Jamie Thistlethwaite, who spent 30 years fighting for criminal defendants in Sonoma County courtrooms, became the newest Superior Court judge on Friday. She told friends, family and colleagues at a ceremony Friday that she was raised to fight for the underdog.

Six new Sonoma County Superior Court judges and commissioners will be sworn into office during the next two weeks.

It could be the title of a TV reality show. Except this hammer is not used to pound nails. The Sonoma County Superior Court bench got three new faces earlier this year, and will get four more in the coming months. It is an unprecedented change, and it comes at a time when the court is dealing with a large backlog created by a steady increase in criminal and civil cases.

Jill Ravitch celebrated her victory in the D.A.’s race at a campaign party held at defense attorney Jamie Thistlethwaite’s law offices. Thistlethwaite, meanwhile, celebrated her election to the Superior Court at a party in the JC neighborhood. It was only a matter of time before the two parties merged.

UPDATE 10:35 AM: Jamie Thistlethwaite, a longtime criminal defense attorney, won a Superior Court judgeship in a contest with civil attorney Chris Mazzia. In a second race for a Sonoma County judicial seat, Empire Law School dean Pat Broderick and criminal defense lawyer John LemMon are headed toward a runoff election in November.

Just two weeks and a day left in the campaign and election mailers have been coming in droves. Here’s a recap of some of the most interesting ones. Plus, a look at those ubiquitous slate mailers, which PD Editorial Director Paul Gullixson calls the most deceptive of all the election-related materials filling up mailboxes across Sonoma County.

Incumbent Stephan Passalacqua and challenger Jill Ravitch are on track to spend a record amount in the race for Sonoma County district attorney, while the local contests for county supervisor and the Legislature are also attracting big money. A recap of all the action from Thursday’s filing deadline.

Who’s winning the money race with Election Day just 12 days away? Today we find out. It’s the filing deadline for campaign finance reports. We’re camping out at the county elections office to grab reports as they come in. Check back for real time updates throughout the day.

Dig deeper into campaign finance reports filed by candidates for state and local office on Thursday. Find out where they’re getting their money from – and how much debt some have piled up. Live updates throughout the day.

The Press Democrat Editorial Board endorsed Pat Broderick and Jamie Thistlethwaite in their races for two seats on the Sonoma County Superior Court bench. Did the PD Editorial Board make the right pick? Disagree with the choice? Discuss the endorsements here and check out links to information about all five candidates seeking the two seats.