Alabama Supreme Court elections, 2018: Difference between revisions
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{{Alelecbanner18}}{{SCP court dates 2018|State=Alabama}}{{2018 SCP VNT}} | {{Alelecbanner18}}{{SCP court dates 2018|State=Alabama}}{{2018 SCP VNT}}<br> | ||
{{AL runoff grey voter box 2018}} | {{AL runoff grey voter box 2018}} | ||
The terms of five [[Alabama Supreme Court]] justices, including the chief justice, {{Greener|start=1/13/2019 11am EST|before=will expire|after=expired}} on January 13, 2019. [[Partisan election of judges|Partisan elections]] {{Greener|start=11/6/2018 9pm EST|before=will be|after=were}} held for each of the five spots on the court on November 6, 2018. | |||
Associate Justice [[Tom Parker (Alabama)|Tom Parker]] (R) defeated [[Robert S. Vance|Bob Vance]] (D) in the chief justice race. | |||
As of the 2018 election, a Democrat {{Greener|start=11/6/2018 9pm EST|before=hasn't|after=hadn't}} sat on the Alabama Supreme Court since 2011. [[Sue Bell Cobb]] (D) resigned as chief justice that year after serving since 2007. She was the only Democrat on the court at the time of her resignation.<ref>[https://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2018/05/former_chief_justice_sue_bell.html ''AL.com'', "Former Chief Justice Sue Bell Cobb runs with passion for reform," May 10, 2018]</ref><ref>[https://www.enewscourier.com/news/local_news/alabama-supreme-court-chief-justice-resigning-aug/article_6e450078-d385-505b-92c0-7823a3389d8d.html%20https://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2018/05/former_chief_justice_sue_bell.html ''Associated Press'', "Alabama Supreme Court chief justice resigning Aug. 1," June 29, 2011]</ref> | |||
In the [[Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice election, 2018 (June 5 Republican primary)|Republican primary]] for chief justice on June 5, Parker defeated incumbent [[Lyn Stuart]] {{redR}}. Stuart had been named acting judge after [[Roy Moore]]'s [[Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore suspension, 2016|suspension]] in 2016. Moore was suspended after directing lower court judges to decline to issue same-sex marriage licenses despite the [[U.S. Supreme Court]]'s ruling in ''[[Obergefell v. Hodges]]''. Parker was described as "a long-time ally of Roy Moore" by the Associated Press. He {{Greener|start=11/6/2018 10pm EST|before=has|after=}} highlighted his social conservatism and his conflicts with groups including the Southern Poverty Law Center. Parker was first elected to the court as a justice in 2004. | |||
[[Robert S. Vance|Bob Vance]], the Democratic candidate, ran against Moore in [[Alabama judicial elections, 2012|2012]] and lost by 3.6 percentage points. In 2018, Vance had a fundraising advantage over Parker through October 19, having raised $1 million to Parker's $714,000.<ref>https://birminghamwatch.org/parkers-fundraising-picks-vance-still-leads-contributions-chief-justice-race/ ''Birmingham Watch'', "Parker’s Fundraising Picks up, but Vance Still Leads in Contributions for the Chief Justice Race," October 23, 2018]</ref> | |||
Candidates for places 1, 2, and 3 on the court {{Greener|start=11/6/2018 10pm EST|before=are|after=were}} unopposed in the general election. The place 4 election {{Greener|start=11/6/2018 10pm EST|before=is|after=was}} contested, and [[Jay Mitchell]] (R) defeated [[Donna Wesson Smalley]] (D). | |||
{{Greener|start=6/8/2018 10:00pm CDT|before={{bluedot}} '''For more information about the state's Democratic primaries, [[Democratic Party primaries in Alabama, 2018|click here]].'''<br> | {{Greener|start=6/8/2018 10:00pm CDT|before={{bluedot}} '''For more information about the state's Democratic primaries, [[Democratic Party primaries in Alabama, 2018|click here]].'''<br> | ||
{{reddot}} '''For more information about the state's Republican primaries, [[Republican Party primaries in Alabama, 2018|click here]].'''|after=}} | {{reddot}} '''For more information about the state's Republican primaries, [[Republican Party primaries in Alabama, 2018|click here]].'''|after=}} | ||
==Candidates== | ==Candidates== | ||
===Chief justice=== | ===Chief justice=== | ||
===General election=== | ===General election=== | ||
{ | <APIWidget where='races.id=21038' template='VoteBox' extra_params='{"type":"general","subtype":"all"}' /> | ||
====Primary election==== | ====Primary election==== | ||
{{RedBlock}} [[Lyn Stuart|Chief Justice Lyn Stuart]] (i)<br> | {{RedBlock}} [[Lyn Stuart|Chief Justice Lyn Stuart]] (i)<br> | ||
