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Iowa Supreme Court elections: Difference between revisions

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(Created page with "There are '''seven justices''' on the Iowa Supreme Court. For more information about these elections, visit the Iowa judicial elections page. ==Judicial selection== {{trim|{{#section-h:Iowa Supreme Court|Judicial selection}}}} ==Elections== =2024= :''See also: Iowa Supreme Court elections, 2024'' === David May's seat=== <APIWidget where='races.id=70320' template='ElectionSection' extra_params='{"type":"all"}' /> =2022= ::''See also: Iowa Supreme Court el...")
 
(Replaced content with "There are '''seven justices''' on the Iowa Supreme Court. For more information about these elections, visit the Iowa judicial elections page. ==Judicial selection== {{trim|{{#section-h:Iowa Supreme Court|Judicial selection}}}} ==Elections== {{#section:Iowa Supreme Court|ElectionSection}} ==See also== {{SCP See Also|State=Iowa}} ==Footnotes== {{reflist|2}} {{Iowa courts}} category:Historical state supreme court elections category:Iowa judicial elect...")
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==Elections==
==Elections==
=2024=
{{#section:Iowa Supreme Court|ElectionSection}}
:''See also: [[Iowa Supreme Court elections, 2024]]''
=== David May's seat===
<APIWidget where='races.id=70320' template='ElectionSection' extra_params='{"type":"all"}' />
 
=2022=
::''See also: [[Iowa Supreme Court elections, 2022]]''
{{IA SSC 2022}}
 
=2020=
::''See also: [[Iowa Supreme Court elections, 2020]]''
{{IA SSC 2020}}
 
=2016=
::''See also: [[Iowa Supreme Court elections, 2016]]''
{{IA SSC 2016}}
 
=2012=
::''See also: [[Iowa judicial elections, 2012]]''
Justices [[David Wiggins]], [[Edward Mansfield]], [[Bruce B. Zager]], and [[Thomas Waterman]] were all up for retention in 2012; all were retained.<ref>[https://sos.iowa.gov/elections/pdf/2012/general/canvsummary.pdf ''Iowa Secretary of State'', "2012 GENERAL ELECTION CANVASS SUMMARY," accessed September 20, 2021]</ref> Wiggins had previously been retained; Mansfield, Zager, and Waterman were up for retention for the first time.
<table width="600px" class="sortable" style="text-align:center;"><tr bgcolor="#2c5285" style="color:white;"><th>Candidate</th><th>Incumbent</th><th>Retention vote:</th><th>Retention Vote %</th></tr><tr><td align="left"><span style="display:none;">Zager</span>[[Bruce B. Zager|Bruce B. Zager]]&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<html><a href="/File:Yes_check.svg" class="image" title="Approved"><img alt="Approved" src="https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/f/fb/Yes_check.svg/18px-Yes_check.svg.png" width="18" height="18" /></a><span style="display:none;">A</span></html></td><td>Yes</td><td>829,934</td><td>74.1%<html><a href="/File:Yes_check.svg" class="image" title="Approved"><img alt="Approved" src="https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/f/fb/Yes_check.svg/18px-Yes_check.svg.png" width="18" height="18" /></a><span style="display:none;">A</span></html></td></tr><tr><td align="left"><span style="display:none;">Wiggins</span>[[David Wiggins|David Wiggins]]&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<html><a href="/File:Yes_check.svg" class="image" title="Approved"><img alt="Approved" src="https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/f/fb/Yes_check.svg/18px-Yes_check.svg.png" width="18" height="18" /></a><span style="display:none;">A</span></html></td><td>Yes</td><td>680,284</td><td>54.5%<html><a href="/File:Yes_check.svg" class="image" title="Approved"><img alt="Approved" src="https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/f/fb/Yes_check.svg/18px-Yes_check.svg.png" width="18" height="18" /></a><span style="display:none;">A</span></html></td></tr><tr><td align="left"><span style="display:none;">Mansfield</span>[[Edward Mansfield|Edward Mansfield]]&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<html><a href="/File:Yes_check.svg" class="image" title="Approved"><img alt="Approved" src="https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/f/fb/Yes_check.svg/18px-Yes_check.svg.png" width="18" height="18" /></a><span style="display:none;">A</span></html></td><td>Yes</td><td>839,157</td><td>74.3%<html><a href="/File:Yes_check.svg" class="image" title="Approved"><img alt="Approved" src="https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/f/fb/Yes_check.svg/18px-Yes_check.svg.png" width="18" height="18" /></a><span style="display:none;">A</span></html></td></tr><tr><td align="left"><span style="display:none;">Waterman</span>[[Thomas Waterman|Thomas Waterman]]&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<html><a href="/File:Yes_check.svg" class="image" title="Approved"><img alt="Approved" src="https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/f/fb/Yes_check.svg/18px-Yes_check.svg.png" width="18" height="18" /></a><span style="display:none;">A</span></html></td><td>Yes</td><td>846,993</td><td>74.8%<html><a href="/File:Yes_check.svg" class="image" title="Approved"><img alt="Approved" src="https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/f/fb/Yes_check.svg/18px-Yes_check.svg.png" width="18" height="18" /></a><span style="display:none;">A</span></html></td></tr></table>
[[Category:2012 elections (judicial)]]
 
