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Rachael Johnson
2023 - Present
2032
2
Rachael Johnson (Democratic Party) is a judge for the 1st District of the Louisiana 4th Circuit Court of Appeal. She assumed office on January 1, 2023. Her current term ends on December 31, 2032.
Johnson (Democratic Party) won election for the 1st District judge of the Louisiana 4th Circuit Court of Appeal outright in the primary on November 8, 2022, after the primary and general election were canceled.
Biography
Johnson earned a B.A. in psychology from Spelman College, an M.S.W. from Smith College, and a J.D. from Tulane University. She also graduated from the Loyola Institute of Politics.[1]
At the time of her run for office in 2017, Johnson was a senior staff attorney for Hartford Insurance. Her professional experience also includes work as an intern for Civil District Court Clerk Dale Atkins and a clerk for Civil District Court Judge Nadine Ramsey. Johnson has served as a member of the Louisiana State Bar Board of Governors, president of the Greater New Orleans Louis A. Martinet Society, a member of the boards of the New Orleans Bar Association and the Pro Bono Project, and vice president of the New Orleans chapter of the National Alumnae Association of Spelman College.[1]
Elections
2022
See also: Louisiana intermediate appellate court elections, 2022
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
The primary election was canceled. Rachael Johnson (D) won the election without appearing on the ballot.
2020
See also: City elections in New Orleans, Louisiana (2020)
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
The primary election was canceled. Rachael Johnson (D) won the election without appearing on the ballot.
2017
Louisiana had partisan elections for local judicial offices in 2017. A primary election was held on October 14, 2017, and a general election was held on November 18, 2017. Primary and general elections were also held on March 25, 2017, and April 29, 2017, respectively.
The candidate filing deadline for the spring elections was January 13, 2017, and the deadline for the fall elections was July 14, 2017. In Louisiana, judicial candidates who are unopposed as of the end of the candidate filing period are automatically declared elected, and their names do not appear on the ballot.[2][3] Rachael Johnson (D) defeated Suzanne Montero (D) in the general election for the Division B seat on the Orleans Parish Civil District Court.[4]
| Orleans Parish Civil District Court, Division B, General Election, 2017 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic |  Rachael Johnson |
53.58% | 16,334 | |
| Democratic | Suzanne Montero | 46.42% | 14,153 | |
| Total Votes | 30,487 | |||
| Source: Louisiana Secretary of State, "Official Results," accessed May 10, 2017 | ||||
The following candidates ran in the primary election for the Division B seat on the Orleans Parish Civil District Court.[5]
| Orleans Parish Civil District Court, Division B, Primary Election, 2017 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Suzanne Montero | 45.49% | 12,167 | |
| Democratic | Rachael Johnson | 43.23% | 11,562 | |
| Democratic | Marie Williams | 11.28% | 3,018 | |
| Total Votes | 26,747 | |||
| Source: Louisiana Secretary of State, "Official Results," accessed April 29, 2017 | ||||
Selection method
- See also: Partisan election of judges
There are 217 judges on the Louisiana District Courts, each elected to six-year terms. They must face re-election if they wish to serve again.[6]
The district courts select chief judges by peer vote (with term lengths that vary by individual court).[6]
Qualifications
To serve on this court, a judge must be:[6][7]
- licensed to practice law in the state for at least eight years;
- a resident of the district represented for at least one year; and
- under the age of 70 at the time of election (judges who turn 70 in office may serve until their term expires)
Campaign themes
2022
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Rachael Johnson did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.
2020
Rachael Johnson did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.
Endorsements
2017
Johnson received endorsements from the following in 2017:[8]
- Louisiana state Sen. Wesley Bishop
- Louisiana state Sen. Troy Carter
- Louisiana state Sen. J.P. Morrell
- Louisiana state Rep. John Bagneris
- Louisiana state Rep. Chris Leopold
- Louisiana state Rep. Joseph Bouie
- Louisiana state Rep. Neil Abramson
- Louisiana state Rep. Jimmy Harris
- Louisiana state Rep. Cameron Henry
- Louisiana state Rep. Ted James
- Louisiana state Rep. Kirk Talbot
- Louisiana state Rep. Gary Carter Jr.
- Jefferson Parish Councilman Mark Spears
- New Orleans City Councilman Jared Brossett
- New Orleans City Councilman Jason Williams
- New Orleans City Councilwoman Nadine Ramsey
- AFL-CIO[1]
See also
2022 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 The New Orleans Agenda, "Rachael Johnson, Candidate for Civil District Court, Receives AFL-CIO Endorsement," January 26, 2017
- ↑ Louisiana State Legislature, "RS 18:511, Subpart F: Election of Candidates," accessed March 23, 2017
- ↑ Louisiana Secretary of State, "2017 Elections," accessed February 1, 2017
- ↑ Louisiana Secretary of State, "Candidate Inquiry," accessed February 1, 2017
- ↑ Louisiana Secretary of State, "Candidate Inquiry," accessed February 1, 2017
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Louisiana; Selection of Judges," archived October 2, 2014
- ↑ NOLA.com, "Lawmakers fail to pass amendment eliminating mandatory retirement age of judges," June 3, 2013
- ↑ Rachael John for Civil District Court Judge, "Endorsements," accessed February 27, 2017
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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
