LOS ANGELES, CA – Los Angeles County voters will choose a Superior Court judge for Office No. 65 in a Nov. 3 runoff between Justin Allen Clayton, a county deputy public defender, and Anna Slotky Reitano, a county deputy counsel, according to Los Angeles County election records.
The runoff follows the June 2 primary, in which four candidates ran for the seat and none won a majority. Clayton finished first and Reitano second, so the two advanced to the general election.
Clayton is the deputy in charge of the Inglewood branch of the Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office. Reitano is a deputy county counsel in the Justice and Safety Division of the Los Angeles County Office of the County Counsel.
The Los Angeles County Bar Association rates both candidates Qualified. Judicial races are nonpartisan, and the county began mailing vote-by-mail ballots on Oct. 1.
June primary narrowed the field to two
Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk Dean C. Logan certified the final results of the June 2 primary on June 26. The county said that “A total of 2,227,461 ballots were processed and counted, with 37.81% of eligible voters casting ballots in Los Angeles County.”
In the Office 65 contest, Clayton received 614,230 votes, or 36.69%. Reitano received 500,183 votes, or 29.88%.
Samuel Wolloch Krause finished third with 341,861 votes, or 20.42%. Chellei G. Jimenez finished fourth with 217,865 votes, or 13.01%, and both were eliminated.
The California Secretary of State publishes the complete Statement of Vote for the June 2 primary, including county-level judicial results.
Clayton has worked in the public defender’s office since 2014
According to his campaign materials, Clayton is a Los Angeles native who attended public schools and earned a bachelor’s degree in criminology. He passed the bar in 2012 and joined the public defender’s office two years later.
Since 2023, he has served as deputy in charge of the Inglewood branch. He describes himself as a working supervisor who conducts arraignments and represents clients at preliminary and other hearings.
His website says he has completed dozens of trials, including three that carried life sentences. His candidate statement lists him as a former president of the Los Angeles County Black Public Defenders Association.
Clayton said the job includes overseeing and training attorneys, law clerks and summer interns on case preparation and trial strategy in misdemeanor and felony cases.
Clayton names court efficiency as a priority
Clayton said a priority is improving court efficiency through pretrial preparation and firm but fair enforcement of deadlines. He said running a branch office puts him in daily contact with judges, sheriff’s personnel, court clerks, interpreters and others who work in the courthouse.
He said that contact, combined with 14 years as a trial attorney, gives him a comprehensive understanding of the courtroom. He said that combination has prepared him to serve as a Superior Court judge.
Clayton also said his time as a candidate showed him the importance of clear communication within the court system. He said it matters in bridging language and cultural differences, particularly for people who appear without a lawyer.
Reitano moved from public defense to the county counsel’s office
Reitano’s campaign materials say she spent the early part of her career in criminal defense, contract law and other work. In 2014, she joined the Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office, where she spent a decade.
That time included three years in juvenile court, where she primarily handled felony cases. It also included five years at the San Fernando Courthouse, where she represented indigent clients facing felony charges.
Reitano ran for a judgeship in 2022 and lost. In 2024, she took her current position in the county counsel’s Justice and Safety Division, where she supervises litigation and advises county departments.
According to her website, she volunteers with local schools and mentors future lawyers through moot court competitions.
Reitano points to mental health diversion
Reitano said she focused on mental health diversion and treatment while working as a public defender, aiming to support rehabilitation when possible. She said having a brother with schizophrenia, and seeing how families navigate the legal system when mental illness is involved, shaped her approach.
She said that experience gave her a deeper understanding of the challenges people and families face and of where the system can fall short.
Reitano said campaigning has shown her that voters, however different, want a judge who is experienced, prepared, fair and willing to listen. She said her experience across criminal, juvenile, civil, administrative and government law prepared her to serve wherever the court needs her.
How California voters elect superior court judges
The California Judicial Branch explains that “Superior court judges serve six-year terms and are elected by county voters on a nonpartisan ballot at a general election during even-numbered years.” It adds that vacancies during those terms, caused by retirements, deaths or other departures, are filled by gubernatorial appointment, which is how most superior court judges first reach the bench, according to its page on how California chooses its judges and justices.
Candidates for superior court appear on the ballot without a party label. The Los Angeles County Superior Court is the court on which the winner would serve.
Ballots are out and vote centers open Oct. 24
The Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk began mailing vote-by-mail ballots to all registered voters on Oct. 1 for the Nov. 3 general election, according to the county’s announcement of the mailing. The county said there are more than 400 official ballot drop box locations across Los Angeles County and that vote centers open Oct. 24.
Voters are asked to return their ballots at least seven days before Election Day. Election materials are available in English and 18 additional languages.
Monday, Oct. 19, was the deadline to register and still receive a vote-by-mail ballot. The county’s voter registration deadline notice says, “If eligible voters miss the deadline, they will not be issued a Vote by Mail ballot but can still vote in person at any Vote Center in Los Angeles County beginning Saturday, October 24.”
The same notice says voters displaced by the 2025 wildfires do not need to change their registration. They may add a temporary mailing address.
Election date is Nov. 3
The Office 65 runoff will be decided on Nov. 3, when voters in Los Angeles County choose between Clayton and Reitano. Both candidates are public defenders by background, and both are rated Qualified by the Los Angeles County Bar Association.
The Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk certified the June primary results 24 days after the election, on June 26. Results for the November election will follow the county’s own canvass and certification process.
