Santa Cruz County Elections

June 6, 2006 Gubernatorial Primary

There is a judicial vacancy due to the death of Superior Court Judge Kathleen Akao on November 27, 2005.

Judge Akao had been scheduled for election in the 2006 election cycle with nominations to occur at the primary and election in November 2006.

Article VI, section 16(c), of the California Constitution provides as follows:

"(c) Terms of judges of superior courts are six years beginning the Monday after January 1 following their election. A vacancy shall be filled by election to a full term at the next general election after the second January 1 following the vacancy, but the Governor shall appoint a person to fill the vacancy temporarily until the elected judge’s term begins."

The next general election after the second January 1 following Judge Akao’s death is the election scheduled for 2008. Judicial candidates for the Akao vacancy will run for nomination to the office in the primary election in 2008 and then are elected in November 2008.

The Constitution calls for the Governor to fill the vacancy temporarily.

Interested persons may go to the Governor’s web page at www.gov.ca.us and click on "Appointments" and then "Applications for Judicial Appointments"

Applications for Superior Court Judge may be found at www.governor.ca.gov/govsite/msdocs/appointments/

Applications are sent to:

John G. Davies
Judicial Appointments Advisor
Office of the Governor
State Capitol
Sacramento, CA 95814

For more information, please contact the Santa Cruz County Clerk at 831-454-2060 or e-mail gail.pellerin@co.santa-cruz.ca.us