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Louisiana Supreme Court elections, 2020
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The term of one Louisiana Supreme Court justice expired on December 31, 2020. A special election also took place to replace Justice Marcus Clark (R) who retired June 30, 2020. The two seats were up for partisan election on December 5, 2020. A primary was scheduled for November 3, 2020.[1]
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.
Election procedure changes in 2020
Ballotpedia provided comprehensive coverage of how election dates and procedures changed in 2020. While the majority of changes occurred as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, some changes occurred for other reasons.
Louisiana modified its absentee/mail-in voting and candidate filing procedures for the November 3, 2020, general election as follows:
- Absentee/mail-in voting: The absentee ballot application used in the general election included COVID-19 specific reasons for requesting an absentee ballot.
- Candidate filing procedures: The candidate qualifying deadline was extended to July 24, 2020. The deadline by which a ballot-qualified party must notify the state of its presidential nominee was extended from August 18, 2020, to August 25, 2020.
For a full timeline about election modifications made in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, click here.
Candidates and election results
District 4: Clark vacancy
Louisiana elections use the majority-vote system. All candidates compete in the same primary, and a candidate can win the election outright by receiving more than 50 percent 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.
Nonpartisan primary election
Special nonpartisan primary for Louisiana Supreme Court 4th District
Jay B. McCallum won election outright against Shannon J. Gremillion in the special primary for Louisiana Supreme Court 4th District on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Jay B. McCallum (R) | 56.7 | 122,458 |
 | Shannon J. Gremillion (R) | 43.3 | 93,569 | |
| Total votes: 216,027 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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District 7: Johnson vacancy
Louisiana elections use the majority-vote system. All candidates compete in the same primary, and a candidate can win the election outright by receiving more than 50 percent 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.
General election
The general election was canceled. Piper Griffin won election in the general election for Louisiana Supreme Court 7th District.
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Terri Love (D)
Nonpartisan primary election
Nonpartisan primary for Louisiana Supreme Court 7th District
Piper Griffin and Terri Love defeated Sandra Cabrina Jenkins in the primary for Louisiana Supreme Court 7th District on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Piper Griffin (D) | 43.9 | 78,603 |
| ✔ |  | Terri Love (D) | 31.5 | 56,387 |
 | Sandra Cabrina Jenkins (D) | 24.6 | 43,949 | |
| Total votes: 178,939 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Justices not on the ballot
- Marcus Clark (R)
- Bernette Johnson (D)
Past elections
2018
- See also: Louisiana Supreme Court elections, 2018
1st District
Louisiana elections use the majority-vote system. All candidates compete in the same primary, and a candidate can win the election outright by receiving more than 50 percent 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.
Nonpartisan primary election
Nonpartisan primary for Louisiana Supreme Court 1st District
Incumbent Greg Guidry won election outright in the primary for Louisiana Supreme Court 1st District on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ |  | Greg Guidry (R) |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Richard Ducote (R)
5th District
Louisiana elections use the majority-vote system. All candidates compete in the same primary, and a candidate can win the election outright by receiving more than 50 percent 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.
Nonpartisan primary election
Nonpartisan primary for Louisiana Supreme Court 5th District
Incumbent Jefferson Hughes won election outright in the primary for Louisiana Supreme Court 5th District on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ |  | Jefferson Hughes (R) |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
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2016
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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
This was the political composition of the supreme court heading into the 2020 election.
Note: Marcus Clark (R) retired from the bench on June 30, 2020.
| ■ Scott Crichton | Elected in 2014 | |
| ■ James Genovese | Elected in 2016 | |
| ■ Greg Guidry | Elected in 2008 | |
| ■ Jefferson Hughes | Elected in 2012 | |
| ■ Bernette Johnson | Elected in 1994, 2000, and 2010 | |
| ■ John L. Weimer | Elected in 2002 and 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.[2] 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.[2][3] The justice elected at the special election will serve the remainder of the unexpired term.[4]
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.[5] Only the states of Illinois, Kentucky, and Mississippi use a similar system.
Qualifications
To serve on this court, justices must be:
- licensed to practice law in the state for at least ten years;
- residents of the district they seek to represent 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)[2][6]
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.[2]
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Louisiana Supreme Court, "2020 Elections," accessed July 26, 2019
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 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
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