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Indiana Supreme Court elections, 2018
- General election: Nov. 6
- Voter registration deadline: Oct. 9
- Early voting: Oct. 10 - Nov. 5
- Absentee voting deadline: Nov. 6
- Online registration: Yes
- Same-day registration: No
- Voter ID: Photo ID required
- Poll times: 6:00 am to 6:00 pm local time
| 2018 election dates | |
|---|---|
| General election | |
| November 6, 2018 | |
| Deadline to file for retention | |
| July 15, 2018 | |
| 2018 State Judicial Elections | |
|---|---|
2019 »
« 2017
| |
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| Overview | |
| Supreme Courts Overview | |
| Appellate Courts Overview | |
| View judicial elections by state: | |
The term of one Indiana Supreme Court justice expired on December 31, 2018. Justice Geoffrey Slaughter was appointed to the court in 2016 by Republican Governor Mike Pence to succeed retired Justice Brent Dickson. Justice Slaughter was required to stand for retention by voters in November 2018 in order to remain on the bench for a full ten-year term.
Candidates and results
General election candidates
- Geoffrey Slaughter (Incumbent) (Nonpartisan) ✔
About the Indiana Supreme Court
- See also: Indiana Supreme Court
The Indiana Supreme Court is composed of five justices who are appointed by the governor and then must stand for retention by voters thereafter. A full term on the court is 10 years. Retention elections take place during Indiana's general elections, which are held every two years in even-numbered years.
Political composition
This was the political composition of the supreme court heading into the 2018 election. Justices on the Indiana Supreme Court are appointed to their seats. All five justices were appointed by Republican governors.
| ■ Christopher M. Goff | Appointed by Eric Holcomb (R) in 2017 | |
| ■ Steven David | Appointed by Mitch Daniels (R) in 2010 | |
| ■ Loretta H. Rush | Appointed by Mitch Daniels (R) in 2012 | |
| ■ Mark S. Massa | Appointed by Mitch Daniels (R) in 2012 | |
| ■ Geoffrey Slaughter | Appointed by Mike Pence (R) in 2016 |
Selection
- See also: Assisted appointment
The five justices of the Indiana Supreme Court and the 15 judges of the Indiana Court of Appeals are selected in an identical manner. When a vacancy occurs on one of the courts, the Commission on Judicial Qualifications provides the names of three nominees to the governor, who must then select a judge from that list.[1][2]
Newly appointed judges serve for at least two years, after which they must run in a yes-no retention election held during the next general election. If retained, judges serve 10-year terms and may stand again to be retained for subsequent 10-year terms.[1]
Qualifications
To serve on either of these two courts, a judge must be:
- a U.S. citizen;
- a state resident;
- admitted to practice law in the state for at least 10 years or have served as a trial court judge for at least five years; and
- under the age of 75 (retirement at 75 is mandatory).[1]
Judges wishing to serve after reaching the retirement age may apply for senior judge status.[3]
Selection of the chief justice or judge
The chief justice of the supreme court is chosen by the judicial nominating commission and serves in that capacity for five years. The court of appeals selects its chief judge by peer vote, and he or she serves for three years.[1]
State profile
| Demographic data for Indiana | ||
|---|---|---|
| Indiana | U.S. | |
| Total population: | 6,612,768 | 316,515,021 |
| Land area (sq mi): | 35,826 | 3,531,905 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White: | 84.2% | 73.6% |
| Black/African American: | 9.2% | 12.6% |
| Asian: | 1.9% | 5.1% |
| Native American: | 0.2% | 0.8% |
| Pacific Islander: | 0% | 0.2% |
| Two or more: | 2.2% | 3% |
| Hispanic/Latino: | 6.4% | 17.1% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate: | 87.8% | 86.7% |
| College graduation rate: | 24.1% | 29.8% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income: | $49,255 | $53,889 |
| Persons below poverty level: | 18.4% | 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 Indiana. **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 Indiana
Indiana voted Republican in six out of the seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.
