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Idaho Supreme Court elections, 2016
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| 2016 State Judicial Elections |
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| Part 1: Overview |
| Part 2: Supreme Courts |
| Part 3: Partisanship |
| Part 4: Changes in 2016 |
Introduction
Two seats on Idaho Supreme Court were up for election on May 17. The supreme court seats up for election were held by Chief Justice Jim Jones and Associate Justice Roger Burdick heading into the election. Each justice elected to the court serves a six-year term.
Chief Justice Jones announced that he would not seek re-election in 2016, but would instead retire at the end of his term in January 2017. Six candidates filed to run for his open seat; two withdrew.[1][2] Among the four candidates, no candidate received over 50 percent of the vote on May 17. Attorney Robyn Brody and state Senator Curt McKenzie received the greatest number of votes and advanced to a runoff during the November 8 general election. The last time a supreme court justice race was decided in a runoff rather than during the primary election was 1998.[3]
Justice Burdick won re-election, running unopposed.
Candidates
Jim Jones' seat
|
Attorney Robyn Brody (Winner) | |
| Most recent position: Attorney in private practice | ||
| Robyn Brody: "As an attorney for nearly 20 years, my view is from the 'trench not the bench.' I have spent my career representing Idahoans in courtrooms across the state, including in the Idaho Supreme Court. I have dealt with issues ranging from water law to victim’s rights to beef measles. I understand the ‘big picture’ issues facing Idaho and the challenges that small counties face."[4] | |
|
State Senator Curt McKenzie | |
Most recent position: Idaho State Senator  Past experience: Attorney in private practice | ||
| Curt McKenzie: "My pledge would be to faithfully and impartially fulfill the duties of my office. I believe the judiciary should apply the constitution and constitutional statutes as they’re written."[5] | |
Defeated in primary
|
Judge Sergio Gutierrez | |
| Most recent position: Judge, Idaho Court of Appeals Past experience: Idaho Circuit Court Judge | ||
| Sergio Gutierrez: "What we are seeing, and which would impact our court system, in a very direct way, would be the effect of the justice system becoming politicized, and where big money could influence who holds office. It’s so important to maintain the integrity of the courts through the judges."[6] | |
|
Deputy Attorney General Clive Strong | |
| Most recent position: Deputy Attorney General, Chief of the Natural Resources Division Past experience: Legal instructor, University of Puget Sound Law School | ||
| Clive Strong: "I’ve worked in the trenches, I understand the local issues, I’ve worked throughout the state to bring those issues to a conclusion."[7] | |
Withdrawn
■ Christ Troupis
■ William Seiniger
Roger Burdick's seat
|
Justice Roger Burdick (Winner) | |
| Most recent position: Justice, Idaho Supreme Court Past experience: Idaho Circuit Court Judge | ||
Election results
November 8 runoff election
Robyn Brody defeated Curt McKenzie in the runoff for the Idaho Supreme Court, Jones' seat.
| Idaho Supreme Court, Jones' Seat, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Robyn Brody |
53.80% | 298,983 |
| Curt McKenzie | 46.20% | 256,719 |
| Total Votes (100% reporting) | 555,702 | |
| Source: Idaho Secretary of State Official Results | ||
May 17 general election
| Idaho Supreme Court, Justice Burdick's Seat, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Roger Burdick Incumbent (unopposed) |
100.00% | 135,592 |
| Total Votes (938 of 938: 100%) | 135,592 | |
| Source: Idaho Secretary of State Official Results | ||
Campaign finance
Robyn Brody: Brody reported raising $176,490.62, with expenditures of $42,156.69.[8] This is by far the most money raised by any campaign in this race, amounting to twice the campaign funds of all three of her opponents combined.[9] About $27,000 of the Brody campaign's funds are under dispute as having been donated by a single donor.[10] Under Idaho's Sunshine Law, individual donors are prohibited from giving more than $10,000. The campaign has set aside $17,000 while disputing the findings of the secretary of state. Speaking for the campaign, attorney James Ruchti said, "Those companies have multiple owners." He contended, "The statute is being misinterpreted."[10]
Sergio Gutierrez: Gutierrez reported raising $12,795.20, with expenditures of $6594.70.[11][12]
Curt McKenzie: McKenzie reported raising $16,399.31, with expenditures of $3,144.31.[13]
Clive Strong: Strong reported raising $49,323.64, with expenditures of $35,992.18.[14]
Unopposed incumbent Justice Roger Burdick: Burdick reported raising $627.13, with no expenditures.[15]
Political composition
Idaho's supreme court justices are elected in nonpartisan elections or appointed to fill vacant seats. Daniel Eismann and Jim Jones were elected in nonpartisan races. Roger Burdick, Joel Horton, and Warren E. Jones were appointed by Republican governors.
