Idaho Supreme Court elections, 2014

Election highlights 2 supreme court seats were up for re-election in 2014. Incumbent Joel Horton successfully faced a challenger, while Warren E. Jones ran unopposed.

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Judicial elections, 2014
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On the ballot: Horton seat

2014 candidates for the Idaho Supreme Court
Horton seat
Joel Horton	Incumbent: Yes Party: n/a Primary vote: 65.8%A Election vote: A

Incumbent Joel Horton was opposed by William Seiniger in his bid for re-election. However, Horton successfully fended off Seiniger's challenge. He won the primary by 65.8 percent, allowing him to serve another six-year term on the court. Horton began serving on the court in 2007, when he was appointed to fill a vacancy on the court after the retirement of Linda Copple Trout. In 2008, he ran for his first full term on the court and won.

On the ballot: Jones seat

2014 candidate for the Idaho Supreme Court
Jones seat
Warren E. Jones	Incumbent: Yes Party: n/a Primary vote: 100%A Election vote: A

No challengers signed on to run against incumbent Warren E. Jones, who won election to another six-year term on the court. Jones had a been a supreme court justice since 2007. He was appointed to a seat on the court which was previously held by former chief justice Gerald Schroeder. Jones was then re-elected in 2008.

Political composition

Five justices sit on the court--a chief justice and four associate justices. Supreme court justices in Idaho are elected in nonpartisan elections and serve six-year terms. The chief justice serves a four-year term and is chosen by the justices on the court. In accordance with the Idaho Constitution, judicial candidates may not be nominated by, or receive endorsements from, any political party.

History of judicial election changes in Idaho

Justices on the supreme court were selected by voters and served for terms of six years beginning in 1890. However, a move was made to make elections to the court nonpartisan in 1934. An amendment to the state's constitution was approved by 67 percent of voters. Since that time, the court's selection method for justices on the supreme court has remained essentially unchanged. However, beginning in 1982, the chief justice was selected by the other justices on the court.

Campaign Finance

Under Canon 5 of the Idaho Code of Judicial Conduct, judicial candidates may not ask for or accept donations for their campaign. Any contributions may only be accepted, or spent, by a candidate's campaign committee. In appellate court races, individuals, corporations and political committees may give as much as $5,000 per candidate in each election. State political parties are allowed to give as much as $10,000 per candidate in each election. After some controversy regarding donations from independent groups in 2002, the Idaho Legislature passed a law 2003. The law mandates that independent groups making donations to political campaigns report any last-minute contributions greater than $1,000 within 48 hours.

Contributions

Total campaign contributions received by contested candidates in 2014:

Horton seat

Candidate	Total contributions
Joel Horton	$136,336.61
William Seiniger	$40,331.74

Jones seat

Candidate	Total contributions
Warren E. Jones	$0

See also

• Idaho judicial elections, 2014
• Idaho Supreme Court

External links

• Idaho Secretary of State elections information

Footnotes

Idaho courts

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Federal courts:

Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: District of Idaho • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: District of Idaho

State courts:

Idaho Supreme Court • Idaho Court of Appeals • Idaho District Courts • Idaho Magistrate Division

State resources:

Courts in Idaho • Idaho judicial elections • Judicial selection in Idaho