By CapRadio Staff
Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg is interested in a new job as a state judge, which he says could be part of his “long-term future.”
And, if Governor Gavin Newsom appoints him for a judgeship in the coming months, it would mean a special mayoral election next year.
First reported by Politico and independently confirmed by CapRadio, Steinberg has applied for and is being considered as a Third District Court of Appeals judge, a position that is based in Sacramento County but requires a nod from Newsom.
The mayor is currently undergoing evaluation, according to Politico. A representative with Steinberg’s office declined to discuss the appointment process or timeline, and would not say when Steinberg applied for the role.
“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. I’ve submitted an application for the judiciary because I’m open to all possibilities for my long term future,” Steinberg wrote in a statement.
First elected as mayor in 2016, Steinberg has not formally declared whether he plans to run for a third term; he will be up for re-election in 2024.
If he leaves office before November of next year, there would be a special election for his replacement. Otherwise, City Council would appoint a mayor to finish out his term.
Politico reported The California State Bar sent confidential questionnaires via email “to several members last week asking them to evaluate Steinberg, a Democrat, as part of the official state vetting process for judicial nominees.” Politico says Steinberg is being considered by the governor, according to the email.
In 2020, Steinberg won re-election, but also attempted to secure more executive power, supporting a “strong mayor” initiative. Voters ultimately shot down Measure A.
Steinberg previously served on City Council in the 1990s, and in the state Legislature as Senate Pro Tem. He is also an attorney.
Corrections: A previous version of this story misidentified the level of the new position Steinberg has applied for. It would be as a state judge. This story also reported that Anne Rudin, the first female elected mayor in the city, ran for and served a third term as mayor. This is incorrect: Rudin served three terms as a City Council member, and two terms as mayor.
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