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Arkansas judicial elections, 2012
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| Judicial Elections |
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| Judicial elections, 2012 |
| Judicial election dates |
The Arkansas judicial elections consisted of a primary on May 22[1] and general election on November 6, 2012.
The filing deadline was March 1, 2012.[2]
Arkansas judicial elections summary, 2012 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Supreme Court
| Candidate | Incumbency | Position | Primary Vote | Election Vote |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Josephine Hart  | No | 65.4% | | |
| Raymond Abramson | No | District 1, Position 1 | 34.6% |
Court of Appeals
| Candidate | Incumbency | Position | Primary Vote | Election Vote |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brandon Harrison | No | District 4, Position 1 | 52.6% | |
| David Glover | Yes | District 4, Position 2 | 100% | |
| J.W. Looney | No | District 4, Position 1 | 47.4% | |
| Jeannette Robertson | No | District 1, Position 2 | 32.4% | 46.2%  |
| Kenneth Hixson | No | District 3, Position 2 | 51.5% | |
| Mitch Cash | No | District 2, Position 2 | 37.2% | |
| Niki Cung | No | District 3, Position 2 | 48.5% | |
| Phillip Whiteaker | No | District 1, Position 2 | 38.1% | 53.8% |
| Richard Lusby | No | District 1, Position 2 | 29.5% | |
| Robin Wynne |
Circuit Courts
Fourth Circuit
| Candidate | Incumbency | Position | Primary Vote | Election Vote |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amy Estes Turner | No | Division 4 | 12.7% | |
| Bob Lambert | No | Division 4 | 46.9% | 48.1% |
| Brenda Austin | No | Division 6 | 29.5% | |
| Cristi Beaumont | No | Division 4 | 40.4% | 51.9% |
| Mark Lindsay | Yes | Division 6 | 70.5% | |
Sixth Circuit
| Candidate | Incumbency | Position | Primary Vote | Election Vote |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Hout | No | Division 11, Subdistrict 6.2 | 35.2% | 36.8% |
| Mackie Pierce | Yes | Division 17 | 100% | |
| Morgan "Chip" Welch | No | Division 16, Subdistrict 6.2 | 100% | |
| Patti James | No | Division 11, Subdistrict 6.2 | 42.3% | 63.2% |
| Tjuana Byrd | No | Division 11, Subdistrict 6.2 | 22.5% |
Seventh Circuit
| Candidate | Incumbency | Position | Primary Vote | Election Vote |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eddy R. Easley | No | Division 2 | 100% | |
Thirteenth Circuit
| Candidate | Incumbency | Position | Primary Vote | Election Vote |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Robin Carroll | No | Division 4 | 100% | |
Nineteenth Circuit West
| Candidate | Incumbency | Position | Primary Vote | Election Vote |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brad Karren | No | Division 2 | 58.2% | |
| Jon Comstock | No | Division 3 | 49.7% | |
| Mark Fryauf | No | Division 2 | 41.8% | |
| Tom E. Smith | No | Division 3 | 50.3% | |
In the news
Arkansas election recap, 2012
In Arkansas this year, nearly all of the judicial races were decided in the primary election, held on May 22. Only three races made it onto the November 6 general election ballot.
- Supreme Court
The race for the sole vacant seat on the Arkansas Supreme Court was decided in the primary election. Josephine Hart, a judge on the Arkansas Court of Appeals, defeated her Court of Appeals colleague Raymond Abramson, taking nearly two-thirds of the vote. Judge Hart was able to be identified as a judge on the ballot, because she was elected to her position on the Court of Appeals; Abramson, who was appointed to his appeals court position, could not use the "Judge" title, and thus was listed on the ballot as simply "Raymond Abramson." Both candidates said that being able to use the title "Judge" was likely an advantage for Hart.[3] Hart will join two other women on the seven-member Arkansas Supreme Court when her term begins in January.[4]
- Court of Appeals
Six seats were open on the Arkansas Court of Appeals this year, but only one race was decided in the general election: Phillip Whiteaker defeated Jeannette Robertson on November 6 to take the District 1, Position 2 seat. Of the six judges elected to the Court of Appeals this year, four (Whiteaker, Rhonda Wood, Kenneth Hixson, and Brandon Harrison) are new to the court, while two (David Glover and Robin Wynne) are incumbents who held on to their positions. The two incumbent judges were also the only two candidates who were unopposed in their races; no incumbent judges were defeated.
- Trial courts
At the trial court level, a total of sixteen candidates competed for nine positions on five different Arkansas Circuit Courts. Only two races were decided in the general election: Cristi Beaumont defeated Bob Lambert for the Division 4 position on the Fourth Circuit, and Patti James defeated John Hout to capture the Division 11, Subdistrict 6.2 position on the Sixth Circuit. The other seven races were decided in the primary election in May, and four of those seven were uncontested. Only two of the sixteen candidates that ran for circuit court positions were incumbents; both of them, Mark Lindsay and Mackie Pierce, held their seats, with Pierce unopposed in his bid for re-election.
