JP Election Brief: Candidates filing in Michigan, Kentucky, Washington and more!

May 3, 2012

by: the State Court Staff

Every Thursday, Judgepedia's State Court Staff examines events in the world of judicial elections across the nation. Make sure to use Judgepedia's Election Central the rest of the week as a hub for all your judicial election needs.

Important dates

Primary elections

• May 8: Primary election in Indiana
• May 8: Primary election in North Carolina
• May 8: Primary election in West Virginia

Want to know more about Judgepedia's 2012 election coverage?
Check out Judgepedia's Election Central for details!

Montana District Court race

The upcoming June 5th primary will begin the first contested district court race Cascade County has seen in a decade. With the upcoming retirement of Judge Thomas M. McKittrick there will be an open seat on the 8th Judicial District Court. Running for this seat are three attorneys and a justice of the peace who will face off in the June 5th primary. After the primary only two of these candidates will advance to the general election on November 6th.

The following candidates are competing for the seat currently held by Thomas M. McKittrick:

• Steven Fagenstrom currently serves as the justice of the peace for the Cascade County Justice Court. He earned his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Montana and his J.D. from Lewis and Clark College.

• Greg Pinski is currently an attorney with the firm of Conner & Pinski, PLLP. He earned his Bachelor of Arts, magna cum laude, in political science and journalism from the University of North Dakota in 1996 and his Juris Doctor, with distinction, from the University of North Dakota School of Law in 1999.

• Michael Rausch currently works as a law partner with the firm Smith, Walsh, Clarke, and Gregoire, PLLP. He earned his bachelor of arts in business and French from Concordia College in 1991 and his law degree from the University of Montana in 1994.

• Joseph M. Sullivan currently works as an attorney in private practice. He earned his Bachelor of Science in mathematics (Honors) from Gonzaga University in 1981 and his J.D. from Gonzaga University School of Law in 1985.

In the News

Michigan filing deadline sets judicial races

With the exception of races for the Michigan Supreme Court, the deadline for judicial candidates in the state for this year's primary election was Tuesday, May 1. The staff at Judgepedia are working hard to create candidate pages for all of these races. Please check back in the next two weeks to find out who is running in your area.

Below is a highlight of Michigan's judicial races in 2012:

Court of Appeals: 12 incumbents have filed for re-election to the Michigan Court of Appeals, and not one will face an opponent this year. To learn who is running, visit: Michigan judicial elections, 2012.

Circuit Courts: 59 incumbents have filed for re-election to the Michigan Circuit Court. To learn who is running, visit: Michigan judicial elections, 2012 - Circuit Courts.

District Courts: 62 incumbents have filed for re-election to the Michigan District Courts. To learn who is running, visit: Michigan judicial elections, 2012 - District Courts.

Probate Courts: 68 incumbents have filed for re-election to the Michigan Probate Courts.

Kentucky justice ready to rejoin Supreme Court

Janet Stumbo, a current judge on the Kentucky Court of Appeals 7th Appellate District and former Kentucky Supreme Court justice, is once again running for a seat on Kentucky's high court. Though her current eight-year term for the Court of Appeals does not end until December 31, 2014, Stumbo has chosen to challenge incumbent judge Will T. Scott for a seat on the court. She served on the high court from 1993 to 2004.

Stumbo is challenging Scott to represent the judicial district that covers Kentucky's eastern coalfields. On April 24, 2012 it was announced that Stumbo had earned the endorsement of the United Mine Workers of America, a powerful group in the district in which she is seeking election.

Clallam County Superior Court race heats up

Three potential candidates have announced that they intend to run for a position on the Clallam County Superior Court in Clallam County, Washington. The seat will become vacant when Judge Ken Williams retires at the end of this year, following five terms on the bench.

In March, District Court Judge Erik S. Rohrer announced his intent to run for Judge Williams's position. Judge Rohrer practiced law for over 25 years, helped establish the first local attorney general's office in Port Angeles in 1991, and has served on the Clallam County District Court II for the past eleven years. On the same day that Judge Rohrer made his announcement, Clallam County Hearing Examiner Chris Melly announced that he is planning to run for the position as well. Melly worked for the Clellam County Prosecutor for 22 years, spending 17 of those years as the chief deputy prosecutor. Now he focuses on land use issues in his capacity as county hearing examiner. Attorney Curtis Johnson is the third potential candidate for Judge Williams' seat. Johnson has practiced law for 34 years and was a pro tem Clallam County District Court judge for 19 years, ending in 2008.

Those wishing to run for a judicial position in Washington must file their candidacy between May 14 and May 18, 2012. The candidates will compete in a primary election on August 7.

Florida Bar sheds light on retention elections

The Florida Bar, on April 30, launched an online voter-education program called "The Vote's in Your Court" to shed some light on the upcoming judicial retention elections. The Bar has found that many voters don't understand the retention process and often skip the judicial section of the ballot. The new web page provides information on the three Supreme Court justices and 15 Appellate Court judges up for retention this fall. For better or worse, voters have never removed a judge from office since the retention system began over 30 years ago.

Scott Hawkins, president of the Florida Bar, explained, "Democracy works best when there’s good information." (Here at Judgepedia, we couldn't agree more!)

One issue facing Florida judicial candidates is their inability to explain their political opinions, due to the nonpartisan nature of the judicial races. They are also prohibited from explaining past rulings or stating how they may rule in the future. It is up to the voters to delve into a judge's history and determine whether or not they are fit for the bench.

May 2012

Below is the election calendar for the month ahead. Note: The Texas primary is scheduled for May 29, 2012.

Are you running for election?

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