Ben Forer, a deputy district attorney in the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office, is running for Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge, Office 66. The nonpartisan race appears on the Nov. 3, 2026, general election ballot.
Santa Monica voters will see this countywide judicial seat on their ballots. Los Angeles County Superior Court judges hear criminal, civil, family and probate cases across the county's courthouses.
According to his campaign website, Forer has collaborated with psychiatrists and psychologists to develop diversion programs and treatment plans for justice-involved people with mental illness. He wrote that every person in a courtroom "deserves a judge who listens, who knows the law, and who treats them with dignity and respect."
Candidate information
- Hometown: Born in Brooklyn, raised in Toronto, according to his campaign website
- Education: Bachelor's degree, York University (2002); juris doctor, Southwestern Law School (2005), according to Ballotpedia
- Family: Father of four children, two girls and two boys, according to his campaign website
- Other: Ordained rabbi, according to his campaign website
Experience and public service
According to his campaign website, Forer has served as a deputy district attorney in the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office since 2006. He is the lead prosecutor in the office's Cyber Crimes Division.
He also serves as an adjunct assistant professor of technology and applied computing practice at the University of Southern California's Viterbi School of Engineering, according to the Metropolitan News-Enterprise.
His campaign website states he has authored multiple legal textbooks, including "Law Without Borders: Law in a Cyber Universe" and "Privacy & Cyber Law: Cases & Materials." He has published on digital evidence, Fourth Amendment issues and emerging technologies in criminal law, the website states.
Forer's website also notes he volunteered weekly at Alta Loma Elementary School for four years, teaching fifth-grade law and civics. He continues outreach to high schools on topics including cyberbullying, privacy and constitutional rights, according to the site.
Endorsements
The following endorsements appear on Forer's campaign website and are linked to confirming sources where available:
- Editorial Board, Los Angeles Daily News
- Editorial Board, Metropolitan News-Enterprise
- Association of Deputy District Attorneys
- Long Beach Police Officers Association
- Los Angeles County Bar Association (LACBA) Judicial Elections Evaluation Committee, which rated Forer "Well Qualified"
Candidate responses are drawn from Forer's campaign website and reviewed profile sources. The Santa Monica Wave did not interview the candidate for this profile.
