By Jondi Gumz
On July 1, Annrae Angel, a criminal defense attorney who was the first to announce her bid for Santa Cruz County Superior Court judge and finished second in the March primary, told her supporters on Facebook, “After much reflection, I have decided to discontinue my campaign.”
Annrae Angel
She had earned the support of the third place finisher, defense attorney Jack Gordon, and was poised to compete with County Counsel Nancy de la Pena, who finished first in the primary, in the Nov. 3 general election.
Immediately after the primary, “the world turned upside down,” Angel wrote, citing the coronavirus pandemic and shelter-in-place orders, with coronavirus surges in prisons and jails putting pressure on the county’s understaffed court system.
“Having succeeded at my original goal of displacing the unqualified incumbent, I have now decided that is time to unite the community and end my electoral campaign,” she added, referring Ariadne Symons, who stepped down as judge after being disciplined for violating judicial ethics.
Angel wrote that she will work actively with de la Pena “to ensure that the Santa Cruz community benefits from the ethical, equitable and compassionate judiciary we deserve.”
However, voters will see her name on the November ballot.
Santa Cruz County Election Manager Gail Pellerin explained why: “You can’t withdraw — she’s suspending her campaign.”
Only if you die or if you got a federal or state job, would your name would dropped from the ballot, according to Pellerin.
Pellerin said she asked Angel if she got the most votes, would she accept the judgeship and Angel’s answer was “Absolutely.”
Requirements for six-foot social distancing to slow the spread of the contagious coronavirus COVID-19 are likely to affect other campaigns this year.
Health officials advise against food buffets and self-serve beverages, staples of campaign rallies, because those activities are believed to spread COVID-19.
The Santa Cruz County Democratic Central Committee plans to use the online platform Zoom for its endorsements this election cycle to avoid gathering, another way COVID-19 can spread via respiratory spittle that comes out when people are in extended conversations with one another.