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JP Election Brief: Primary results from Michigan and Washington (and more!)
August 9, 2012
by: the State Court Staff
Important dates
Filing deadline
Primary elections
In the News
Michigan District Court race yields interesting results
Michigan held its nonpartisan primary election on Tuesday. In its system, the top two candidates receiving the most votes advance to the general election.[1] This week, voters narrowed the field for candidates of the Circuit Courts, District Courts and Probate Courts.
One particularly interesting race was that of former Judge Sylvia A. James and seven challengers. On July 31, James was removed from office by the Michigan Supreme Court after an audit revealed inappropriate spending.[2] Surprisingly, James won the highest percentage of votes in the eight-way race on Tuesday, bringing in 25.68%.[3] She will compete against Sabrina Johnson in the general election. Because James was only removed from office for the remainder of her term, she is still eligible to compete for a new six-year term.[4]
Washington primary results
On Tuesday, Washington held its primary election, marking the end of the road for some judicial candidates. In the state, if a judicial candidate wins more than 50% of the vote in the primary, she or he wins the election. If no candidate receives 50%, the top two vote-getters advance to the general election.[5]
This system was evident in the three races for the Washington Supreme Court. Two justices were easily re-elected; Susan Owens in Position 2, and Steven Gonzalez in Position 8. (This was actually the first race for Justice Gonzalez, so he was elected following appointment to his seat.) The four-way race for Position 9 will be settled in November's general election, when former Justice Richard Sanders and attorney Sheryl McCloud compete.
In only one Court of Appeals race will candidates compete in the general election; that of the District 2 seat in Division 2. Seven candidates competed for the position of retiring Judge David Armstrong on Tuesday. Pamela Loginsky and Thomas Bjorgen received the most votes, with 27.57% and 18.18%, respectively.[6]
Judge Teresa Kulik fended off a challenge from Devin Poulson in Division 3, but all other intermediate appellate court judges ran unopposed. Those judges re-elected without opposition were: Ronald Cox, Mary Kay Becker, Marlin Appelwick and Joel Penoyar.
For Superior Court race results, check out: Washington judicial elections, 2012 - Superior Courts.
Candidates for 20th Circuit tout qualifications
As Florida's Aug. 14 judicial primary approaches, candidates for the 20th Circuit Court answered questions from a local newspaper regarding their qualifications. Here are some of their answers.
Group 9:
- Karen Elizabeth Miller, when asked what makes her the most qualified for the judgeship, responded:
| “ | Experience and knowledge. I have tried approximately 100 felony jury trials to verdict in the last 10 years in this circuit alone. No other candidate can attest to these statistics..[7][8] | ” |
- Incumbent Judge Meg Steinbeck, when asked about her qualifications, stated:
| “ | Of the thousands of cases I have decided since my re-election in 2006, I have been reversed by an appellate court only once. I have earned my reputation as a hard-working, fair and courteous judge, who is faithful to the law.[7][8] | ” |
Group 18:
- M.C. Fernandez III, when asked what distinguishes him from his opponent, responded:
| “ | For more than 24 years — twice as long as my opponent — I've lived, raised my family, worked and served charitable organizations in Southwest Florida. I believe I can offer more extensive courtroom experience because I have handled a wider variety of criminal, civil and juvenile cases during my career.[7][8] | ” |
- Joe Foster, when asked what makes him the most qualified candidate for the judgeship, stated:
| “ | I am the right person for this office based on the depth of my experience and consistency of my temperament…I have the reputation for being even-tempered, fair, honest, and a good listener, which will allow me to create a positive atmosphere in the courtroom.[7][8] | ” |
Group 26:
- Lisa Spader Porter was asked about her qualifications and responded:
| “ | I have more than five years' experience as a general magistrate…Prior to that appointment, I was a trial attorney and tried cases in both state and federal court involving various civil matters. I also served as a staff attorney for the 20th Judicial Circuit…"[7][8] | ” |
Her opponent, incumbent Judge Joseph A. Simpson, did not submit a statement.
Group 28:
- David McElrath, regarding his qualifications, said:
| “ | I have the experience and leadership to be a good circuit judge. My peers elected me president of the Collier County Bar Association and its trial lawyers section.[7][8] | ” |
- Incumbent Judge George Richards, defending his qualifications, stated:
| “ | I have been an effective judge since my appointment in 2009. I believe this is evidenced by the fact that I have the personal endorsement of 136 local attorneys.[7][8] | ” |
For more information, see: Florida judicial elections, 2012 - Circuit Court.
Arizona releases judicial performance evaluations
This week, the Arizona Commission on Judicial Performance Review released its official findings on the judicial performance of every judge who will appear on the general election ballot in November.[9]
The results will be mailed to every household in which a registered voter resides, in the form of the Secretary of State's Publicity Pamphlet.[9]
The Commission provides voters with reports on each judge's performance, drawn from surveys by attorneys, jurors, litigants, witnesses, and others who have come into contact with the judges. These surveys collect information about each judge's legal ability, integrity, and judicial temperament. Based on survey results, the Commission votes on whether each judge "meets" or "does not meet" judicial performance standards.[9]
The Arizona Commission on Judicial Performance Review is made up of attorneys, judges, and members of the public, and exists to help voters make informed decisions during judicial elections.[9]
See also
Footnotes
- ↑ Michigan judicial elections
- ↑ Detroit Free Press, "Supreme Court removes 22nd District Court judge Sylvia James," August 1, 2012
- ↑ Wayne County, 2012 Judicial Primary Results
- ↑ Detroit Free Press, "Ousted Judge Sylvia James is top vote-getter in primary; will run for vacated seat in November," August 9, 2012
- ↑ Washington judicial elections
- ↑ Washington Secretary of State, "2012 Primary Results by County," August 28, 2012
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 Naples News, "Election 2012: Four circuit judge seats up for grabs in Southwest Florida," August 8, 2012
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 8.6 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 Arizona Commission on Judicial Performance Review, News Release: "Judicial Performance Review Commission Announces Official Performance Ratings for Judges," August 7, 2012
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