Donna Tryfman, a veteran deputy public defender in Los Angeles County, is running for Superior Court Judge in Office 131 on the Nov. 3 ballot. The nonpartisan judicial seat is one of several races LA County voters will decide in the 2026 general election.
Tryfman has spent more than two decades in the county's Office of the Public Defender, where she serves as senior trial counsel in the Major Crimes Unit handling complex litigation, according to her Ballotpedia profile. She has also served as a judge pro tem in the LA Superior Court's Temporary Judges Program.
In her Ballotpedia candidate response, Tryfman said her public defender work shapes her approach to the bench. "As a public defender, my role requires me to uphold the Constitution, protect due process, and ensure that the law is applied fairly, regardless of a person's background or resources," she said. She added that the work "demands discipline, careful analysis of facts and law, and the ability to make difficult decisions under pressure — skills that translate directly to the work of a trial judge."
Candidate information
- Office sought: Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge, Office 131
- Election: California General Election, Nov. 3, 2026
- Party: Nonpartisan
- Education: Bachelor's degree, Brandeis University (1989); Juris Doctor, University of La Verne (1994)
- Current role: Senior Trial Counsel, Complex Litigation, Deputy Public Defender IV, LA County Office of the Public Defender Major Crimes Unit (1998–present)
Experience and public service
Tryfman's career spans criminal defense, civic service and legal advocacy across Los Angeles County.
Before joining the Public Defender's office, she worked as an associate attorney at the Law Offices of Mark J. Werksman from 1995 to 1998. She later served as deputy in charge at Eastlake Juvenile Court from 2016 to 2019, according to the Metropolitan News-Enterprise.
Outside the courtroom, Tryfman served as president of the California Public Defenders Association from 2015 to 2020. She also chaired the LA County Bar Association's Criminal Justice Section and served as vice chair of the bar association's delegation to the California Conference of Bar Associations.
In her community, Tryfman served on the Beverly Hills Rent Stabilization Commission from 2019 to 2024. She chaired it in 2022. She ran for the Beverly Hills Unified School District school board in 2020 and has volunteered as a mediator on the LA Superior Court Mediation Volunteer Panel and participated in the court's Teen Court Program.
She is president of the Jewish Public Defenders Association and a member of the LA County Bar Association President's Advisory Committee on Women in the Legal Profession.
Endorsements
Donna Tryfman’s endorsements include Democratic Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel, the Los Angeles Association of Deputy District Attorneys, the Mexican American Bar Association, the Western States Regional Council of Carpenters and the National Women’s Political Caucus, according to the Ballotpedia list provided. The list also names the Alhambra, North Valley, Stonewall and Torrance Democratic clubs; the Democratic Party of the San Fernando Valley; Democrats for the Protection of Animals; Crime Survivors Action PAC; Citizens for Accountable Leadership; Reform California; and Thrive LA. Other listed supporters include Colorado Boulevard, the Metropolitan News-Enterprise Editorial Board, The Morning Answer with Jennifer Horn, and the Sway voting groups April’s Common Sense Cali Voters, Based in Malibu and Susan Collins LA.
Separately, Tryfman told Surround Sound News that her supporters include Rick Chavez Zbur, Bob Hertzberg, SEIU Local 721 and UNITE HERE Local 11, along with additional women’s organizations, nonpartisan groups, judges, public defenders and private attorneys. Those additional endorsements are attributed to Tryfman’s account.