Chief Justice Jim Jones
Associate Justice Roger Burdick
Justice Daniel Eismann
Justice Joel Horton
Justice Warren E. Jones
Selection
- See also: Judicial selection in Idaho
Justices are selected using a nonpartisan election of judges method and serve renewable six-year terms. Midterm vacancies are filled using the assisted appointment method of judicial selection. With this method, the Idaho Judicial Council selects a number of qualified candidates and their names are forwarded to the Idaho governor. The governor then appoints one of the candidates to fill the remaining term. The chief justice on the court is selected by a majority of the members of the court and appointed by the governor. The chief justice serves a four-year term and is responsible for the administration of the court.[16] Between 1950 and 2006, 68 percent of Idaho Supreme Court justices initially reached the bench through appointment rather than election.[17]
State profile
| Demographic data for Idaho | ||
|---|---|---|
| Idaho | U.S. | |
| Total population: | 1,652,828 | 316,515,021 |
| Land area (sq mi): | 82,643 | 3,531,905 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White: | 91.7% | 73.6% |
| Black/African American: | 0.6% | 12.6% |
| Asian: | 1.3% | 5.1% |
| Native American: | 1.3% | 0.8% |
| Pacific Islander: | 0.1% | 0.2% |
| Two or more: | 2.6% | 3% |
| Hispanic/Latino: | 11.8% | 17.1% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate: | 89.5% | 86.7% |
| College graduation rate: | 25.9% | 29.8% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income: | $47,583 | $53,889 |
| Persons below poverty level: | 16.9% | 11.3% |
| Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Idaho. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. | ||
Presidential voting pattern
- See also: Presidential voting trends in Idaho
Idaho voted Republican in all seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.
More Idaho coverage on Ballotpedia
- Elections in Idaho
- United States congressional delegations from Idaho
- Public policy in Idaho
- Endorsers in Idaho
- Idaho fact checks
- More...
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms 'Idaho court elections' OR 'Idaho judicial elections' OR 'Idaho Supreme Court elections'. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ The Spokesman-Review, "Chief Justice Jones to retire, Clive Strong announces bid for his seat," March 9, 2016
- ↑ Idaho Secretary of State, "2016 May Primary candidate list," accessed March 15, 2016
- ↑ Idaho State Journal, "4 Idaho Supreme Court candidates debate," May 6, 2016
- ↑ Idaho Statesman, "Brody: I’m ready to serve on Idaho Supreme Court," May 9, 2016
- ↑ Idaho Statesman, "Idaho Election: Interview With Curt McKenzie Running For Idaho Supreme Court," April 28, 2016
- ↑ The Coeur d'Alene Press, "Gutierrez seeks Supreme Court seat," May 14, 2016
- ↑ Idaho Press-Tribune, "Idaho Supreme Court candidates," May 8, 2016
- ↑ Idaho Secretary of State Scanned Campaign Finance Reports, "Robyn Brody," May 10, 2016
- ↑ The Coeur d'Alene Press, "Brody seeks spot on Idaho Supreme Court," May 14, 2016
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Post Register, "Brody leads contributions in Idaho Supreme Court race," May 12, 2016
- ↑ Idaho Secretary of State Scanned Campaign Finance Reports, "Sergio Gutierrez," May 10, 2016
- ↑ Idaho Secretary of State Scanned Campaign Finance Reports, "Sergio Gutierrez Amended," May 10, 2016
- ↑ Idaho Secretary of State Scanned Campaign Finance Reports, "Curt McKenzie," May 9, 2016
- ↑ Idaho Secretary of State Scanned Campaign Finance Reports, "Clive Strong," May 10, 2016
- ↑ Idaho Secretary of State Scanned Campaign Finance Reports, "Roger Burdick," May 5, 2016
- ↑ Idaho Supreme Court, "About us," accessed May 1, 2014
- ↑ Renew America, "Idaho Supreme Court Justice: Citizens too stupid to pick their own judges," May 28, 2007
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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
