Gov. Gavin Newsom considering Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg for a judicial post

Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg might soon become The Honorable Darrell Steinberg.

Gov. Gavin Newsom is considering Steinberg for a judicial post on the Third District Court of Appeal in Sacramento. Steinberg, who has served as the city’s mayor since 2016, still has two years remaining in his second term.

Steinberg’s office confirmed that he submitted an application for the judicial appointment and is currently undergoing evaluation, but they declined to provide further details about the timeline.

“I have two years left in my current term as mayor and I am fully focused on the challenges and opportunities we face in the city of Sacramento,” Steinberg said in a statement. “I’ve submitted an application for the judiciary because I’m open to all possibilities for my long-term future.”

If the mayor were to leave office prior to November 2023, city code dictates that the City Council must call a special election to fill his seat. In the event that Steinberg vacates his seat within a year of the next mayoral election, the remaining council members would elect a successor to fulfill the remainder of the term.

The governor’s office does not comment on individual judicial candidacies, a spokesperson told The Bee.

The State Bar of California assists the governor in the judicial selection process by independently evaluating and vetting potential nominees. The organization sent out confidential questionnaires to several members last week as part of Steinberg’s evaluation, Politico reported.

A spokesperson for the Bar declined to comment citing confidentiality.

This story was originally published December 27, 2022 at 4:04 PM.