JCBA Spotlight

Candice Alcaraz

Candice Alcaraz made history as she beat out incumbent Judge Wes Griffin, to become the first Black female district judge in Wyandotte County. Alcaraz received nearly 69% of the vote in Wyandotte County’s 12 districts, unseating Griffin who was first elected in 2008.

“As a Wyandotte County District Judge, I will bring integrity and fairness into all court decisions that come before me,” Alcaraz said in a Facebook post following the election.

This was the first time Alcaraz had run for office and she led a grassroots-community focused campaign, meeting residents throughout the district. In an interview in May, Alcaraz said her ability to adapt is what sets her apart.

“Things are changing, people are changing, Wyandotte county is changing,” Alcaraz said. “If we want a better safer wyandotte county we’re going to have to be able to adapt to change as it comes along.”

Alcaraz received her undergraduate degree from Truman State University, in Kirksville, before attending law school at Washburn University. After obtaining her Juris Doctor degree (JD) in 2016, she relocated to Kansas City where she has worked in the Wyandotte County District Attorney’s Office as a prosecution attorney.