Judicial campaigns target TV, spending 4.6 million and counting
As featured in JP Election Brief: Money and controversies on September 27, 2012.
Candidate spending is on the rise in Alabama, Illinois, Texas, West Virginia, Arkansas, Montana and Oregon. According to data compiled by Justice at Stake and the Brennan Center for Justice at the New York University School of Law, candidates from the seven states spent a combined total of $4,673,370 on primary television ads.[5] That figure is more than quadruple the estimated amount spent on television ads during the 2010 primaries. This year's primary spending also surpassed 2004's record of $3.8 million, which included nine states.[6][7]
The two organizations who compiled the data are trying to show the effects of special interest groups on judicial elections.
| “ | Money and special interests continue to transform judicial elections around the country.[6] - Alicia Bannon[8][9] | ” |
The candidates
The following is a selection of the highest-spending candidates.[10]
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The Brennan Center for Justice is a "'nonpartisan public policy and law institute that focuses on fundamental issues of democracy and justice'".[7] Justice at Stake is a nonpartisan nonprofit "working to keep America's courts fair and impartial."[7]
Arkansas Supreme Court race results
As featured in JP Election Brief: All about appellate courts on May 24, 2012.
The race for the sole vacant seat on the Arkansas Supreme Court was decided in the Arkansas primary election. Judge Josephine Hart, serving a term on the Arkansas Court of Appeals, defeated her Court of Appeals colleague Raymond Abramson with 65.36 percent of the vote to Abramson's 34.64%.[12]
Judge Hart raised and spent less money on her campaign than Abramson, who received endorsements from Democratic legislators as well as former Republican congressman Asa Hutchinson.[13][14]
Abramson said that he lost the election at least in part because Hart was identified as a judge on the ballot, whereas Abramson was not. Though both candidates were serving on the Arkansas Court of Appeals, Abramson was appointed to his position in 2010, while Hart was elected to her position in 1998. Under Arkansas state law, "candidates can only put the title of a judicial office ahead of their name in an election if they're currently serving in a judicial position to which they were elected," which meant that Hart appeared as "Judge Josephine Hart" on the ballot while Abramson's was listed as "Raymond Abramson." Both candidates said that being able to use the title "Judge" was likely an advantage for Hart.[14]
Abramson had not announced what he will do next.[14] In January, Judge Hart was set to join two other women serving on the seven-member Supreme Court.[15]
See also
- News: Only three judicial races in Arkansas general election, August 2, 2012
- News: Libertarian Party of Arkansas certified for 2012 ballot, July 5, 2011
External links
- Arkansas Times, "Tjuana Byrd announces for judgeship," June 15, 2011
- Daily Journal, "Fayetteville attorney to vie for seat on Arkansas Court of Appeals," July 8, 2011
- 4029TV.com, "Fort Smith Attorney Announces Judicial Candidacy," October 28, 2011 (dead link)
Footnotes
- ↑ Arkansas Blog, "Judicial race in the making," June 6, 2011
- ↑ Arkansas News, "Election quirk puts off judicial announcements," May 16, 2011 (dead link)
- ↑ The Republic, "Judge vying for spot on Arkansas Supreme Court lost to colleague who trailed in fundraising," May 23, 2012
- ↑ TalkBusiness.net, "Supreme Court, legislative races offer surprises, status quo," May 23, 2012
- ↑ This total does not include spending for the general election or other campaign spending.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Legal Newsline, "Report: Judicial candidates spent more than $4.6M in primary TV ads," September 14, 2012
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 The West Virginia Record, "Report: W.Va. judicial candidates spent nearly $600,000 in primary TV ads," September 18, 2012
- ↑ A counsel in the Brennan Center's Democracy Program
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ The list is not exhaustive, it only includes the highest-spending candidates.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 11.5 11.6 11.7 Justice at Stake, "Campaign Money Patterns Entering New Phase in 2012 Judicial Races," September 13, 2012
- ↑ Arkansas Secretary of State, 2012 Primary Election Results
- ↑ Arkansas News Blog, "Asa! Robocalling for Supreme Court candidate Abramson," May 18, 2012
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 The Republic, "Judge vying for spot on Arkansas Supreme Court lost to colleague who trailed in fundraising," May 23, 2012
- ↑ TalkBusiness.net, "Supreme Court, legislative races offer surprises, status quo," May 23, 2012
Federal courts:
Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Eastern District of Arkansas, Western District of Arkansas • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Eastern District of Arkansas, Western District of Arkansas
State courts:
Arkansas Supreme Court • Arkansas Court of Appeals • Arkansas Circuit Courts • Arkansas District Courts • Arkansas City Courts
State resources:
Courts in Arkansas • Arkansas judicial elections • Judicial selection in Arkansas
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