Decision in lawsuit against election officials over Stockton District 5 race set for Friday

One day before ballots for the June primary are scheduled to print, a judge ordered a last-minute hearing on whether to include an aspiring City Council candidate who’s suing election officials on the ballot.

District 5 hopeful Shakeel “Sam” Carpenter filed a lawsuit against Stockton’s City Clerk and the San Joaquin County Registrar of Voters on March 12, court documents show, alleging they didn’t give him the time he’s legally allowed to fix problems with his candidate nomination petition.

On Thursday, a judge scheduled a hearing in Carpenter’s case for 9:30 a.m. on Friday, March 27 at the Superior Court in downtown Stockton.

In addition to seeking office, Carpenter also sits on Stockton’s Salary Setting Commission, which makes recommendations about how much to pay the mayor and councilmembers.




https://stocktonia.org/news/local-government/2026/03/26/decision-in-lawsuit-against-election-officials-over-stockton-district-5-race-set-for-friday/