Keep in mind: Any judges who are not retained will be replaced by the governor (with the exception of judges in smaller counties, who are not appointed). So if Hobbs “beats” Biggs, could be out of the frying pan into the fire, which is why I’ve color coded this with different levels of urgency. This is subject to change if anyone gives me more info.
LD 4 list of judges to vote no on
https://azld4gop.org/VOTERGUIDE/
Vote the opposite of what the left-wing site AZJudgeWatch recommends
https://azjudgewatch.com/voter-guide/
Robing Room - provides opinions on judges, but many of them are just disgruntled litigants
http://www.therobingroom.com/arizona/
Arizona Commission on Judicial Performance Review doesn’t provide much useful information about judges, and every single one up for retention passed their test
https://www.azcourts.gov/jpr/Judicial-Performance-Reports/2024-Judicial-Performance-Reports
An X account tracking Maricopa County judges
https://x.com/MaricopaJudges
COLOR CODING
Judges to vote no on will be in bright red
Judges we’re leaning against will be dark red
Judges to vote yes on will be bright green
Judges we’re leaning towards voting yes will be dark green
Black means undecided
The name after each judge refers to the governor who appointed the judge; either Republicans Doug Ducey and Jan Brewer or Democrats Janet Napolitano and Katie Hobbs. While there is a myth going around that judges are randomly appointed to cases, this is not accurate, the presiding judge makes these determinations — they know when they are assigning a case to an election fraud denier. It is currently Joseph Welty, who is up for election.
MARICOPA COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT
Bradley Astrowsky (Brewer) He threw out a request by Mohave County Supervisor Ron Gould to get an order barring Attorney General Kris Mayes from subjecting him to “threats and intimidation” for pushing for a hand count of elections. He ordered the Arizona Senate and contractor Cyber Ninjas to immediately release to American Oversight documents related to the Senate’s attempted audit of 2020 presidential election ballots cast in Maricopa County - even though Cyber Ninjas is a private organization that should not be subject to public records requests. At the same time, he refused to order Runbeck to turn over video of its loading dock to We the People AZ Alliance, even though Runbeck is also a private company. Was harshly criticized in this article - https://medium.com/@jaxmenez.Saved.by.Grace/fighting-back-welcome-to-the-clown-show-1877485510d7
Michael C. Blair (Ducey) He threw out valid prosecutions by outstanding conservative former Maricopa County prosecutor April Sponsel (who the corrupt State Bar of Arizona went after for daring to prosecute violent Antifa).
John L. Blanchard (Ducey)
LD 4 says vote no. Former partner at Osborn Maledon, a longtime notorious left-wing firm. Clerked for Judge William C. Canby, Jr. on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, who was appointed by a Democrat.
Mark H. Brain (Brewer)
Republican. Allowed Phoenix to ban “Guns Save Lives” ads from bus shelters. Was reversed on appeal. In 2011, Brain rejected a case brought by Republicans wanting to toss out all signatures collected for the Russell Pearce recall petition. Brain dismissed a Goldwater Institute lawsuit against the Citizens Clean Elections Commission that claimed the commission’s outreach efforts to the public were self-promotion and not education, which is not allowed. Although prosecutors agreed to only probation for a woman who damaged a mosque, Brain gave her an additional 30 days in jail.
Robert I. Brooks (Ducey) THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE GREEN BUT HAVING DIFFICULTIES FIXING IT
Republican. Endorsed by the Arizona Free Enterprise Club.
Sunita A. Cairo (Ducey)
She hasn’t been on the bench long, only handled criminal cases. She has been chair of the State Bar’s Council on Minorities and Women in the Law.
Michelle Carson (Hobbs)
Democrat. LD 4 says vote no. Former public defender who advocates for “bail reform.” Considered one of the worst judges - https://x.com/toxikVlad/status/2100333918608376149</
Gregory S. Como (Ducey)
Democrat. LD 4 said to vote no. Struck down pre-Prop 139 abortion restrictions (2026) and a GOP anti-union ballot measure on single-subject grounds.
Katherine M. Cooper (Brewer)
I had an outstanding experience with her handling a case. Sided with the Goldwater Institute in their lawsuit against the Phoenix police union, halting the spending of taxpayer money for “release time.” Ruled that it was okay for Ducey to cut off additional unemployment payments two months early to force people back into work during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Max-Henri Covil (Ducey)
Attended two trainings by the Law & Economics Center. Former public defender.
