Tal K. Valbuena seeks L.A. Superior Court judge seat

Tal K. Valbuena, a deputy district attorney in Los Angeles County, is running for the Los Angeles County Superior Court Draper Seat in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election.

Valbuena is a refugee from Pakistan who immigrated to the United States at age 18, according to the Los Angeles Times. He works in the Hollywood mental health court and serves as a commissioner on the Los Angeles County LGBTQ+ Commission, according to the commission's official biography. The nonpartisan race will appear on ballots across Los Angeles County.

Candidate information

Name: Tal K. Valbuena
Race: Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge, Draper Seat
Election date: Nov. 3, 2026
Party: Nonpartisan
Education: High school diploma, Adamjee Government Science College (1999); bachelor's degree, Indiana University (2005); juris doctor, The George Washington University (2011)

Experience and public service

Valbuena has served as a deputy district attorney at the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office since 2016, according to BallotReady profile data. Before joining the county office, he worked as a deputy district attorney at the Orange County District Attorney's Office from 2015 to 2016.

He has been an adjunct professor at International American University since 2018, according to BallotReady.

Valbuena was nominated to the Los Angeles County LGBTQ+ Commission by the district attorney and appointed by the Board of Supervisors, according to the Los Angeles Times. The commission's official biography confirms he holds that role.

Los Angeles County Superior Court is the largest trial court in the nation. Judges hear criminal, civil, family and juvenile cases. The Draper Seat is one of dozens of judicial positions on the court.

On the issues

Mental health justice: Valbuena said he serves in mental health court, where he routinely seeks court intervention in conserving and rehabilitating the county's most violent mentally ill offenders. He described himself as passionate about victims and LGBTQ+ rights and called the work his calling, according to his statement on the commission's website.

The candidate's issue response above is drawn from Valbuena's own statement on the Los Angeles County LGBTQ+ Commission website.