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===Place 1=== | ===Place 1=== | ||
===General election=== | ===General election=== | ||
{ | <APIWidget where='races.id=18373' template='VoteBox' extra_params='{"type":"general","subtype":"all"}' /> | ||
===Runoff=== | ===Runoff=== | ||
{{RedBlock}} [[Brad Mendheim]] (i)<br> | {{RedBlock}} [[Brad Mendheim]] (i)<br> | ||
{{RedBlock}} [[Sarah Stewart]] {{approved}} | {{RedBlock}} [[Sarah Stewart (Alabama)|Sarah Stewart]] {{approved}} | ||
====Primary election==== | ====Primary election==== | ||
{{RedBlock}} [[Brad Mendheim]] (i) {{ROA}}<br> | {{RedBlock}} [[Brad Mendheim]] (i) {{ROA}}<br> | ||
{{RedBlock}} [[Debra H. Jones]]<br> | {{RedBlock}} [[Debra H. Jones]]<br> | ||
{{RedBlock}} [[Sarah Stewart]] {{ROA}} | {{RedBlock}} [[Sarah Stewart (Alabama)|Sarah Stewart]] {{ROA}} | ||
===Place 2=== | ===Place 2=== | ||
===General election=== | ===General election=== | ||
{ | <APIWidget where='races.id=18280' template='VoteBox' extra_params='{"type":"general","subtype":"all"}' /> | ||
====Primary election==== | ====Primary election==== | ||
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===Place 3=== | ===Place 3=== | ||
===General election=== | ===General election=== | ||
{ | <APIWidget where='races.id=18751' template='VoteBox' extra_params='{"type":"general","subtype":"all"}' /> | ||
====Primary election==== | ====Primary election==== | ||
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===Place 4=== | ===Place 4=== | ||
===General election=== | ===General election=== | ||
{ | <APIWidget where='races.id=18175' template='VoteBox' extra_params='{"type":"general","subtype":"all"}' /> | ||
====Primary election==== | ====Primary election==== | ||
''Note: [[James Allen Main|Justice James Allen Main]] did not file for re-election.''<br> | ''Note: [[James Allen Main|Justice James Allen Main]] did not file for re-election.''<br> | ||
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{{RedBlock}} [[John Bahakel]]<br> | {{RedBlock}} [[John Bahakel]]<br> | ||
{{RedBlock}} [[Jay Mitchell]] {{approved}} | {{RedBlock}} [[Jay Mitchell]] {{approved}} | ||
==Chief justice election== | |||
===Noteworthy endorsements=== | |||
{{NoteworthyEndorsementsExplainer}} | |||
*Chief justice candidate Bob Vance (D) was endorsed by three Republicans who once sat on the court: former Chief Justice [[Drayton Nabers]], former Acting Chief Justice [[Gorman Houston]], and former Associate Justice [[Tom Woodall]].<ref>[https://www.al.com/news/2018/10/bob-vance-endorsed-by-6-former-alabama-supreme-court-justices-3-of-them-republican.html ''AL.com'', 'Bob Vance endorsed by 6 former Alabama Supreme Court justices -- 3 of them Republican," October 22, 2018]</ref> | |||
===Campaign advertisements=== | |||
{{CampaignAdsExplainer}} | |||
===={{bluedot}} Bob Vance==== | |||
Vance released an ad on October 9, 2018. [https://twitter.com/bobvancejr/status/1049833875764068353 '''Click here'''] to view it. | |||
===={{reddot}} Tom Parker==== | |||
{| | |||
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{{youtube|title=LmfTLM5UlBk|size=250|caption="Parker for CJ Radio: Mob Rule" - Parker campaign ad, released October 20, 2018}} | |||
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|} | |||
==About the Alabama Supreme Court== | ==About the Alabama Supreme Court== | ||
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[[category:State supreme court elections, 2018]] | [[category:State supreme court elections, 2018]] | ||
[[category:Alabama elections, 2018]] | [[category:Alabama elections, 2018]] | ||
[[Category:Marquee]] | [[Category:Marquee, completed election, 2018]] | ||
Latest revision as of 21:05, 13 November 2023
- General election: Nov. 6
- Voter registration deadline: Oct. 22
- Early voting: N/A
- Absentee voting deadline: Postmark Nov. 5
- Online registration: Yes
- Same-day registration: No
- Voter ID: Photo ID required
- Poll times: 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
| 2018 election dates | |
|---|---|
| Deadline to file candidacy | |
| February 9, 2018
June 5, 2018 | |
| Primary election | |
| June 5, 2018 | |
| General election | |
| November 6, 2018 | |
| 2018 State Judicial Elections | |
|---|---|
2019 »
« 2017
| |
 | |
| Overview | |
| Supreme Courts Overview | |
| Appellate Courts Overview | |
| View judicial elections by state: | |
The terms of five Alabama Supreme Court justices, including the chief justice, expired on January 13, 2019. Partisan elections were held for each of the five spots on the court on November 6, 2018.