Kristin Culbertson (Ducey)
She clerked for a Republican judge and donated almost $5,000 to Republicans.
Marvin L. Davis (Ducey)
Former public defender.
Monica B. Edelstein (Ducey)
She clerked for a Republican judge.
Geoffrey Fish (Brewer)
Refused to dismiss Kris Mayes’ lawfare prosecution of Cochise County Supervisor Tom Crosby for delaying the canvassing of the election over concerns about election fraud. Attorney Vlad Gagic said he heard Fish make disparaging remarks about those concerned about election fraud in the 2022 election, including Abe Hamadeh.
Dewain Fox (Ducey)
Fox ruled Arizona is guilty of underfunding public schools. He refused to exempt a power plant from environmental review.
Jillian B. Francis (Ducey)
She attended one judicial training, the Economic Institute for Judges run by the Law & Economics Center (often described as market-oriented or conservative-leaning judicial education).
Melody Garland Harmon (Hobbs)
Member of the Human Rights Campaign (an LGBTQ advocacy organization).
Marischa H. Gilla (Hobbs)
Jennifer Green (Brewer)
In November 2024, as Criminal Presiding Judge, she denied the Arizona Republic’s request to unseal grand-jury transcripts from Attorney General Kris Mayes’s indictment of 18 Republicans and Trump allies. However, she was endorsed previously by the Arizona Free Enterprise Club.
Lauren R. Guyton (Hobbs)
LD 4 says vote no. Background as a public defender and has a degree in social work.
Michael J. Herrod (Brewer)
One of the best judges we’ve ever had on the bench.
Charlene D. Jackson (Ducey)
LD 4 says vote no. Has been terrible on family court issues - https://davisvanguard.org/2025/06/arizona-family-court-corruption-exposed/
Rep. Rachel Keshel threatened to investigate her - https://azcapitoltimes.com/news/2025/02/07/keshel-threatens-to-investigate-judge-over-pending-family-court-case/ Considered one of the worst judges - https://x.com/toxikVlad/status/2100333918608376149
Melissa I. Julian (Ducey)
LD 4 says vote no. Has donated about $1,600 to various Democrats. In August 2024 she ruled that the Republican-controlled Legislative Council’s voter-pamphlet description of Proposition 140 (the open-primary / ranked-choice measure) was arranged to mislead voters and “to dissuade voters from supporting the initiative.” She dismissed Mark Finchem’s election lawsuit, and ordered him and his attorney to pay more than $48,000 in sanctions. She rejected a lawsuit to block the abortion until birth ballot measure. She ruled that documentation of every vote cast in an election is not a public record.
Amy M. Kalman (Hobbs)
LD 4 says vote no. She opposes the death penalty.
Joseph S. Kiefer (Ducey)
He is a Republican. Was endorsed by the Arizona Free Enterprise Club. Has a background in the law serving in the military.
Joseph C. Kreamer (Napolitano)
LD 4 says vote no. Recently struck down a GOP voucher-protection/education ballot measure for violating the single-subject rule.
Kerstin G. LeMaire (Ducey)
LeMaire was the judicial sponsor of a 2023 – 2024 strategic initiative to identify, assess, and recommend initiatives to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in the judicial branch.
Daniel G. Martin (Napolitano)
LD 4 says vote no. He required the GOP legislature to rewrite a ballot description about an anti-ESA measure, stating that it would coerce people into voting against it. He’s been OK on election issues, although he said he was not convinced voter privacy was protected during the legislature’s investigation of the 2020 election. Martin ruled that the city union’s “release time”* practice did not violate the rights of non-union workers or the Constitution. He allowed a lawsuit against the state to move forward that alleges that state budget cuts have deprived public schools of necessary capital funding for years. However, an attorney friend of mine really likes him.
Julie A. Mata (Ducey)
My attorney friends rave about her. She allowed a proposition to ban DEI to remain on the ballot. She ruled that Adrian Fontes illegally called ESAs “vouchers” in ballot description language.
Steven W. McCarthy (Hobbs)
Frank W. Moskowitz (Brewer) THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE RED! TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES FIXING
In September 2024 he kept Proposition 140, the open-primary / ranked-choice measure, on the ballot after the Arizona Supreme Court sent a signature challenge back to him. Arizona Free Enterprise Club President Scot accused him of bias after the remand, since 37,657 petition signatures were duplicates. He ruled that Arizona’s 15-week abortion ban was unconstitutional.
