If you searched for “Sharee Sanders Gordon,” you’re most likely trying to figure out who she is and why her name is showing up in connection with a Los Angeles judicial election. This article covers her professional background, her current candidacy for Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge, Office No. 87, and what to know before you vote — based on public campaign materials, bar association ratings, and news coverage current as of September 2026.
Who Is Sharee Sanders Gordon?
Sharee Sanders Gordon is a longtime Los Angeles Deputy City Attorney and a 2026 candidate for a seat on the Los Angeles County Superior Court. According to her campaign biography, she earned a B.A. in Psychology from UC Irvine and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Nebraska College of Law, where she says she became the first African American woman elected president of her graduating class.
Before her legal career, Gordon worked as an elementary school teacher in the Watts community with the Los Angeles Unified School District. Her campaign describes that experience — seeing how violence disrupted her students’ lives — as the reason she moved into prosecution, with the goal of using the law to protect communities rather than treating it as an abstract subject.
Career Background
Gordon’s professional record, as described on her campaign site and reported by local outlets like the Los Angeles Daily News and the Los Angeles Times, spans roughly two decades with the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office:
- She started as a trial deputy in 2001.
- She was selected for Central Trials, described as the office’s busiest trial unit at the time.
- She served as one of the original Neighborhood Prosecutors, assigned to the LAPD’s 77th Street Division.
- She helped lead Safer Cities II, a crime-reduction initiative associated with a reported 50% drop in crime around Crenshaw High School.
- Reporting also notes she has worked in the office’s filing division, trained police officers on filing guidelines, and served as a temporary judge and mock trial judge — giving her some direct, if limited, bench experience.
These are claims made through campaign materials and corroborated in part by independent news coverage; they haven’t been independently verified line-by-line here, so treat specific figures (like the 50% crime-reduction statistic) as reported claims rather than confirmed data.
Her 2026 Judicial Candidacy
Gordon is running for Los Angeles Superior Court Judge, Office No. 87, a countywide, nonpartisan seat. The June 2, 2026 primary featured three candidates:
- Sharee S. Gordon — Deputy City Attorney
- Anthony “A.J.” Bayne — Deputy Public Defender with over 25 years of experience and more than 100 jury trials
- David DeJute — Law professor and attorney
Because California judicial races require a candidate to win more than 50% of the primary vote to avoid a runoff, and this was a three-candidate field, races like this one commonly proceed to a November general election runoff between the top two finishers. Certified vote totals specific to Office No. 87 were not confirmed in the sources checked for this article, so if you need the exact outcome, check the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder’s official results page directly.
Bar Association Rating and Endorsements
The Los Angeles County Bar Association evaluates judicial candidates and assigns ratings ranging from “Not Qualified” to “Exceptionally Well Qualified.” In the 2026 Office No. 87 race, the Bar Association rated the candidates as follows:
- Anthony (A.J.) Bayne: Well Qualified
- Sharee S. Gordon: Qualified
- David DeJute: Qualified
Gordon’s campaign lists endorsements from several sitting and retired Superior Court judges, including Patricia J. Titus (Ret.) and Georgia Huerta, along with various community leaders. At the same time, at least one major outlet’s editorial board — the Los Angeles Daily News — endorsed her opponent, Bayne, while still describing Gordon as qualified for the role. This kind of split is common in judicial races and typically reflects different priorities among endorsers (for example, weighing prosecutorial experience against public defense experience) rather than a finding against a candidate’s competence.
Is There Any Controversy?
Based on available reporting and California State Bar licensee records, there’s no substantiated public record of disciplinary action, misconduct complaints, or ethical findings against Gordon. If new information becomes public, it would most likely surface through the State Bar’s attorney search tool or L.A. County election coverage.
How to Verify Current Information
Judicial races move fast, and details like runoff dates, updated endorsements, or vote totals can change quickly. For the most current information:
- Check the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk’s official election results for Office No. 87.
- Search the California State Bar’s attorney licensee search for Gordon’s current standing and any disciplinary history.
- Look for updated candidate questionnaires from local outlets covering L.A. judicial races closer to a November general election, if one occurs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Sharee Sanders Gordon a judge?
As of the most recent information available, she is a Los Angeles Deputy City Attorney and a candidate for Superior Court Judge, Office No. 87 — not yet a sitting judge. She has reportedly served as a temporary judge and mock trial judge, which are limited, non-permanent roles.
What is Office No. 87?
It’s one of many numbered judicial seats on the Los Angeles County Superior Court, the largest trial court system in the country. Superior Court judges handle felony criminal cases, larger civil disputes, family law, probate, and juvenile matters.
Who is Sharee Sanders Gordon running against?
In the June 2026 primary, she ran against Anthony “A.J.” Bayne, a longtime deputy public defender, and David DeJute, a law professor and attorney.
Is this election partisan?
No. California judicial races are officially nonpartisan; candidates don’t appear on the ballot with party labels, though outside political and union organizations may still endorse candidates.
Bottom Line
Sharee Sanders Gordon is a career prosecutor with the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office who transitioned from teaching in Watts to two decades of courtroom and community-facing legal work, and who is now seeking a seat on the L.A. County Superior Court. She holds a “Qualified” rating from the L.A. County Bar Association and has endorsements from several judges and community figures, in a competitive three-way primary race. If you’re trying to decide how to vote, the most useful next step is comparing her record directly against her opponents’ using official candidate statements and your county’s voter guide, since judicial qualifications and philosophy vary meaningfully even among “Qualified” and “Well Qualified” candidates.
