Kristine Burk off to wide early lead in race for Sonoma County judge

Defense attorney Kristine Burk established a substantial lead Wednesday and is close to winning the seat over rival Beki Berrey, a family law attorney, in their race for one of three open positions on the Sonoma County Superior Court bench.

The final round of results, posted just after 6 p.m. Wednesday, include 58,925 votes — 41,299 for Burk and 17,626 for Berrey.

“I’m cautiously optimistic, but realize there are many more ballots to count,” Burk told The Press Democrat.

“I will sleep well tonight, but I’m not calling myself judge-elect yet,” she said Tuesday night.

The two are vying for the seat held by outgoing Judge Jim Bertoli, who’s retiring after 24 years on the bench.

His last day in court will be Oct. 31, before his retirement goes into effect Jan. 5, 2025.

Burk, a 56-year-old Santa Rosa resident, graduated from UCLA before attending UC Hastings.

She has 28 years of experience as an attorney and is the current administrator for Sonoma County’s Conflict Panel, for attorneys who are assigned to cases when a public defender has a conflict.

Berrey, a 50-year-old Rohnert Park resident, graduated from Empire College School of Law in Santa Rosa and passed the California Bar Exam in 2011.

A former accountant, she began her law career as a clerk in the Sonoma County Public Defender’s Office. Since then, she handled criminal defense cases before shifting to family law. In 2022, she became a judge pro tem, or a substitute judge, and presided over small claims trials.

Check back for updates on this developing story.

You can reach Staff Writer Colin Atagi at colin.atagi@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @colin_atagi