Pivot Counties (2016)
Ballotpedia identified 206 counties that voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016 after voting for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012. Collectively, Trump won these Pivot Counties by more than 580,000 votes. Of these 206 counties, five are located in Indiana, accounting for 2.43 percent of the total pivot counties.[4]
Pivot Counties (2020)
In 2020, Ballotpedia re-examined the 206 Pivot Counties to view their voting patterns following that year's presidential election. Ballotpedia defined those won by Trump won as Retained Pivot Counties and those won by Joe Biden (D) as Boomerang Pivot Counties. Nationwide, there were 181 Retained Pivot Counties and 25 Boomerang Pivot Counties. Indiana had five Retained Pivot Counties, 2.76 percent of all Retained Pivot Counties.
More Indiana coverage on Ballotpedia
- Elections in Indiana
- United States congressional delegations from Indiana
- Public policy in Indiana
- Endorsers in Indiana
- Indiana fact checks
- More...
Pivot Counties
- See also: Pivot Counties by state
Five of 92 Indiana counties—5 percent—are Pivot Counties. Pivot Counties are counties that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and for Donald Trump (R) in 2016. Altogether, the nation had 206 Pivot Counties, with most being concentrated in upper midwestern and northeastern states.
| Counties won by Trump in 2016 and Obama in 2012 and 2008 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| County | Trump margin of victory in 2016 | Obama margin of victory in 2012 | Obama margin of victory in 2008 | ||||
| Delaware County, Indiana | 13.43% | 3.12% | 14.98% | ||||
| LaPorte County, Indiana | 6.33% | 12.57% | 22.04% | ||||
| Perry County, Indiana | 18.55% | 11.59% | 22.84% | ||||
| Porter County, Indiana | 6.59% | 3.90% | 7.20% | ||||
| Vigo County, Indiana | 14.97% | 0.86% | 15.83% | ||||
In the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump (R) won Indiana with 56.9 percent of the vote. Hillary Clinton (D) received 37.8 percent. Indiana Gov. Mike Pence (R) was Trump's running mate. In presidential elections between 1900 and 2016, Indiana voted Republican 83.33 percent of the time and Democratic 16.67 percent of the time. In the five presidential elections between 2000 and 2016, Indiana voted Republican four times and Democratic once when it voted for Barack Obama in 2008.
Presidential results by legislative district
The following table details results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections by state House districts in Indiana. Click [show] to expand the table. The "Obama," "Romney," "Clinton," and "Trump" columns describe the percent of the vote each presidential candidate received in the district. The "2012 Margin" and "2016 Margin" columns describe the margin of victory between the two presidential candidates in those years. The "Party Control" column notes which party held that seat heading into the 2018 general election. Data on the results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections broken down by state legislative districts was compiled by Daily Kos.[5][6]
