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Thomas Gilligan
Thomas Gilligan is a judge for Position 21 of the Minnesota Second Judicial District. His current term ends on January 1, 2029.
Gilligan ran for re-election for the Position 21 judge of the Minnesota Second Judicial District. He won in the general election on November 8, 2022.
Gilligan was appointed by Democratic Governor Mark Dayton on September 2, 2014. He ran unopposed for election in 2016.[1]
Biography
Gilligan received a bachelor's degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a J.D. from the William Mitchell College of Law. His professional experience includes working as a trial lawyer at Murnane Brandt, a guardian ad litem in Ramsey County, and as an adjunct professor at the University of St. Thomas Law School.[2]
Elections
2022
See also: Municipal elections in Ramsey County, Minnesota (2022)
General election
General election for Minnesota 2nd District Court Position 21
Incumbent Thomas Gilligan won election in the general election for Minnesota 2nd District Court Position 21 on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Thomas Gilligan (Nonpartisan) | 98.6 | 87,764 |
| Other/Write-in votes | 1.4 | 1,227 | ||
| Total votes: 88,991 | |||
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2016
Minnesota held general elections for local judicial offices on November 8, 2016. A primary election occurred on August 9, 2016. The filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was May 31, 2016.[3] Thomas Gilligan ran unopposed in the Minnesota 2nd District, Position 21 general election.[1]
| Minnesota 2nd District, Position 21, General Election, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Thomas Gilligan (unopposed) |
100.00% | 129,181 |
| Total Votes | 129,181 | |
| Source: Minnesota Secretary of State, "Unofficial Results Tuesday, November 8, 2016: Results for All Judicial Races," accessed November 9, 2016 | ||
Selection method
- See also: Nonpartisan election of judges
Judges of the Minnesota District Courts are all chosen in nonpartisan elections to serve six-year terms. Candidates compete in primaries, from which the top two contestants advance to the general election. Sitting judges must run for re-election if they wish to serve additional terms. While party affiliation is not designated on the ballot, incumbency is. Sitting judges who reach the age of 70 while in office are allowed to serve until the last day of their birthday month.[4]
The chief judge of each district court is selected by peer vote for a two-year term.[4]
Judges of all courts are required to be "learned in the law" and under 70 years old.[4][5]
Campaign themes
2022
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Thomas Gilligan did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.
Noteworthy cases
Free Minnesota Small Business Coalition v. Walz (2020)
Free Minnesota Small Business Coalition v. Walz: On September 1, 2020, Judge Thomas Gilligan, of Minnesota’s Ramsey County District Court, dismissed a lawsuit filed by thirteen Republican lawmakers and a group of small businesses, challenging Governor Tim Walz’s (D) COVID-19-related executive orders. In their complaint, the plaintiffs alleged that the orders were legislative actions, which cannot be delegated to the governor according to the nondelegation doctrine of the Minnesota Constitution. The plaintiffs further alleged that Walz exceeded his statutory authority under the Minnesota Emergency Management Act, arguing that public health is not a permissible rationale for invoking emergency powers. Lastly, the plaintiffs argued that Walz’s orders violated the guarantee of equal protection by arbitrarily treating similarly situated businesses differently. Gilligan dismissed the claim, writing, "[The] Governor has acted pursuant to the authority delegated to him by the Legislature. ... [The] COVID-19 pandemic constitutes an act of nature that provides the Governor with the basis to declare a peacetime state of emergency in Minnesota." Gilligan added that subjecting the governor’s emergency actions to "a notice and comment period, public hearings, and review by an administrative law judge" would be "cumbersome and unreasonable." In an announcement, the lead plaintiffs said they "will continue the fight, by all means necessary to restore the voice and will of the People, through their representatives in the legislature, to decision-making in state government." They also set up a donation campaign with the aim of funding an appeal. Walz had not commented publicly on the suit, as of September 3, 2020.[6][7][8]
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms 'Thomas Gilligan' Minnesota judge. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
2022 Elections
External links
|
Candidate Minnesota 2nd District Court Position 21 |
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Minnesota Secretary of State, "2016 State General Election Candidate Filings: Judicial Offices," accessed June 1, 2016
- ↑ Minnesota Judicial Branch, "Judge Thomas A. Gilligan, Jr.," accessed June 6, 2016
- ↑ Minnesota Secretary of State, "2016 Election Dates," accessed December 7, 2015
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Minnesota," archived October 2, 2014
- ↑ Office of the Revisor of Statutes, "2006 Minnesota Statutes," accessed July 30, 2014
- ↑ Free Minnesota Small Business Coalition v. Walz: Order and Memorandum," September 1, 2020
- ↑ Free Minnesota Small Business Coalition v. Walz: Draft Petition," May 28, 2020
- ↑ Free Minnesota Coalition, "Dayton-Appointed Judge Rules Walz may Continue Dictatorship in Perpetuity," September 1, 2020
Federal courts:
Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: District of Minnesota • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: District of Minnesota
State courts:
Minnesota Supreme Court • Minnesota Court of Appeals • Minnesota District Courts • Minnesota Problem-Solving Courts • Minnesota Tax Court • Minnesota Workers' Compensation Court of Appeals
State resources:
Courts in Minnesota • Minnesota judicial elections • Judicial selection in Minnesota
