Robert Mestman
Robert Mestman is a judge-elect of the Superior Court of Orange County in California. Mestman assumes office on January 4, 2027.
Mestman won election for judge of the Superior Court of Orange County in California outright in the primary on June 2, 2026, after the general election was canceled.
Mestman completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2026. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Robert Mestman earned a bachelor's degree from Northwestern University in 1991, a graduate degree from the Kellogg School of Management in 2000, and a law degree from the Northwestern University School of Law in 2000. Mestman's career experience includes working as a prosecutor.[1]
Elections
2026
See also: Municipal elections in Orange County, California (2026)
General election
The general election scheduled for November 3, 2026, was canceled.
Nonpartisan primary
Nonpartisan primary election for Superior Court of Orange County
Robert Mestman (Nonpartisan) won election outright against Ann Cho (Nonpartisan) in the primary for Superior Court of Orange County on June 2, 2026.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Robert Mestman (Nonpartisan)  | 52.4 | 341,952 |
 | Ann Cho (Nonpartisan) | 47.6 | 310,999 | |
| Total votes: 652,951 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Endorsements
Mestman received the following endorsements. To send us additional endorsements, click here.
Campaign themes
2026
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Robert Mestman completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2026. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Mestman's responses.
| Collapse all
I graduated cum laude from Northwestern University School of Law and also have an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management. I have been in public service for most of my career, devoted to public safety and the fair administration of justice. I have a breadth of experience handling the most complex and serious cases, including gang crimes, homicides, sexual assaults, elder abuse and fraud. As a Special Assistant United States Attorney, I targeted public corruption and civil rights violations. And I formed and supervised Orange County's first Conviction Integrity Unit. I served on the District Attorney's Executive Management team overseeing six prosecution units, ranging from felony trials to DNA/technology to professional responsibility.
As a prosecutor, I have fought hard for the people of Orange County in the pursuit of justice, but also worked to ensure fairness for all and integrity of the judicial process. As a judge, I plan to continue these efforts with the utmost professionalism and while treating all parties with respect.- Fairness, Impartiality & Dignity. A judge must remain fair and impartial at all times and not show bias for or against any party. A judge must be courteous and show all parties to a case, as well as court staff, dignity and respect.
- Respect for the Rule of Law. A judge must follow the law, regardless of the judge’s personal opinions or views.
- Competence & Hard Work. A judge must be knowledgeable about the law. A judge must work hard to maintain judicial competence.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
See also
2026 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on May 15, 2026
Federal courts:
Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Central District of California, Eastern District of California, Northern District of California, Southern District of California • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Central District of California, Eastern District of California, Northern District of California, Southern District of California
State courts:
California Supreme Court • California Courts of Appeal • California Superior Courts
State resources:
Courts in California • California judicial elections • Judicial selection in California
