Fresno Chief Assistant City Attorney Ashley Paulson and private attorney Jeff Hammerschmidt led in early voting returns Tuesday night for Fresno County Superior Court judgeships.

With 22.03% of the vote tabulated, Paulson had a 67.81%-to-32.19% advantage over Steven Ueltzen, a Fresno County senior deputy district attorney.

Paulson and Ueltzen are vying for the open bench seat held by Judge Jonathan B. Conklin from 2005 through Feb. 8 of this year. Then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger appointed Conklin to the judgeship.

Hammerschmidt, who was a prosecutor and senior legal counsel for the Fresno Police Department before becoming a defense attorney, led attorney Jose L. Salazar 53% to 47% in the ballot count.

They are running for the open bench seat created by the retirement of Judge D. Tyler Tharpe on July 17. Tharpe served as a judge for 20 years after being appointed by Schwarzenegger.

Tharpe endorsed Hammerschmidt for the judgeship.

Stabbing During Filming of Paulson Campaign Ad

An unnamed Fresno County senior deputy district attorney participating in a campaign commercial for Paulson was stabbed in the back on Aug. 20.

The victim was taken to Community Regional Medical Center for treatment and survived the Courthouse Park attack.

Sheriff’s deputies arrested suspect Dustin Crawford, 42, three minutes later, taking him down with a Taser.

District Attorney Lisa Smittcamp said Crawford engaged in a targeted act of retaliation against a staff member who had prosecuted Crawford in 2016.

The Tulare County District Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case to avoid a conflict of interest.