Steve Napolitano

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Steve Napolitano

Nonpartisan

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 5, 2024

Education

High school

Mira Costa High School

Personal

Profession

Attorney

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Instagram

Steve Napolitano ran for election for judge of the Superior Court of Los Angeles County in California. He lost in the general election on November 5, 2024.

Napolitano completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Steve Napolitano earned a high school diploma from Mira Costa High School and degrees from Loyola Marymount University and Loyola Law School. His career experience includes working as an attorney.

Elections

2024

See also: Municipal elections in Los Angeles County, California (2024)

General election

General election for Superior Court of Los Angeles County

George A. Turner Jr. defeated Steve Napolitano in the general election for Superior Court of Los Angeles County on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	George A. Turner Jr. (Nonpartisan)	59.7	1,783,888
		Steve Napolitano (Nonpartisan)	40.3	1,204,149

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 2,988,037
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for Superior Court of Los Angeles County

George A. Turner Jr. and Steve Napolitano defeated Jacob Lee and Ronda Dixon in the primary for Superior Court of Los Angeles County on March 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	George A. Turner Jr. (Nonpartisan)	32.8	423,808
✔		Steve Napolitano (Nonpartisan)	28.6	369,245
		Jacob Lee (Nonpartisan)	27.2	350,461
	Submit photo	Ronda Dixon (Nonpartisan)	11.4	146,837

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,290,351
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Endorsements

Napolitano received the following endorsements.

• Los Angeles Times Editorial Board

2016

See also: Municipal elections in Los Angeles County, California (2016)

Los Angeles County held elections for county commission, district attorney, and special districts in 2016. The general election was held on November 8, 2016. A primary election was held on July 7, 2016. The candidate filing deadline for this election was on March 11, 2016. Janice Hahn defeated Steve Napolitano in the Los Angeles County board of supervisors, District 4 general election.

Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, District 4 General Election, 2016
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Janice Hahn	56.15%	240,120
Steve Napolitano	43.85%	187,543
Total Votes (99.06% of precincts reporting)		427,663
Source: Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder, "2016 General Election Unofficial Results," accessed November 9, 2016

Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, District 4 Primary Election, 2016
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Janice Hahn	47.13%	166,298
Steve Napilitano	36.65%	129,313
Ralph Pacheco	16.23%	57,256
Total Votes		352,867
Source: Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk, "Primary Election Results," July 1, 2016

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Steve Napolitano completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Napolitano's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I've spent my life improving communities and making a difference across LA County and that's why I'm running for Judge, because Judges make a difference!

I serve as a state appointed attorney for inmates before the parole board, so I know the causes of crime and how to turn people away from it.

I’m also an administrative law judge/hearing officer for cities and counties throughout the state for municipal code violations.

I’m also a five term Mayor/Councilmember for the City of Manhattan Beach and a former Senior Deputy to LA County Supervisor Don Knabe. Nobody knows our communities better.

I believe Judges are supposed to be fair, unbiased and independent, and make decisions without fear or favor and without political agendas. I also believe we need more judges with diverse backgrounds who know our communities, who have worked with both victims and criminals, and who have the experience to know what works and what doesn't.

I’m endorsed by the LA Times, La Opinión, LA Sheriff’s and District Attorney Associations, and a diverse, bipartisan list of more than 75 elected officials across LA County. Please join our campaign today!

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• Judges should not have political agendas, they should be fair, unbiased and independent. Judges should apply the law without fear or favor. Not all candidates believe that, I do. I believe in both compassion and consequences as appropriate.
• Being a Judge is about more than the law, it's about life and how experience informs decisions. I'm not your traditional judicial candidate because I haven't just been a prosecutor or public defender. I'm a parole attorney who also serves as an adjudicator, so I'm more than just an advocate, I'm a decision maker too. And I've been working to improve our communities for more than 30 years--I know what communities want and expect, especially when it comes to public safety.
• I'm endorsed by the LA Times, La Opinion, the Association of Deputy Sheriffs, the Association of Deputy District Attorneys, the LA County Lifeguard Association, and more than 75 local Mayors and Councilmembers that represent you in LA County.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I want the law to work for all of us. I want to apply consequences as appropriate and I want to improve the system for everyone. We need better technology so people can access the courts easier. We also need more legal aid resources for those who can't afford an attorney.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

My parents & Atticus Finch.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Expience, integrity, fairness and the ability to listen and get things done.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

Fairness, integrity and staying calm under fire.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

To be fair, unbiased and independent, and to apply the law to facts of each case without fear or favor.

What legacy would you like to leave?

To leave everything better than how I found it.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

I started work as a janitor and worked my way through college.

How would you describe your legal philosophy?

Do the right thing.

Do you believe that empathy is an important quality for a judge?

Yes.

Have you ever been rated by a Bar Association? If so, what was the rating?

Qualified.

Why are you running for this particular court seat?

Serving as a Judge would integrate all my experience into one position that would allow me to continue to help people and keep our communities safe.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for a judge to have previous experience in government or politics?

Absolutely. I've dealt up front and personal with our prison system, our jails, our homeless population, our housing issues and issues of crime. When you do all these things you have a greater understanding of the issues and why people do certain things and how to best help them and keep our communities safe.

What is your primary concern about today's legal system in your state?

Access. If you're rich you can afford it, if you're very poor you get legal aid, but if you're in the middle class, most people can't afford to go to court and that needs to change.

Do you believe that Bar Association ratings are an accurate reflection of a judge’s ability?

It's not perfect, but nobody has come up with a better system that I'm aware of.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

The Los Angeles Times, La Opinion, LA County Deputy Sheriffs Association, the Deputy District Attorney Association, the LA County Lifeguard Association, and more than 75 elected Mayors and Councilmembers from across LA County.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

See also

2024 Elections

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Candidate

Superior Court of Los Angeles County

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Footnotes

California courts

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Federal courts:

Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Central District of California, Eastern District of California, Northern District of California, Southern District of California • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Central District of California, Eastern District of California, Northern District of California, Southern District of California

State courts:

California Supreme Court • California Courts of Appeal • California Superior Courts

State resources:

Courts in California • California judicial elections • Judicial selection in California