Samuel J. Myers (Napolitano)
LD 4 says vote no. As a law student in 1992 he interned for U.S. Senator Dennis DeConcini, a Democrat. However, he did throw out Kris Mayes’ indictments of the 2020 alternate electors for Trump, stating that she would need to redo it since jurors were not given the 1887 Electoral Count Act (so far Mayes has not tried to get another indictment). Unfortunately, he sides a lot with RINO Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell.
Suzanne M. Nicholls (Ducey)
Republican. As a student she clerked for Yuma County Superior Court Judge Andrew W. Gould, a Republican, and externed for Arizona Court of Appeals Judge Donn Kessler, who was appointed to the bench by Napolitano.
Colleen E. O’Donnell-Smith (Hobbs)
LD 4 says vote no. She clerked for liberal judges. Considered one of the worst judges - https://x.com/toxikVlad/status/2100333918608376149
Jay M. Polk (Brewer)
Republican. He has a biographical page on the Federalist Society website and spoke at one of their events. He clerked for a Republican judge.
Michael Z. Rassas (Ducey)
LD 4 says vote no. Republican. Was endorsed by the Arizona Free Enterprise Club.
Joshua D. Rogers
Republican. A Master’s University alumni profile quotes him saying his time there shaped a biblical worldview and that he tries to honor Christ in his work. He does pro bono work for his church and the community. Attended two trainings by the Law & Economics Center.
Jeffrey Rueter (Ducey)
Jennifer Ryan-Touhill (Brewer)
In August 2024 she partly sided with the Arizona Free Enterprise Club and America First Policy Institute in a challenge to Secretary of State Adrian Fontes’s 2023 Elections Procedures Manual. She blocked enforcement of provisions restricting polling-place speech, clothing, and “harassment,” calling them greater than necessary, vague, overbroad, and a universal prohibition on conduct.
Aryeh D. Schwartz (Ducey)
Early private practice included a short stint at Wilenchik & Bartness, a firm often associated with Republican clients.
Ronee Korbin Steiner
LD 4 says vote no. She clerked for a judge who appeared to be a Democrat.
Danielle J. Viola (Brewer)
She dismissed former Maricopa County prosecutor April Sponsel’s lawsuit against the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office over wrongful termination. I’ve written extensively about this, Sponsel prosecuted violent Antifa members, and the office turned on her after the fake news reported dishonestly on the prosecution.
Randall H. Warner (Napolitano)
Democrat. LD 4 says vote no. In December 2020 he dismissed Arizona Republican Party Chairwoman Kelli Ward’s challenge to Joe Biden’s Arizona win. In the 2022 attorney-general contest he dismissed Abe Hamadeh’s challenge as premature because the vote had not yet been canvassed. He refused to enforce an Arizona Legislature subpoena of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors to turn over access to voting machines. He required Kari Lake to turn over documents that she objected to in Stephen Richer’s bogus defamation lawsuit against her. He ruled against blocking a Phoenix school district’s mask mandate. He clerked for a Democratic judge. He donates to Democrats. [Sarcastic comment: Note how this far leftist has been assigned so many election cases]
Joseph C. Welty (Napolitano)
LD 4 says vote no. As presiding judge since 2019, he’s been assigning election cases to some of the worst Democrats like Warner.
Roy “Chuck” Whitehead (Ducey)
Accused of going to strip clubs during work hours and leaving his business card in VIP rooms. This account on X makes even more devastating accusations. He refused to allow evidence of a brutal murderer’s DNA since the DNA evidence should have been destroyed earlier due to records retention policies. The Arizona Court of Appeals reversed him and the Arizona Supreme Court upheld it.
Paula A. Williams (Hobbs)
Democrat. LD 4 says vote no. Donated $3,082 to Democratic candidates. Considered one of the worst judges - https://x.com/toxikVlad/status/2100333918608376149
William R. Wingard (Hobbs)
LD 4 says vote no.
Cassie B. Woo (Ducey)
AZ Judge Watch, tags her “ties to conservative organizations.” Was endorsed by the Arizona Free Enterprise Club. She clerked for a Republican judge.
Melissa M. Zabor (Hobbs)
LD 4 says vote no. However, AZ Judge Watch said she attended four events by the Law & Economics Center. The site does say she’s a Democrat. Considered one of the worst judges - https://x.com/toxikVlad/status/2100333918608376149