Judge of the Superior Court, Office No. 131
November 3, 2026 · Los Angeles County, California · County · runoff
How do we calculate vote impact?
Vote impact = representation (how much weight one vote carries here, the smaller the district's population, the higher the representation) + decisiveness (how likely this race is to be close, based on past results and number of candidates).
Representation: Low · 0 out of 100
This district is large for its type, so each vote is a smaller slice of the outcome. About 9,808,667 people live here.
score = 100 × ln(largest population ÷ this district's) ÷ ln(largest ÷ smallest), rounded to 2 decimals = 100 × ln(9,808,667 ÷ 9,808,667) ÷ ln(9,808,667 ÷ 1,616) = 0, comparing counties in CA (grades: 66+ high, 33+ average, otherwise low)
Decisiveness: Unknown
No past results for this contest yet.
Low representation + unknown decisiveness → Below average vote impact.
Some data is missing, so this rating is based on partial information and capped at "High".
This office is responsible for:
- Hearing trials — criminal cases, lawsuits, family, or probate matters, depending on the court
- Ruling on evidence, motions, and sentences
- Applying state law and court procedure fairly in every case
Affected Areas: Public Safety and Crime Control, Housing Affordability, Civil Rights, Impartiality, Legal Competence
Candidates
David Ross
Nonpartisan · declared
David Ross is a Grade IV Deputy Alternate Public Defender for Los Angeles County running for Superior Court Judge, Office No. 131. Over a 30-year indigent-defense career as a Deputy Public Defender in Riverside County and a Deputy Alternate Public Defender in Los Angeles County, he has represented more than 10,000 defendants, completed 113 jury trials, and litigated over 2,000 preliminary hearings; he is also an adjunct professor. Before law, he spent about ten years as a television news reporter and documentary producer. The Los Angeles County Bar Association rated him "Qualified" for 2026. He advanced to the November runoff with 33.24% in the June primary against fellow public defender Donna Tryfman.
Records: Legal Competence 1 for
Donna Tryfman
Nonpartisan · declared
Donna Tryfman is a Los Angeles County Deputy Public Defender in the office's Major Cases Unit, running for Superior Court Judge, Office No. 131. A trial attorney with roughly three decades as a public defender, she served as President of the California Public Defenders Association from 2015 to 2020 and received the 2025 Gideon Award as Felony Attorney of the Year. She has also served on the Beverly Hills Rent Stabilization Commission and chaired the Beverly Hills Unified School District Facilities Committee. She led the June 2026 primary with 37.31% and faces fellow Deputy Public Defender David Ross in the November runoff.
Records: Legal Competence 1 for
Election sources
Source: results.lavote.gov
Source: laist.com