A Riverside County Superior Court commissioner maintained a solid lead over a veteran prosecutor Wednesday in the race for an open judicial seat.
The ballot tally posted late Wednesday afternoon showed Commissioner Elizabeth Tucker ahead of Deputy District Attorney Gerald Pfohl by 15 percentage points in the race for Superior Court Office Judicial Seat No. 4. The Office of the Registrar of Voters said 45% of ballots had been counted from Tuesday’s election.
“I already preside over criminal, civil, juvenile, probate and traffic courts in my capacity as a commissioner,” Tucker said in campaign literature. “I have the identical training, education and experience as a judge.”
The 54-year-old Palm Desert resident was appointed to her commissioner post six years ago and prior to that served as a county prosecutor.
“I am a decades-long resident of Riverside County and raised two children here,” she said. “I believe in service above self and have dedicated myself to improving the county by volunteering.”
County Presiding Judge Judith Clark endorsed Tucker.
Pfohl, 42, of Temecula, has been a county prosecutor for almost 17 years and garnered national attention last year by winning a conviction in the state’s first fentanyl murder trial.
A Murrieta jury found Vicente Romero guilty of second-degree murder for the 2020 death of Kelsey King of Temecula, whom the defendant supplied a deadly dose of the synthetic opioid. Last November, Romero received a sentence of 15 years to life in state prison.
“My tenure at the District Attorney’s Office (has involved) prosecuting every kind of criminal offense, including child molestation and murder,” Pfohl said. “I am a product of Riverside County, serving the community I grew up in. As a judge, my pledge is clear: conduct a fair, respectful and diligent judiciary service for every individual stepping into the courtroom.”
Pfohl received endorsements from District Attorney Mike Hestrin and the Deputy District Attorneys’ Association.