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Thomas E. Kuhnle
Thomas E. Kuhnle is a judge of the Superior Court of Santa Clara County in California. He assumed office in 2010. His current term ends on January 6, 2031.
Kuhnle won re-election for judge of the Superior Court of Santa Clara County in California outright in the primary on March 5, 2024, after the primary and general election were canceled.
Kuhnle was appointed to the superior court by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to succeed Jamie A. Jacobs-May.[1]
Biography
Kuhnle received his undergraduate degree from Stanford University and his J.D. from Stanford Law School. Before his appointment, Kuhnle was an attorney in private practice.[1]
Elections
2024
See also: Municipal elections in Santa Clara County, California (2024)
Nonpartisan primary election
The primary election was canceled. Thomas E. Kuhnle (Nonpartisan) won the election without appearing on the ballot.
Endorsements
Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Kuhnle in this election.
2018
Nonpartisan primary election
The primary election was canceled. Thomas E. Kuhnle (Nonpartisan) won the election without appearing on the ballot.
Selection method
- See also: Nonpartisan election
The 1,535 judges of the California Superior Courts compete in nonpartisan races in even-numbered years. If a candidate receives more than 50 percent of the vote in the June primary election, he or she is declared the winner; if no candidate receives more than 50 percent of the vote, a runoff between the top two candidates is held during the November general election.[2][3][4][5]
If an incumbent judge is running unopposed in an election, his or her name does not appear on the ballot. The judge is automatically re-elected following the general election.[2]
The chief judge of any given superior court is selected by peer vote of the court's members. He or she serves in that capacity for one or two years, depending on the county.[2]
Qualifications
Candidates are required to have 10 years of experience as a law practitioner or as a judge of a court of record.[2]
2012
Kuhnle ran for re-election to the superior court in 2012. As an unopposed incumbent, his name did not appear on the ballot. After the primary election, Kuhnle was automatically re-elected.[6]
- See also: California judicial elections, 2012
Campaign themes
2024
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Thomas E. Kuhnle did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.
Noteworthy cases
Santa Clara's at-large city council electoral system violates California Voting Rights Act (2018)
On May 15, 2018, Judge Thomas E. Kuhnle, of the Santa Clara County Superior Court, issued his proposed statement of decision in Kaku v. City of Santa Clara, finding that the city's at-large electoral system for city council seats violates the California Voting Rights Act (CVRA). The CVRA provides that an at-large electoral system "may not be imposed or applied in a manner that impairs the ability of a protected class to elect candidates." The plaintiffs in the suit, a group of Asian American voters (a protected class under the CVRA), allege that Santa Clara's at-large electoral system for city council seats prevents them from electing candidates of their choosing. Kuhnle agreed, writing the following in his ruling: "Based on the evidence presented at trial, the Court finds that Plaintiffs have proven by a preponderance of the evidence that the at-large method used by the City impairs the ability of Asians to elect candidates as a result of the dilution and abridgment of their rights as voters." The parties to the suit have 15 days to file objections to Kuhnle's proposed statement of decision before it is finalized.[7][8]
On June 5, 2018, Santa Clara citizens voted on a city charter amendment providing for the implementation of a two-district, ranked-choice voting electoral system for council seats. It was unclear how Kuhnle's final ruling might impact or involve the amendment vote.
See also
2024 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 California Office of the Governor, "Gov. Schwarzenegger Appoints Five to Santa Clara County Superior Court," December 6, 2010
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection: California," archived October 2, 2014
- ↑ Los Angeles Times, "Safeguarding California's judicial election process," August 21, 2011
- ↑ California Elections Code, "Section 8203," accessed May 21, 2014
- ↑ California Elections Code, "Section 8140-8150," accessed May 21, 2014
- ↑ Santa Clara County Elections, Unofficial Primary Election Candidate List
- ↑ Superior Court of California - County of Santa Clara, "Kaku v. City of Santa Clara: Proposed Statement of Decision," May 15, 2018
- ↑ NBC Bay Area, "Court Rules Santa Clara Violated the California Voting Rights Act," May 16, 2018
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