Associate Justice Tom Parker (R) defeated Bob Vance (D) in the chief justice race.
As of the 2018 election, a Democrat hadn't sat on the Alabama Supreme Court since 2011. Sue Bell Cobb (D) resigned as chief justice that year after serving since 2007. She was the only Democrat on the court at the time of her resignation.[1][2]
In the Republican primary for chief justice on June 5, Parker defeated incumbent Lyn Stuart (R). Stuart had been named acting judge after Roy Moore's suspension in 2016. Moore was suspended after directing lower court judges to decline to issue same-sex marriage licenses despite the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges. Parker was described as "a long-time ally of Roy Moore" by the Associated Press. He highlighted his social conservatism and his conflicts with groups including the Southern Poverty Law Center. Parker was first elected to the court as a justice in 2004.
Bob Vance, the Democratic candidate, ran against Moore in 2012 and lost by 3.6 percentage points. In 2018, Vance had a fundraising advantage over Parker through October 19, having raised $1 million to Parker's $714,000.[3]
Candidates for places 1, 2, and 3 on the court were unopposed in the general election. The place 4 election was contested, and Jay Mitchell (R) defeated Donna Wesson Smalley (D).
Candidates
Chief justice
General election
General election
General election for Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Tom Parker (R) | 57.4 | 975,564 |
 | Robert S. Vance (D) | 42.5 | 723,149 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.1 | 1,073 | ||
| Total votes: 1,699,786 (100.00% precincts reporting) | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Primary election
■ Chief Justice Lyn Stuart (i)
■ Robert S. Vance 
■ Tom Parker
Place 1
General election
General election
General election for Alabama Supreme Court
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Sarah Stewart (R) | 96.8 | 1,098,344 |
| Other/Write-in votes | 3.2 | 36,256 | ||
| Total votes: 1,134,600 (100.00% precincts reporting) | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Runoff
■ Brad Mendheim (i)
■ Sarah Stewart
Primary election
■ Brad Mendheim (i) 
■ Debra H. Jones
■ Sarah Stewart
Place 2
General election
General election
General election for Alabama Supreme Court
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Tommy Bryan (R) | 96.9 | 1,088,817 |
| Other/Write-in votes | 3.1 | 35,234 | ||
| Total votes: 1,124,051 (100.00% precincts reporting) | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Primary election
■ Tommy Bryan (i)
Place 3
General election
General election
General election for Alabama Supreme Court
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | William Sellers (R) | 96.9 | 1,086,368 |
| Other/Write-in votes | 3.1 | 34,216 | ||
| Total votes: 1,120,584 (100.00% precincts reporting) | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Primary election
■ William Sellers (i)
Place 4
General election
General election
General election for Alabama Supreme Court
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Jay Mitchell (R) | 60.5 | 1,014,761 |
 | Donna Wesson Smalley (D) | 39.4 | 661,034 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.1 | 1,302 | ||
| Total votes: 1,677,097 (100.00% precincts reporting) | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Primary election
Note: Justice James Allen Main did not file for re-election.
■ Donna Wesson Smalley
■ John Bahakel
■ Jay Mitchell
Chief justice election
Noteworthy endorsements
This section lists noteworthy endorsements issued in this election, including those made by high-profile individuals and organizations, cross-party endorsements, and endorsements made by newspaper editorial boards. It also includes a bulleted list of links to official lists of endorsements for any candidates who published that information on their campaign websites. Please note that this list is not exhaustive. If you are aware of endorsements that should be included, please click here.
