Wyoming Supreme Court elections, 2016

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2016 State
Judicial Elections
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Part 1: Overview
Part 2: Supreme Courts
Part 3: Partisanship
Part 4: Changes in 2016

Three seats on the Wyoming Supreme Court were up for retention elections on November 8, 2016. Justice William U. Hill, appointed 1998, Justice Kate M. Fox, appointed 2013, and Justice Keith Kautz, appointed 2015, faced retention elections. If retained, a supreme court justice serves an eight-year term.

Justices who faced retention

Kate M. Fox Green check mark transparent.png
William U. Hill Green check mark transparent.png
Keith G. Kautz Green check mark transparent.png

Election results

November 8 general election

Kate M. Fox was retained in the Wyoming Supreme Court. She won election with 76.32% of the vote.

Wyoming Supreme Court, Fox's Seat, 2016
Name Yes votes
Green check mark transparent.pngKate M. Fox76.32%
Source: Wyoming Secretary of State Official Results

William U. Hill (Wyoming) was retained in the Wyoming Supreme Court. He won election with 76.24% of the vote.

Wyoming Supreme Court, Hill's Seat, 2016
Name Yes votes
Green check mark transparent.pngWilliam U. Hill (Wyoming)76.24%
Source: Wyoming Secretary of State Official Results

Keith G. Kautz was retained in the Wyoming Supreme Court. He won election with 76.56% of the vote.

Wyoming Supreme Court, Kautz's Seat, 2016
Name Yes votes
Green check mark transparent.pngKeith G. Kautz76.56%
Source: Wyoming Secretary of State Official Results

Political composition

Justices on the Wyoming Supreme Court are nonpartisan and appointed to their seats. Justice James Burke is the only sitting justice appointed by a Democratic governor. Burke was appointed by Gov. Dave Freudenthal (D) in 2005.

Chief Justice E. James Burke Appointed by Dave Freudenthal (D) in 2005
William U. Hill Appointed by Jim Geringer (R) in 1988
Michael K. Davis Appointed by Matt Mead (R) in 2012
Kate M. Fox Appointed by Matt Mead (R) in 2013
Keith G. Kautz Appointed by Matt Mead (R) in 2015

Selection

See also: Judicial selection in Wyoming

Judicial selection

Wyoming judicial elections consist solely of retention elections. In these elections, judges do not compete against another candidate, but voters are given a "yes" or "no" choice whether to keep the justice in office for another term. Candidates must win a majority of the vote for retention.[1]

Qualifications

Requirements for service as a justice on the court are laid out in Article 5 of the Wyoming Constitution and include:

  • U.S. citizenship
  • Wyoming resident for at least 3 years
  • Nine years of legal experience
  • Minimum age of 30
  • The mandatory retirement age is 70

State profile

Demographic data for Wyoming
 WyomingU.S.
Total population:586,555316,515,021
Land area (sq mi):97,0933,531,905
Race and ethnicity**
White:91%73.6%
Black/African American:1.1%12.6%
Asian:0.9%5.1%
Native American:2.2%0.8%
Pacific Islander:0.1%0.2%
Two or more:2.7%3%
Hispanic/Latino:9.6%17.1%
Education
High school graduation rate:92.3%86.7%
College graduation rate:25.7%29.8%
Income
Median household income:$58,840$53,889
Persons below poverty level:12.7%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 Wyoming.
**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 Wyoming

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


More Wyoming coverage on Ballotpedia

Recent news

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See also

Wyoming Judicial Selection More Courts
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External links

Footnotes