| In 2012, Barack Obama (D) won 28 out of 100 state House districts in Indiana with an average margin of victory of 32.8 points. In 2016, Hillary Clinton (D) won 25 out of 100 state House districts in Indiana with an average margin of victory of 32.9 points. Clinton won one district controlled by a Republican heading into the 2018 elections. |
| In 2012, Mitt Romney (R) won 72 out of 100 state House districts in Indiana with an average margin of victory of 25.3 points. In 2016, Donald Trump (R) won 75 out of 100 state House districts in Indiana with an average margin of victory of 34.3 points. Trump won six districts controlled by Democrats heading into the 2018 elections. |
| 2016 Presidential Results by state House District ' | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District | Obama | Romney | 2012 Margin | Clinton | Trump | 2016 Margin | Party Control |
| 1 | 74.02% | 24.38% | D+49.6 | 69.13% | 26.57% | D+42.6 | D |
| 2 | 91.24% | 8.20% | D+83 | 86.86% | 10.81% | D+76.1 | D |
| 3 | 85.10% | 14.01% | D+71.1 | 76.56% | 20.48% | D+56.1 | D |
| 4 | 46.94% | 51.38% | R+4.4 | 44.02% | 50.44% | R+6.4 | R |
| 5 | 43.96% | 54.42% | R+10.5 | 42.04% | 52.89% | R+10.8 | R |
| 6 | 65.56% | 32.91% | D+32.6 | 62.43% | 32.71% | D+29.7 | D |
| 7 | 49.21% | 49.37% | R+0.2 | 42.98% | 52.50% | R+9.5 | D |
| 8 | 50.73% | 47.97% | D+2.8 | 48.45% | 46.84% | D+1.6 | D |
| 9 | 60.14% | 37.95% | D+22.2 | 51.04% | 43.89% | D+7.1 | D |
| 10 | 58.94% | 39.04% | D+19.9 | 48.29% | 45.87% | D+2.4 | D |
| 11 | 41.85% | 56.39% | R+14.5 | 32.04% | 62.83% | R+30.8 | R |
| 12 | 53.19% | 45.32% | D+7.9 | 51.20% | 44.04% | D+7.2 | D |
| 13 | 34.43% | 63.03% | R+28.6 | 25.19% | 69.21% | R+44 | R |
| 14 | 83.05% | 16.18% | D+66.9 | 77.49% | 19.96% | D+57.5 | D |
| 15 | 46.17% | 52.52% | R+6.4 | 42.67% | 53.12% | R+10.5 | R |
| 16 | 38.06% | 59.58% | R+21.5 | 24.96% | 70.45% | R+45.5 | R |
| 17 | 33.98% | 64.01% | R+30 | 25.85% | 69.06% | R+43.2 | R |
| 18 | 26.77% | 71.19% | R+44.4 | 20.36% | 74.88% | R+54.5 | R |
| 19 | 47.78% | 50.75% | R+3 | 42.72% | 52.73% | R+10 | R |
| 20 | 47.61% | 50.07% | R+2.5 | 34.89% | 59.54% | R+24.7 | R |
| 21 | 39.78% | 58.56% | R+18.8 | 33.73% | 61.94% | R+28.2 | R |
| 22 | 23.30% | 74.84% | R+51.5 | 19.91% | 75.20% | R+55.3 | R |
| 23 | 36.08% | 61.21% | R+25.1 | 24.21% | 70.73% | R+46.5 | R |
| 24 | 31.59% | 66.93% | R+35.3 | 40.35% | 53.30% | R+13 | R |
| 25 | 36.30% | 61.32% | R+25 | 27.19% | 67.54% | R+40.3 | R |
| 26 | 49.86% | 47.78% | D+2.1 | 50.02% | 43.22% | D+6.8 | R |
| 27 | 51.92% | 45.41% | D+6.5 | 48.64% | 44.84% | D+3.8 | D |
| 28 | 27.16% | 71.07% | R+43.9 | 24.52% | 69.75% | R+45.2 | R |
| 29 | 30.84% | 67.12% | R+36.3 | 32.24% | 61.50% | R+29.3 | R |
| 30 | 44.78% | 52.78% | R+8 | 32.84% | 61.89% | R+29.1 | R |
| 31 | 40.25% | 57.59% | R+17.3 | 28.83% | 66.42% | R+37.6 | R |