- Chief justice candidate Bob Vance (D) was endorsed by three Republicans who once sat on the court: former Chief Justice Drayton Nabers, former Acting Chief Justice Gorman Houston, and former Associate Justice Tom Woodall.[4]
Campaign advertisements
This section shows advertisements released in this race. Ads released by campaigns and, if applicable, satellite groups are embedded or linked below. If you are aware of advertisements that should be included, please email us.
Bob Vance
Vance released an ad on October 9, 2018. Click here to view it.
Tom Parker
|
About the Alabama Supreme Court
- See also: Alabama Supreme Court
The Alabama Supreme Court is composed of nine justices who are elected in state-wide partisan elections. A full term on the court is six years. Judicial elections take place during Alabama'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. Justices on the Alabama Supreme Court are elected to their seats, and replacements are appointed by the governor in the case of midterm vacancies. Justice William Sellers was appointed by Gov. Kay Ivey (R) to fill a vacancy. The remaining eight justices were elected to their current terms.[5]
| ■ Lyn Stuart | Elected in 2000 | |
| ■ Michael Bolin | Elected in 2004 | |
| ■ Tom Parker | Elected in 2004 | |
| ■ Greg Shaw | Elected in 2008 | |
| ■ Kelli Wise | Elected in 2010 | |
| ■ Tommy Bryan | Elected in 2012 | |
| ■ James Allen Main | Appointed by Bob Riley (R) in 2011, elected in 2012 | |
| ■ William Sellers | Appointed by Kay Ivey (R) in 2017 | |
| ■ Brad Mendheim | Appointed by Kay Ivey (R) in 2018 |
Selection
- See also: Partisan election of judges
All justices on the Alabama Supreme Court are elected for six-year terms in partisan elections.[6] The composition of the court consists of eight associate justices and one chief justice. Vacancies, which can occur when a justice dies, resigns, retires, or is removed from office, are filled through appointments by the governor of Alabama. The justice must run for the seat in the general election at least one year after being appointed.[6]
Qualifications
To be considered a candidate for the supreme court, the person must:
- Be licensed to practice law in Alabama.
- Have lived in Alabama for at least one year.
- Be 70 years of age or younger at the time of candidacy.[7]
Selection of the chief justice
The chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court is elected by popular vote.[8]
Pivot Counties
- See also: Pivot Counties by state
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. No counties in Alabama are Pivot Counties.
In the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump (R) won Alabama with 62.1 percent of the vote. Hillary Clinton (D) received 34.4 percent. In presidential elections between 1900 and 2016, Alabama voted Democratic 53.33 percent of the time and Republican 40 percent of the time. In the five presidential elections between 2000 and 2016, Alabama voted Republican all five times.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ AL.com, "Former Chief Justice Sue Bell Cobb runs with passion for reform," May 10, 2018
- ↑ Associated Press, "Alabama Supreme Court chief justice resigning Aug. 1," June 29, 2011
- ↑ https://birminghamwatch.org/parkers-fundraising-picks-vance-still-leads-contributions-chief-justice-race/ Birmingham Watch, "Parker’s Fundraising Picks up, but Vance Still Leads in Contributions for the Chief Justice Race," October 23, 2018]
- ↑ AL.com, 'Bob Vance endorsed by 6 former Alabama Supreme Court justices -- 3 of them Republican," October 22, 2018
- ↑ Chief Justice Lyn Stuart was elected as an Associate Justice. Stuart was appointed Chief Justice by Gov. Kay Ivey on April 26, 2017, to fill a vacancy.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Alabama Unified Judicial System, "Qualifications of Judges," accessed July 30, 2014
- ↑ Alabama Unified Judicial System, "Alabama Appellate Courts," accessed July 30, 2014
- ↑ American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Alabama," archived October 2, 2014
Federal courts:
Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Northern District of Alabama, Middle District of Alabama, Southern District of Alabama • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Northern District of Alabama, Middle District of Alabama, Southern District of Alabama
State courts:
Alabama Supreme Court • Alabama Court of Civil Appeals • Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals • Alabama Circuit Courts • Alabama District Courts • Alabama Juvenile Courts • Alabama Municipal Courts • Alabama Probate Courts • Alabama Small Claims Courts
State resources:
Courts in Alabama • Alabama judicial elections • Judicial selection in Alabama