=2010=
::''See also: [[2010 State Supreme Court elections]]''
 
Justices {{BP|David Baker}}, [[Marsha Ternus]], and [[Michael Streit]] were all up for retention in 2010; all were defeated. Percentages in the below tables indicate the percentages against retention.<ref>[https://sos.iowa.gov/elections/pdf/2010/gensummaryorr.pdf ''Iowa Secretary of State'', "Official Results Report, 2010 General Election held Tuesday, November 2nd 2010," accessed September 20, 2021]</ref>
 
{{Electionbox |
  office = Iowa Supreme Court <br> 2010 General election results
}}
|-
| colspan="2" |  '''David Baker''' {{defeated (judicial)}}
| align="right" | '''n/a'''
| align="center" | '''54.14%'''
|-
|}
 
{{Electionbox |
  office = Iowa Supreme Court <br> 2010 General election results
}}
|-
| colspan="2" |  '''Marsha Ternus''' {{defeated (judicial)}}
| align="right" | '''n/a'''
| align="center" | '''54.98%'''
|-
|}
 
{{Electionbox |
  office = Iowa Supreme Court <br> 2010 General election results
}}
|-
| colspan="2" |  '''Michael Streit''' {{defeated (judicial)}}
| align="right" | '''n/a'''
| align="center" | '''54.38%'''
|-
|}
 
=2008=
::''See also: [[State Supreme Court elections, 2008]]''
 
Justices [[Mark S. Cady]], [[Daryl L. Hecht]], and [[Brent R. Appel]] were up for retention in 2008; all were retained.<ref>[https://sos.iowa.gov/elections/pdf/2008/OfficialCanvass2008General.pdf ''Iowa Secretary of State'', "State of Iowa Official Canvass Summary, November 4, 2008 General Election," accessed September 20, 2021]</ref>
 
<headertabs/>


==See also==
==See also==

Latest revision as of 22:20, 11 December 2025

There are seven justices on the Iowa Supreme Court. For more information about these elections, visit the Iowa judicial elections page.

Judicial selection

See also: Judicial selection in Iowa

The seven justices on the Iowa Supreme Court are selected through the assisted appointment method. When a vacancy occurs on the supreme court, the State Judicial Nominating Commission submits a list of three potential nominees to the governor, who appoints one to serve as a judge. The commission consists of 17 members—nine appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Iowa State Senate and eight (two from each congressional district) elected by lawyers.[1]

Iowa law states that no more than a simple majority of the state nominating commission may be of the same gender.[2]

Newly appointed judges serve for one year after their appointment. They must then compete in a yes-no retention election (occurring during the regularly scheduled general election) if they wish to remain on the court. They then serve eight-year terms.[3]

Qualifications

To serve on this court, a judge must be:[3]

  • licensed to practice law in the state;
  • a member of the Iowa bar;
  • a resident of the state, district, or county to which they are appointed; and
  • under the age of 72.

Note: Retirement at 72 is mandatory, though older judges may apply to become a senior judge. Senior judges must work a minimum of 13 weeks a year and are to receive a monthly retirement annuity and an annual stipend. They must retire at age 78 (or 80, if reappointed by the supreme court for additional one-year terms).[4]

Chief justice

The chief justice of the supreme court is elected by peer vote and serves a two-year term.[3]

Vacancies

See also: How vacancies are filled in state supreme courts

If a midterm vacancy occurs on the court, the seat is filled as it normally would be if the vacancy occurred at the end of a judge's term. A judicial nominating commission recommends qualified candidates to the governor and the governor selects a successor from that list. The new appointee serves for at least one year and then stands for retention.[1]

The map below highlights how vacancies are filled in state supreme courts across the country.

