Former three-term Fresno County DA Elizabeth Egan has entered the race to succeed retiring Judge Alan Simpson.
Egan joins Douglas Treisman, a Fresno County senior deputy district attorney, in the competition for Simpson’s spot on the Fresno County Superior Court bench.
Judges serve six-year terms and are paid $213,833 annually.
County elections records show that both Treisman and Egan have submitted the $2,138.33 filing fee for the March 2020 ballot.
Egan Lost 2014 DA Race to Smittcamp
In 2002, Egan garnered 56% of the vote to defeat Jeffrey Hamilton to become Fresno County’s District Attorney — the first woman to hold the position.
She followed Ed Hunt, who sent 13 convicted murderers to death row and retired after five terms as the longest-serving DA in county history.
Egan served 12 years in the position before being taken out in the 2014 election by one of her former prosecutors, Lisa Smittcamp.
After Losing to Egan, Hamilton Became a Judge
If Egan wins, she would join Hamilton as a superior court judge. Hamilton, who is running unopposed, was appointed to the bench by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2005.
This is Treisman’s second try at a judgeship. He lost to James Kelly for an open bench seat in 2008.
Simpson, the court’s current presiding judge, is stepping away after nearly 20 years on the bench. He was first appointed by Gov. Gray Davis in 2000 and won reelection in 2002, 2008 and 2014.
Arlan Harrell will take over as presiding judge in January.
One Other Open Judgeship
Judge Don Penner is retiring, too. He also was a Schwarzenegger appointee, joining the bench in 2006 after 32 years in the Fresno DA’s Office.
Gabriel Brickey, the chief deputy DA for Fresno County, is the lone candidate to replace Penner.
Hamilton is one of 17 Fresno County judges who have filed to run again and face no opposition. The others: David Gottlieb, Jane Cardoza, Houry Sanderson, Greg Fain, Harrell, Jonathan Conklin, D. Tyler Tharpe, Jon Kapetan, Ana de Alba, Amy Guerra, Lisa Gamoian, John Vogt, Kimberly Nystrom-Geist, Kelly, Francine Zepeda, and Monica Diaz.
