Louisiana Supreme Court elections, 2018
- Primary election: Nov. 6
- General election: Dec. 8
- Voter registration deadline: Oct. 9
- Early voting: Oct. 23 - Oct. 30
- Absentee voting deadline: Nov. 5
- Online registration: Yes
- Same-day registration: No
- Voter ID: Photo ID required
- Poll times: 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
| 2018 election dates | |
|---|---|
| Deadline to file candidacy | |
| July 20, 2018 | |
| Primary election | |
| November 6, 2018 | |
| General election | |
| December 8, 2018 | |
| 2018 State Judicial Elections | |
|---|---|
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| Overview | |
| Supreme Courts Overview | |
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The terms of two Louisiana Supreme Court justices expired on December 31, 2018. Both stood for partisan election by voters in 2018 in order to remain on the bench. A full term on the court is ten years.
Louisiana elections use the Louisiana majority-vote system. All candidates compete in the same primary, and a candidate can win the election outright by receiving more than 50% of the vote. If no candidate does, the top two vote recipients from the primary advance to the general election, regardless of their partisan affiliation.
For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.
Candidates and results
District 1: Guidry's seat
Primary candidates
- Greg Guidry (Incumbent) (Republican Party) ✔
Did not make the ballot:
District 5: Hughes' seat
Primary candidates
- Jefferson Hughes (Incumbent) (Republican Party) ✔
About the Louisiana Supreme Court
- See also: Louisiana Supreme Court
The Louisiana Supreme Court is the highest court in Louisiana. There are seven justices on the court, each elected to ten-year terms. They compete in partisan elections.
Political composition
| ■ Bernette Johnson | Elected in 1994, 2000, and 2010 | |
| ■ James Genovese | Elected in 2016 | |
| ■ Greg Guidry | Elected in 2008 | |
| ■ John L. Weimer | Elected in 2002 and 2012 | |
| ■ Marcus Clark | Elected in 2009 and 2016 | |
| ■ Scott Crichton | Elected in 2014 | |
| ■ Jefferson Hughes | Elected in 2012 |
Selection
- See also: Partisan election of judges
There are seven justices on the Louisiana Supreme Court, each elected to 10-year terms. They must face re-election if they wish to serve again.[1] Per Article V of the Louisiana Constitution, midterm vacancies are to be temporarily filled by the remaining members of the supreme court. Within one year of the opening, a special election (called by the governor, preferably on the date of a preexisting gubernatorial or congressional election) is to be held. If the supreme court has appointed a successor, that appointee may not run for the seat in the special election.[1][2] The justice elected at the special election will serve the remainder of the unexpired term.[3]
Unlike most states, supreme court justices in Louisiana are elected to represent specific districts. The seven justices are divided evenly among seven supreme court districts (not to be confused with the 42 divisions of the district courts) and are voted into office by the residents of their respective regions.[4] Only the states of Illinois, Kentucky and Mississippi use a similar system.
Qualifications
To serve on this court, a justice must be:
- licensed to practice law in the state for at least ten years;
- a resident of the district representing for at least one year;
- under the age of 70 at the time of election (justices who turn 70 in office may serve until their term expires)[1][5]
Selection of the chief justice
The chief justice is the justice on the court with the most seniority. When he or she retires, the justice with the next most seniority becomes chief justice.[1]
State profile
| Demographic data for Louisiana | ||
|---|---|---|
| Louisiana | U.S. | |
| Total population: | 4,668,960 | 316,515,021 |
| Land area (sq mi): | 43,204 | 3,531,905 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White: | 62.8% | 73.6% |
| Black/African American: | 32.1% | 12.6% |
| Asian: | 1.7% | 5.1% |
| Native American: | 0.6% | 0.8% |
| Pacific Islander: | 0% | 0.2% |
| Two or more: | 1.8% | 3% |
| Hispanic/Latino: | 4.7% | 17.1% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate: | 83.4% | 86.7% |
| College graduation rate: | 22.5% | 29.8% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income: | $45,047 | $53,889 |
| Persons below poverty level: | 23.3% | 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 Louisiana. **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 Louisiana
Louisiana voted Republican in all seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.
More Louisiana coverage on Ballotpedia
- Elections in Louisiana
- United States congressional delegations from Louisiana
- Public policy in Louisiana
- Endorsers in Louisiana
- Louisiana fact checks
- More...
Pivot Counties
- See also: Pivot Counties by state
There are no Pivot Counties in Louisiana. 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.
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms 'Louisiana judicial election' OR 'Louisiana court election' OR 'Louisiana election 2018'. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Louisiana; Selection of Judges," archived October 2, 2014
- ↑ Louisiana Supreme Court, "Henry Julien v. The Honorable W. Fox McKeithan," accessed May 6, 2014
- ↑ Louisiana Revised Statutes "RS 13:101.1," accessed July 13, 2016
- ↑ Louisiana Supreme Court, "Maps of Judicial Districts," accessed May 6, 2014
- ↑ NOLA.com, "Lawmakers fail to pass amendment eliminating mandatory retirement age of judges," June 3, 2013
Federal courts:
Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Eastern District of Louisiana, Middle District of Louisiana, Western District of Louisiana • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Eastern District of Louisiana, Middle District of Louisiana, Western District of Louisiana
State courts:
Louisiana Supreme Court • Louisiana Courts of Appeal • Louisiana District Courts • Louisiana City Courts • Louisiana Family Courts • Louisiana Justice of the Peace Courts • Louisiana Juvenile Courts • Louisiana Mayor’s Courts • Louisiana Municipal Courts • Louisiana Parish Courts • Louisiana Traffic Courts
State resources:
Courts in Louisiana • Louisiana judicial elections • Judicial selection in Louisiana
