committee, or “PAC”—on April 28 disbursed $72,500 to one of Draper’s two campaign committees. “Draper for Judge 2026; Robert” reports that sum as the only contribution it received, constituting $160 less than what it has paid out; a separate committee, “Draper for Judge 2026,” received $1,391.74 from the candidate in the form of a “forgiven loan” and spent it on the filing fee.
The PAC also donated $72,500 to Connolly’s committee. It provided $105,000 to the committee supporting Los Angeles Superior Court Judge David Walgren who has been challenged by attorney Dan Kapelovitz.
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