| 32 | 31.06% | 66.81% | R+35.7 | 23.91% | 70.93% | R+47 | R |
| 33 | 39.69% | 58.25% | R+18.6 | 25.55% | 69.80% | R+44.2 | R |
| 34 | 61.63% | 35.68% | D+25.9 | 52.44% | 41.78% | D+10.7 | D |
| 35 | 41.75% | 56.04% | R+14.3 | 30.87% | 64.18% | R+33.3 | D |
| 36 | 52.89% | 44.86% | D+8 | 41.75% | 53.32% | R+11.6 | D |
| 37 | 35.26% | 63.23% | R+28 | 40.95% | 53.05% | R+12.1 | R |
| 38 | 33.79% | 64.07% | R+30.3 | 23.90% | 71.40% | R+47.5 | R |
| 39 | 32.92% | 65.53% | R+32.6 | 40.88% | 53.34% | R+12.5 | R |
| 40 | 36.23% | 62.08% | R+25.8 | 35.50% | 58.61% | R+23.1 | R |
| 41 | 29.51% | 67.92% | R+38.4 | 22.67% | 71.80% | R+49.1 | R |
| 42 | 39.22% | 58.41% | R+19.2 | 26.29% | 69.50% | R+43.2 | R |
| 43 | 55.30% | 42.73% | D+12.6 | 45.56% | 49.83% | R+4.3 | D |
| 44 | 31.50% | 66.22% | R+34.7 | 21.02% | 74.48% | R+53.5 | R |
| 45 | 36.84% | 61.06% | R+24.2 | 24.84% | 71.19% | R+46.4 | R |
| 46 | 38.55% | 59.25% | R+20.7 | 31.57% | 63.54% | R+32 | R |
| 47 | 29.10% | 68.87% | R+39.8 | 24.16% | 70.65% | R+46.5 | R |
| 48 | 38.56% | 59.90% | R+21.3 | 32.75% | 62.92% | R+30.2 | R |
| 49 | 33.11% | 65.49% | R+32.4 | 32.54% | 63.39% | R+30.9 | R |
| 50 | 33.14% | 65.13% | R+32 | 27.01% | 68.02% | R+41 | R |
| 51 | 34.00% | 63.93% | R+29.9 | 24.48% | 70.78% | R+46.3 | R |
| 52 | 31.00% | 67.27% | R+36.3 | 24.47% | 70.89% | R+46.4 | R |
| 53 | 30.23% | 67.35% | R+37.1 | 23.85% | 70.13% | R+46.3 | R |
| 54 | 38.63% | 58.47% | R+19.8 | 24.91% | 69.53% | R+44.6 | R |
| 55 | 33.15% | 64.51% | R+31.4 | 22.12% | 73.36% | R+51.2 | R |
| 56 | 42.11% | 55.91% | R+13.8 | 33.19% | 62.25% | R+29.1 | R |
| 57 | 30.69% | 67.09% | R+36.4 | 23.49% | 71.18% | R+47.7 | R |
| 58 | 31.41% | 66.58% | R+35.2 | 27.77% | 66.87% | R+39.1 | R |
| 59 | 37.11% | 60.82% | R+23.7 | 31.83% | 62.16% | R+30.3 | R |
| 60 | 39.41% | 58.45% | R+19 | 34.82% | 60.63% | R+25.8 | R |
| 61 | 69.90% | 27.39% | D+42.5 | 75.00% | 20.08% | D+54.9 | D |
| 62 | 40.31% | 57.59% | R+17.3 | 34.37% | 60.99% | R+26.6 | R |
| 63 | 30.08% | 67.97% | R+37.9 | 22.31% | 72.84% | R+50.5 | R |
| 64 | 32.42% | 65.53% | R+33.1 | 24.93% | 70.82% | R+45.9 | R |
| 65 | 34.17% | 63.45% | R+29.3 | 25.48% | 69.95% | R+44.5 | R |
| 66 | 43.12% | 54.94% | R+11.8 | 30.53% | 65.36% | R+34.8 | D |
| 67 | 33.59% | 63.85% | R+30.3 | 20.50% | 75.70% | R+55.2 | R |
| 68 | 28.25% | 69.83% | R+41.6 | 19.20% | 77.08% | R+57.9 | R |
| 69 | 36.52% | 60.78% | R+24.3 | 22.82% | 72.40% | R+49.6 | R |
| 70 | 36.18% | 61.71% | R+25.5 | 27.10% | 68.70% | R+41.6 | R |
| 71 | 50.92% | 47.20% | D+3.7 | 44.56% | 50.60% | R+6 | D |
| 72 | 42.89% | 55.41% | R+12.5 | 38.96% | 56.02% | R+17.1 | R |
| 73 | 36.02% | 61.42% | R+25.4 | 22.93% | 72.72% | R+49.8 | R |
| 74 | 44.73% | 53.00% | R+8.3 | 31.06% | 63.50% | R+32.4 | R |
| 75 | 37.34% | 60.55% | R+23.2 | 28.95% | 66.32% | R+37.4 | R |
| 76 | 39.60% | 58.59% | R+19 | 32.85% | 62.36% | R+29.5 | R |
| 77 | 57.50% | 40.60% | D+16.9 | 52.56% | 42.87% | D+9.7 | D |
