Valery R. Polyakov is one of two candidates running for Position Q on the Contra Costa County Superior Court — the only contested judicial seat on this year's Contra Costa ballot. He is challenging Judge Jesse J. Hsieh, who was appointed to the bench in 2024.
Polyakov spoke with OpGov.news reporter Naomi Heinen about what he believes sets him apart, how he would navigate political pressure on the bench, and why he thinks self-represented litigants deserve a judge's patience.
"Law is my second career"
Polyakov pitched his unusual professional arc as the first reason to consider him.
"The law is my second career. Before going into law, I was a scientist. I probably am still a scientist," he said. "I had a very successful career as a scientist, as a chemist. I have a Ph.D. in chemistry. I worked for a while in pharmaceutical industry, in different pharmaceuticals and in biotech industry. I invented drugs, new drugs."
The claim is substantiated. Polyakov earned his Ph.D. in chemistry in 1992 from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv in Ukraine and was named a Fulbright Scholar in 1996. According to public industry records, he has authored more than 36 published scientific papers and is named on more than 22 issued patents or published patent applications, with research positions at Aventis, Sanofi, Novartis, Sutro Biopharma, and Meliora Therapeutics. A compound he co-invented at Novartis is currently in Phase II clinical trials.
He argued the scientific background matters for a judge.
"It's important for the judge to relate to other people, not just to the lawyers, and to see other sides of life," he said. "I believe I've seen all sides of lives, and I can relate to ordinary people. I can relate to ordinary voters."
"Both sides of the v."
Polyakov also pointed to the range of practice areas he has worked in since transitioning to law.
"When I became a lawyer, I first started practicing a lot of patent law on both sides," he said. "I was practicing both prosecuting the patent and doing patent busting on the competitor's patents. People sometimes think that it's incompatible, but it's not."
He said he then moved into landlord-tenant law, again representing both sides — sometimes pro bono — and served as a volunteer settlement officer in San Francisco County Superior Court, working to resolve cases before trial between represented and self-represented parties.
"I was trying to bring those landlord lawyers and tenant lawyers, or sometimes non-represented parties, together," he said.
His private-practice work also exposed him to labor law, federal litigation including federal criminal law, and some criminal defense. He has practiced criminal law almost exclusively since joining the Stanislaus County District Attorney's office as a deputy district attorney, where his campaign says he has handled jury trials involving DUI, domestic violence, and other criminal matters.
On staying nonpartisan
Asked how a judge stays nonpartisan in a polarized political environment, Polyakov was straightforward.
"Both as a judge and as a lawyer, you should stay away. You should try and follow the law," he said. "Your job is to apply the law to the facts and don't be swayed by whatever political tensions or political fashion now overwhelms the country. You just need to stay focused on implementing the law, on being fair to both parties."
He singled out self-represented litigants — people in court without a lawyer — as a group judges should be especially patient with.
"You have to sometimes be patient because they're not used to the system. Sometimes they can act out, and you have to be calm enough and explain to them the process. Maybe spend a little bit more time with them," he said. "Surprisingly enough, it's much easier to work with the lawyers than self-represented litigants."
Polyakov's campaign says it is centered on "competence, fairness, efficiency, and public trust in the judicial system."
Election day
Contra Costa County's primary is June 2, 2026. Vote-by-mail ballots went out the week of May 4. Contested judicial races are rare in California — incumbent judges who face no opposition do not appear on the ballot at all — which makes Position Q one of the few opportunities Contra Costa voters will have this cycle to weigh in directly on who sits on the local bench.
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