Missouri Supreme Court elections, 2018

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2018 election dates
Deadline to file candidacy
March 27, 2018
General election
November 6, 2018
2018 State
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The terms of two Missouri Supreme Court judges expired on December 31, 2018. Judge Mary Rhodes Russell was appointed to the court in 2004 by Democratic Governor Bob Holden. She was retained for a full 12-year term in 2006. Judge Wesley Brent Powell was appointed to the court in 2017 by Republican Governor Eric Greitens. He had to stand for retention in order to serve a full 12-year term.


Candidates and results

Russell's seat

General election candidates

Powell's seat

General election candidates

About the Missouri Supreme Court

See also: Missouri Supreme Court

The Missouri Supreme Court is composed of seven judges who are appointed by the governor and then must stand for retention by voters thereafter. A full term on the court is 12 years. Retention elections take place during Missouri's general elections, which are held every two years in even-numbered years.

Political composition

This was the political composition of the supreme court heading into the 2018 election. Judges on the Missouri Supreme Court are appointed to their seats. Chief Justice Patricia Breckenridge and Judge Zel Fischer were appointed by Republican Governor Gov. Matt Blunt. The remaining four judges were appointed by Democratic governors.

Chief Justice Patricia Breckenridge Appointed by Matt Blunt (R) in 2007
Judge Zel Fischer Appointed by Matt Blunt (R) in 2008
Judge Laura Denvir Stith Appointed by Bob Holden (D) in 2001
Judge Mary Rhodes Russell Appointed by Bob Holden (D) in 2004
Judge George Draper Appointed by Jay Nixon (D) in 2011
Judge Paul C. Wilson Appointed by Jay Nixon (D) in 2012
Judge Wesley Brent Powell Appointed by Eric Greitens (R) in 2017

Selection

See also: Judicial selection in Missouri

The judges of the Missouri Supreme Court and the judges of the Missouri Court of Appeals are selected according to the Missouri Plan. When a vacancy occurs, a list of potential candidates is compiled by the Missouri Appellate Judicial Commission and narrowed to three choices. From those three candidates, the governor appoints a new judge.[1]

Newly appointed judges stand for retention in the next general election occurring one to three years after they take office. If retained, they serve 12-year terms.[1]

Selection of the chief justice or judge

The chief justice of the supreme court serves a two-year term and is elected by peer vote. By tradition, the court elects the most senior judge who has not yet served as chief justice.[1] The chief judges of the three districts of the court of appeals are elected by peer vote. The length of the term varies between the three districts of the court of appeals.[2]

Qualifications

To serve on either of these courts, a judge must be:

  • a U.S. citizen for at least 15 years;
  • district resident (for court of appeals judges);
  • a qualified state voter for at least nine years;
  • licensed to practice law in the state;
  • over the age of 30; and
  • under the age of 70 (retirement at 70 is mandatory).[1]

If a judge wishes to continue serving past the age of 70 and has not already occupied the bench for 12 years, he may petition the commission on retirement, removal and discipline to serve until the age 76.[3]

State profile

Demographic data for Missouri
 MissouriU.S.
Total population:6,076,204316,515,021
Land area (sq mi):68,7423,531,905
Race and ethnicity**
White:82.6%73.6%
Black/African American:11.5%12.6%
Asian:1.8%5.1%
Native American:0.4%0.8%
Pacific Islander:0.1%0.2%
Two or more:2.4%3%
Hispanic/Latino:3.9%17.1%
Education
High school graduation rate:88.4%86.7%
College graduation rate:27.1%29.8%
Income
Median household income:$48,173$53,889
Persons below poverty level:18.2%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 Missouri.
**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 Missouri

Missouri voted Republican in all seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.


More Missouri coverage on Ballotpedia

Pivot Counties

See also: Pivot Counties by state

There are no Pivot Counties in Missouri. 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.

In the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump (R) won Missouri with 56.8 percent of the vote. Hillary Clinton (D) received 38.1 percent. In presidential elections between 1820 and 2016, Missouri voted Democratic 60 percent of the time and Republican 36 percent of the time. In the five presidential elections between 2000 and 2016, Missouri voted Republican all five times.[4]

Presidential results by legislative district

The following table details results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections by state House districts in Missouri. Click [show] to expand the table. The "Obama," "Romney," "Clinton," and "Trump" columns describe the percent of the vote each presidential candidate received in the district. The "2012 Margin" and "2016 Margin" columns describe the margin of victory between the two presidential candidates in those years. The "Party Control" column notes which party held that seat heading into the 2018 general election. Data on the results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections broken down by state legislative districts was compiled by Daily Kos.[5][6]

In 2012, Barack Obama (D) won 43 out of 163 state House districts in Missouri with an average margin of victory of 42.1 points. In 2016, Hillary Clinton (D) won 43 out of 163 state House districts in Missouri with an average margin of victory of 42.3 points. Clinton won two districts controlled by Republicans heading into the 2018 elections.
In 2012, Mitt Romney (R) won 120 out of 163 state House districts in Missouri with an average margin of victory of 28.3 points. In 2016, Donald Trump (R) won 120 out of 163 state House districts in Missouri with an average margin of victory of 39.8 points. Trump won four districts controlled by Democrats heading into the 2018 elections.

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See also

Missouri Judicial Selection More Courts
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External links

Footnotes