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Mike Carter (Tennessee judge)
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Mike Carter is a Republican and judge of the Sumner County General Sessions Court in Tennessee. He was appointed by the Sumner County Commission in March 2015, following the creation of a new seat on the court bench. Because the seat was new, Carter's appointed term ran until the 2016 special election was held.[1]
Carter won the partial term unopposed on August 4, 2016. He was elected to a six-year term. The seat will be up for a full eight-year term at the next general judicial election in 2022.
Carter previously ran for the Sumner County Chancery Court in the Eighteenth Judicial District in 2014.[2]
Education
Carter earned his high school diploma from McAllen Independent School District, Texas, from 1972 to 1976. He went on to earn a B.A. in political science from Middle Tennessee State University from 1990 to 1992. From 1993 to 1997, he attended the Nashville School of Law, earning his J.D. He graduated in the top 10 of his law school class.[3]
Career
- July 1, 2015–Present: Judge, Sumner County General Sessions Court
- October 1997–June 2015: Attorney in private practice, Mike Carter Law Firm
- 1987–1995: Police officer, Gallatin Police Department
- 1980–1987: Police corporal, Lubbock Police Department[3]
Elections
2016
General election
General elections for unexpired local judicial terms and newly created judicial seats in Tennessee were held on August 4, 2016. Incumbent Mike Carter ran unopposed in the Sumner County General Sessions Court general election.
| Sumner County General Sessions Court, General Election (Unexpired Term), 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican |  Mike Carter Incumbent (unopposed) |
99.47% | 10,669 | |
| Write-in votes | 0.53% | 57 | ||
| Total Votes | 10,726 | |||
| Source: Sumner County Election Commission, "Election Summary Report, 2016 State Primary and County General," August 4, 2016 | ||||
General election
Primary elections for partisan judicial seats in Tennessee were held on March 1, 2016. The top vote recipient in each party's primary advanced to the general election on August 4, 2016. No Democrats filed for any of the local judicial seats up for election in 2016, meaning only Republican primaries were necessary. Independent candidates did not face primary elections. Incumbent Mike Carter ran unopposed in the Sumner County General Sessions Court Republican primary.
| Sumner County General Sessions Court, Republican Primary (Unexpired Term), 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Mike Carter Incumbent (unopposed) |
99.46% | 18,585 | |
| Write-in votes | 0.54% | 101 | ||
| Total Votes (100) | 18,686 | |||
| Source: Sumner County Election Commission, "March 1, 2016 Election Results: 27 out of 27 precincts," accessed March 1, 2016 | ||||
Selection method
- See also: Nonpartisan election of judges
Judges of the general sessions court are elected in nonpartisan elections to eight-year terms. Individual towns or cities may establish varying ordinances for the election of their municipal judges—e.g., ordinances that allow for some positions to be elected by popular vote and some to be selected by other methods.[4][5][6][7]
Qualifications
To serve on the court, a judge must be:[8]
- authorized to practice law in state;
- a district resident for at least one year;
- a state resident five years; and
- at least 30 years old.
2014
See also: Tennessee judicial elections, 2014
Carter ran for election to the Sumner County Chancery Court.
Primary: He was defeated in the Republican primary on May 6, 2014, receiving 23.1 percent of the vote. He competed against Patti B. Garner, Louis W. Oliver, III, Devon J. Sutherland.
[2][9]
Awards and associations
- 1997–Present: Sumner County Bar Association[3]
See also
External links
- Tennessee State Courts, "Trial Court Judges," accessed May 19, 2014
- Tennessee State Courts, "Circuit, Criminal & Chancery Courts," accessed May 19, 2014
- Tennessee State Courts, "Tennessee Judicial District Map," accessed May 19, 2014
- LinkedIn page
Footnotes
- ↑ The Tennessean, "Carter sworn in as new Sumner County judge," July 1, 2015
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Sumner County Board of Elections, "Official Sample Ballot May 6, 2014 County Primary," accessed May 2, 2014 (dead link)
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 LinkedIn, "Mike Carter," accessed February 29, 2016
- ↑ American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Tennessee; Limited Jurisdiction Courts," archived September 11, 2014
- ↑ Justia - Tennessee Code, "37-1-207 - Special juvenile courts Judges," accessed July 22, 2015
- ↑ Justia - Tennessee Code, "16-18-203 - Term of office," accessed July 22, 2015
- ↑ Justia - Tennessee Code, "16-15-202 - Election Term," accessed November 20, 2014
- ↑ American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Tennessee," archived September 11, 2014
- ↑ TN.gov, "Tennessee Secretary of State Unofficial Election Results - Sumner County," May 6, 2014 (dead link)
