November runoffs likely in two races for judge

The two contested races for San Diego County judicial seats appear headed toward November runoffs, according to the first batches of election results released Tuesday night.

Only one candidate, San Diego Superior Court Commissioner Pennie McLaughlin, was on the ballot for a third judicial seat. She wrapped up the position with 100 percent of the more than 270,000 votes included in the first three batches of results released Tuesday night.

State court judges in San Diego County need 50 percent of the vote in the primary to win the seat outright without needing to run again in the November general election. The judge contests are unique in that way — all other countywide races send the top two vote-getters to the general election.

McLaughlin will replace retiring Judge Tamila Ipema in Office No. 32. McLaughlin was the only candidate in any of the races that the San Diego County Bar Association gave its top rating of “exceptionally qualified.”

Leading the race for Office No. 35 in early results was Mike Murphy, a deputy state attorney general, with 141,518 votes, or 39.75 percent. Behind him was Rebecca Kanter, an assistant U.S. attorney, with 136,277 votes, or 38.28 percent.

Kanter held a slim lead when the first two batches of results were released, but Murphy surged ahead when results were updated around 11 p.m.

Trailing behind the top two was San Diego County Deputy Public Defender Michael Flemming with 78,224 votes, or 21.97 percent.

The winner in the race will replace Judge Jinsook Ohta, who was confirmed in December as a United States district judge. The San Diego County Bar Association rated Kanter as “well qualified” and Murphy as “qualified.”

Peter Murray, a trial attorney who recently left the state attorney general’s office, was leading the race for Office No. 36 with 134,544 votes, or 38.37 percent.

His rivals were separated by less than 1 percent as of late Tuesday. Peter Singer, a San Diego Superior Court commissioner, was second, with 109,739 votes, good for 31.3 percent. Chris Lawson, a deputy district attorney, was close behind Singer with 106,376 votes, or 30.34 percent.

The winner will replace retiring Judge Joseph Brannigan.