Michelle Paradise holds a double-digit lead in the race for Riverside County Superior Court Seat 10, the only county-level judicial seat on the Tuesday, Nov. 3 ballot.

Unofficial results from the Riverside County Registrar of Voters, updated at 5:14 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 4, show Paradise with 169,721 votes (55.10%) to Andrea Garcia's 138,297 (44.90%). As of an earlier count that morning, approximately 496,000 mail and conditional-registration ballots remained to be counted, according to Valley News.

The countywide judicial race appeared on ballots across southwest Riverside County, including in Murrieta, Temecula and Menifee, according to Valley News.

Paradise, a Riverside resident and assistant district attorney in the Riverside County District Attorney's Office, declared victory in a Facebook post, the Press Enterprise reported. She acknowledged votes were still being counted but said all indications pointed to a win, according to City News Service via Patch.

"I look forward to the privilege of serving our community as a Superior Court judge with fairness, integrity and independence," Paradise told City News Service.

Garcia, a San Bernardino County deputy public defender, did not respond to requests for comment on the morning of Wednesday, Nov. 4, City News Service and the Press Enterprise both reported.

Prosecutor's career

Paradise retired in June after three years as deputy county executive officer for public safety in the Riverside County Executive Office, City News Service reported. Before that, she served seven years as assistant district attorney, one year as chief deputy district attorney and 18 years as a line prosecutor.

Shortly after leaving the executive office, District Attorney Mike Hestrin re-hired her as an assistant district attorney, though her duties are mostly in the form of a consultancy, according to City News Service.

Paradise said she has prosecuted more than 100 cases, including murders, sexual assaults and child abuse and neglect offenses.

Campaign fundraising and endorsements

The judgeship is officially nonpartisan. But the Press Enterprise reported that clear partisan support lines emerged, with Republicans rallying around Paradise and Democrats tending to back Garcia.

Paradise raised more than $258,000 for her campaign, the Press Enterprise reported. Her top donors included law enforcement unions, deputy district attorney unions and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco. Garcia raised more than $85,000, with top contributors including Riverside County Democratic Party Chair Joy Silver.

Paradise and Garcia finished first and second out of three candidates in the June primary for the seat vacated by Judge Harold Hopp's retirement, according to the Press Enterprise. Jennifer Loflin, the third primary candidate, endorsed Garcia for the general election, according to Garcia's campaign endorsement page.

Garcia cited close to 20 years of legal experience spanning immigration court, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and California state probate and criminal courts, the Press Enterprise reported.

Results remain unofficial, with approximately 496,000 ballots still outstanding as of the Wednesday, Nov. 4 morning count.