Elections

See also: Iowa Supreme Court elections, 2030

Matthew McDermott's seat


There are no official candidates yet for this election.


Dana Oxley's seat


There are no official candidates yet for this election.


See also: Iowa Supreme Court elections, 2028

Thomas Waterman's seat


There are no official candidates yet for this election.


Susan Christensen's seat


There are no official candidates yet for this election.


Christopher McDonald's seat


There are no official candidates yet for this election.


Edward Mansfield's seat


There are no official candidates yet for this election.


See also: Iowa Supreme Court elections, 2024

Iowa Supreme Court

David May was retained to the Iowa Supreme Court on November 5, 2024 with 63.3% of the vote.

Retention Vote
%
Votes
✔ Yes
 
63.3
 
776,472
No
 
36.7
 
450,373
Total Votes 1,226,845

The results have been certified. Source

See also: Iowa Supreme Court elections, 2022

McDermott's seat

Iowa Supreme Court

Matthew McDermott was retained to the Iowa Supreme Court on November 8, 2022 with 67.5% of the vote.

Retention Vote
%
Votes
✔ Yes
 
67.5
 
605,391
No
 
32.5
 
291,264
Total Votes 896,655

The results have been certified. Source

Oxley's seat

Iowa Supreme Court

Dana Oxley was retained to the Iowa Supreme Court on November 8, 2022 with 67.0% of the vote.

Retention Vote
%
Votes
✔ Yes
 
67.0
 
591,837
No
 
33.0
 
291,799
Total Votes 883,636

The results have been certified. Source

See also: Iowa Supreme Court elections, 2020

Edward Mansfield's seat

Iowa Supreme Court

Edward Mansfield was retained to the Iowa Supreme Court on November 3, 2020 with 69.2% of the vote.

Retention Vote
%
Votes
✔ Yes
 
69.2
 
802,356
No
 
30.8
 
356,374
Total Votes 1,158,730

The results have been certified. Source

Thomas Waterman's seat

Iowa Supreme Court

Thomas Waterman was retained to the Iowa Supreme Court on November 3, 2020 with 69.9% of the vote.

Retention Vote
%
Votes
✔ Yes
 
69.9
 
809,058
No
 
30.1
 
348,665
Total Votes 1,157,723

The results have been certified. Source

Christopher McDonald's seat

Iowa Supreme Court

Christopher McDonald was retained to the Iowa Supreme Court on November 3, 2020 with 71.3% of the vote.

Retention Vote
%
Votes
✔ Yes
 
71.3
 
825,661
No
 
28.7
 
332,499
Total Votes 1,158,160

The results have been certified. Source

Susan Christensen's seat

Iowa Supreme Court

Susan Christensen was retained to the Iowa Supreme Court on November 3, 2020 with 73.0% of the vote.

Retention Vote
%
Votes
✔ Yes
 
73.0
 
859,886
No
 
27.0
 
317,598
Total Votes 1,177,484

The results have been certified. Source
Previous election results


See also

Iowa Judicial Selection More Courts
Seal of Iowa.png
Judicialselectionlogo.png
BP logo.png
Courts in Iowa
Iowa Court of Appeals
Iowa Supreme Court
Elections: 2025 • 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017
Gubernatorial appointments
Judicial selection in Iowa
Federal courts
State courts
Local courts

Footnotes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Iowa Judicial Nominating Commissions, "State Judicial Nominating Commission," accessed September 13, 2021
  2. ↑ Iowa Legislature, "CHAPTER 46, 46.1 and 46.2," accessed September 13, 2021
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 National Center for State Courts, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Iowa," September 13, 2021
  4. ↑ Iowa Legislature, "Judicial Retirement System," updated September 2015
  5. ↑ Iowa Secretary of State, "2012 GENERAL ELECTION CANVASS SUMMARY," accessed September 20, 2021
  6. ↑ Iowa Secretary of State, "Official Results Report, 2010 General Election held Tuesday, November 2nd 2010," accessed September 20, 2021
  7. ↑ Iowa Secretary of State, "State of Iowa Official Canvass Summary, November 4, 2008 General Election," accessed September 20, 2021

Iowa courts

Federal courts:

Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Northern District of Iowa, Southern District of Iowa • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Northern District of Iowa, Southern District of Iowa

State courts:

Iowa Supreme Court • Iowa Court of Appeals • Iowa district courts

State resources:

Courts in Iowa • Iowa judicial elections • Judicial selection in Iowa

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