Kentucky Supreme Court elections, 2014
Six associate justices and one chief justice sit on the Kentucky Supreme Court. The state is divided into seven supreme court districts, with multiple counties making up each district. Candidates only appear on the ballot for election in their district. 2014 saw the re-election of Justices Michelle Keller, Lisabeth Tabor Hughes, Bill Cunningham and Chief Justice John D. Minton Jr.
Election highlights
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Results
Incumbent Justice Michelle Keller faced Teresa L. Cunningham. Keller, who was appointed to the court by Governor Steve Beshear in 2013, was successful in her first election to retain the seat. Keller reported raising approximately $99,797 in campaign contributions, while Cunningham reported $13,767.[1]
| 6th District | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | |||
| Michelle Keller | 58.4% | |||
| Teresa L. Cunningham | 41.6% | |||
| 100% of counties reporting[2] | ||||
| Incumbent | Michelle Keller | |||
| Winner | Michelle Keller | |||
On the ballot: 6th District seat
| 2014 candidates for the Kentucky Supreme Court | |
| 6th District | |
Teresa L. Cunningham | Incumbent: No Primary vote: n/a Election vote: 41.6%  |
Michelle Keller | Incumbent: Yes Primary vote: n/a Election vote: 58.4%  |
In the only contested race, incumbent Michelle Keller faced a challenger in her bid for re-election. Teresa L. Cunningham lost to Keller, allowing her to serve her first full term. Keller was appointed to the court in 2013 by Governor Steve Beshear. Cunningham is a lawyer. She has her own law practice, with offices in Florence, Kentucky, and Cincinnati, Ohio.[3]
On the ballot: 1st District seat
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Associate justice Bill Cunningham ran unopposed for re-election to his seat on the supreme court. Cunningham had served as an associate justice on the court since he was elected in 2006. |
On the ballot: 2nd District seat
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Chief Justice John D. Minton Jr. ran for re-election. Minton joined the court in 2006, when he was appointed to complete the term of associate justice William S. Cooper. He subsequently ran unopposed in the 2006 election and was elected to an eight-year term. In 2012, Minton was chosen by the justices on the court to serve as chief justice in 2008 and again in 2012. His current term as chief justice does not expire until 2016.[4] |
On the ballot: 4th District seat
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Lisabeth Tabor Hughes ran unopposed to retain her seat on the court in 2014. Abramson joined the court in 2007 after being appointed. Despite facing an opponent in 2008, she won re-election and retained her seat.[5] |
Political composition
Kentucky's supreme court elections are nonpartisan. Canon 5 of the state's code of judicial conduct prevents candidates from identifying themselves as being a member of a political party in advertising or when giving speeches. However, if they are questioned directly, they may state if they are a member of a particular political party. A candidate is not allowed to ask for endorsements. This must be done by a candidate's campaign committee.[6]
Campaign finance
As of 2014, candidates for supreme court could accept contributions of $1,000 per election from individuals and political action committees. Candidates may not accept contributions from corporations. In accordance with Canon 5, candidates may not directly solicit donations to support their campaign. A campaign committee must be set up to solicit donations and manage spending.[7][6]
Possible public funding option in 2015
For the three years leading up to this election, bills had been introduced in the state's legislature to provide an option for state supreme court candidates to obtain public financing support. The 2014 version of the bill, SB 222, was introduced in the Kentucky Senate on March 6, 2014. If approved, it would have become effective in January 2015, but it died in the introductory stage.[8][9]
Under the proposed public funding option, in order to be eligible for the funding, a candidate would be required to obtain contributions of $25 from 200 individuals. The candidate would then be able to obtain funds to support a campaign for election or re-election. Financing for the program would come from voluntary state tax refund donations, funds not spent in other campaigns, as well as contributions received from voluntary contributions made by state bar members.[8]
Contributions
Total reported campaign contributions received by candidates (includes both primary and general election totals):[10]
6th District seat:
| Candidate | Total contributions |
|---|---|
| Michelle Keller | $99,796.66 |
| Teresa L. Cunningham | $13,766.73 |
Noteworthy events
Post-election lawsuit dismissed in Kentucky Supreme Court race
Following the November 2014 election for a seat on the Kentucky Supreme Court in which Justice Michelle Keller was elected, candidate Teresa L. Cunningham filed a lawsuit contesting the results and alleging misconduct by Justice Keller and her campaign. In February 2015, the case was dismissed by Judge Kathy Lape, who found that the claims did not meet the legal threshold for overturning an election under state law. Keller later requested sanctions and reimbursement of $19,000 in attorney’s fees.[11]
See also
External links
- Kentucky Court of Justice, "Supreme Court of Kentucky"
- Kentucky Secretary of State, "Office of Elections"
- Kentucky Registry of Election Finance, "Candidate"
- Kentucky Registry of election Finance, "Campaign Finance Reporting Dates for Candidates"
Footnotes
- ↑ Kentucky Supreme Court elections, 2014#Contributions
- ↑ Kentucky State Board of Elections, "2014 General Election Results," November 4, 2014
- ↑ Law Office of Teresa Cunningham LL.M., "Home," accessed April 8, 2014
- ↑ www.news.LawReader.com, "Chief Justice John D. Minton elected to 2nd term as chief justice of Kentucky," May 17, 2012
- ↑ Kentucky Secretary of State, "Election: 2014 Primary Election: Justice of the Supreme Court," accessed January 29, 2014
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 American Judicature Society, "Judicial Campaigns and Elections: Kentucky," accessed April 8, 2014
- ↑ American Judicature Society, "Judicial Campaigns and Elections: Kentucky," accessed April 8, 2014
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Open States, "SB 222, Kentucky Senate Bill," accessed April 8, 2014
- ↑ Gavel to Gavel, "For fifth year in a row, Kentucky will debate public financing of supreme court races," December 9, 2014
- ↑ Kentucky Registry of Election Finance, "Candidate Search (by candidate name)," accessed October 27, 2014
- ↑ Cincinnati.com, "Bitter Supreme Court election drags on in court," March 7, 2015
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Federal courts:
Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Eastern District of Kentucky, Western District of Kentucky • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Eastern District of Kentucky, Western District of Kentucky
State courts:
Kentucky Supreme Court • Kentucky Court of Appeals • Kentucky Circuit Courts • Kentucky District Courts • Kentucky Family Court
State resources:
Courts in Kentucky • Kentucky judicial elections • Judicial selection in Kentucky
