Fresno Chief Assistant City Attorney Ashley Paulson declared victory in her election bid for a Fresno County judgeship Wednesday after the latest ballot count.

The tabulation showed her with 67.95% of the vote compared to 32.05% for Steven Ueltzen, a Fresno County senior deputy district attorney. About 112,000 ballots are left to count, county elections official estimated.

“Thank you to the tens of thousands of Fresno County voters who have placed their trust in me to deliver justice on the bench. I am honored to serve as your next Superior Court Judge,” Paulson said in a statement to GV Wire.

“This journey has been incredible, filled with wonderful highs of meeting so many neighbors and new friends across our beautiful county and learning how the law impacts our communities, both small and large.”

Paulson and Ueltzen competed 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.

Salazar Narrows Hammerschmidt’s Lead

Private attorney Jeff Hammerschmidt saw his lead shrink Wednesday against attorney Jose L. Salazar.

Hammerschmidt, who was a prosecutor and senior legal counsel for the Fresno Police Department before becoming a defense attorney, leads Salazar 51.39% to 48.81%.

They are running for the open bench seat created by Judge D. Tyler Tharpe’s retirement. 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 Aug. 20.

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

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.