Kathleen A. MeehanIncumbent

Candidate for Court of Appeal Justice, California Court of Appeal, Fifth Appellate District, Seat 8

Kathleen A. Meehan is an Associate Justice of the California Court of Appeal, Fifth District. That court sits in Fresno. She earned a B.A. from St. Mary's College of California. She earned a J.D. from UC Davis School of Law. She served as a deputy attorney general in the California Department of Justice from 2008 to 2011. She then joined the Fresno County Superior Court as a court commissioner. She held that post from 2011 to 2014. She became a judge on that court in 2014. On December 23, 2016, Gov. Brown appointed her to the Fifth District Court of Appeal. She joined the court in 2017. Voters retained her in the November 6, 2018 general election. Under California's rules, Court of Appeal justices face periodic retention votes at governor's races. These votes are nonpartisan and yes-or-no. Meehan is on the November 3, 2026 ballot. Voters will decide if she stays on the court. There is no opposing candidate. As of August 2026, no group had formed to back or oppose her retention.

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