| 78 | 37.34% | 61.05% | R+23.7 | 35.16% | 60.59% | R+25.4 | R |
| 79 | 28.95% | 69.22% | R+40.3 | 21.65% | 73.97% | R+52.3 | R |
| 80 | 78.11% | 20.64% | D+57.5 | 74.22% | 22.20% | D+52 | D |
| 81 | 44.14% | 53.80% | R+9.7 | 40.62% | 53.82% | R+13.2 | R |
| 82 | 30.25% | 67.78% | R+37.5 | 21.96% | 73.57% | R+51.6 | R |
| 83 | 31.27% | 67.18% | R+35.9 | 29.98% | 65.17% | R+35.2 | R |
| 84 | 34.51% | 63.98% | R+29.5 | 33.23% | 62.10% | R+28.9 | R |
| 85 | 31.58% | 66.88% | R+35.3 | 27.71% | 67.59% | R+39.9 | R |
| 86 | 57.98% | 40.35% | D+17.6 | 64.62% | 29.75% | D+34.9 | D |
| 87 | 49.95% | 48.31% | D+1.6 | 55.89% | 38.06% | D+17.8 | D |
| 88 | 34.66% | 63.88% | R+29.2 | 37.37% | 57.03% | R+19.7 | R |
| 89 | 47.75% | 50.14% | R+2.4 | 43.77% | 50.93% | R+7.2 | R |
| 90 | 34.68% | 63.24% | R+28.6 | 32.08% | 62.11% | R+30 | R |
| 91 | 37.73% | 59.66% | R+21.9 | 31.71% | 62.40% | R+30.7 | R |
| 92 | 51.81% | 46.05% | D+5.8 | 49.25% | 45.19% | D+4.1 | D |
| 93 | 34.28% | 63.70% | R+29.4 | 32.89% | 61.93% | R+29 | R |
| 94 | 82.54% | 16.46% | D+66.1 | 82.29% | 14.31% | D+68 | D |
| 95 | 77.93% | 21.08% | D+56.8 | 75.26% | 21.28% | D+54 | D |
| 96 | 84.99% | 13.71% | D+71.3 | 83.70% | 12.01% | D+71.7 | D |
| 97 | 53.11% | 44.02% | D+9.1 | 48.46% | 45.17% | D+3.3 | D |
| 98 | 82.27% | 16.60% | D+65.7 | 78.54% | 18.32% | D+60.2 | D |
| 99 | 83.25% | 15.77% | D+67.5 | 80.80% | 15.76% | D+65 | D |
| 100 | 61.83% | 35.60% | D+26.2 | 59.68% | 34.20% | D+25.5 | D |
| Total | 43.94% | 54.15% | R+10.2 | 37.92% | 57.16% | R+19.2 | - |
| Source: Daily Kos | |||||||
Recent news
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See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 National Center for State Courts, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Indiana," accessed January 18, 2017
- ↑ Indiana Courts, "About the Commissions," accessed August 25, 2014
- ↑ Indiana Courts, "Application for Certification as a Senior Judge," 2012
- ↑ The raw data for this study was provided by Dave Leip of Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections.
- ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' statewide election results by congressional and legislative districts," July 9, 2013
- ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' 2016 presidential results for congressional and legislative districts," February 6, 2017
Federal courts:
Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Northern District of Indiana, Southern District of Indiana • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Northern District of Indiana, Southern District of Indiana
State courts:
Indiana Supreme Court • Indiana Court of Appeals • Indiana Tax Court • Indiana Superior Courts • Indiana Circuit Courts • Indiana City Courts • Indiana County Courts • Indiana Municipal Courts • Indiana Small Claims Courts • St. Joseph County Probate Court • Indiana Town Courts
State resources:
Courts in Indiana • Indiana judicial elections • Judicial selection in Indiana
