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Arizona Supreme Court elections, 2018
- General election: Nov. 6
- Voter registration deadline: Oct. 9
- Early voting: Oct. 10 - Nov. 2
- Absentee voting deadline: Postmark Nov. 6
- Online registration: Yes
- Same-day registration: No
- Voter ID: Non-photo ID
- Poll times: 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
| 2018 election dates | |
|---|---|
| Deadline to file candidacy | |
| May 30, 2018 | |
| General election | |
| November 6, 2018 | |
| 2018 State Judicial Elections | |
|---|---|
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| Overview | |
| Supreme Courts Overview | |
| Appellate Courts Overview | |
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The terms of Arizona Supreme Court Justices Clint Bolick and John Pelander expired in January 2019. Both were retained by voters on November 6, 2018, remaining on the bench for full six-year terms.
Members of a group called Save Our Schools (SOS) sought to remove both Bolick and Pelander after the Arizona Supreme Court ruled to take an initiative off the November 2018 ballot that would have increased state income taxes on Arizona residents making more than $250,000 in a year, with the money going toward education.[1]
The retention election was held in the wake of the first statewide teacher strike in April 2018 after teachers protested throughout the month at schools and the state capitol for higher pay and education funding. The strike lasted six days, ending after Gov. Doug Ducey (R) signed an education bill raising teacher pay by 20 percent by 2020 and allocating $371 million to restore recession-era cuts over five years.
Justice John Pelander was appointed to the court in 2009 by Republican Governor Jan Brewer. Justice Clint Bolick was appointed to the court in 2016 by Republican Governor Doug Ducey.
Candidates and results
Pelander's seat
Arizona Supreme Court
John Pelander was retained to the Arizona Supreme Court on November 6, 2018 with 71.8% of the vote.
Retention Vote |
% |
Votes |
|||
| ✔ | Yes |
71.8
|
1,188,576 | ||
No |
28.2
|
467,934 | |||
Total Votes |
1,656,510 | ||||
|
|
Bolick's seat
Arizona Supreme Court
Clint Bolick was retained to the Arizona Supreme Court on November 6, 2018 with 70.0% of the vote.
Retention Vote |
% |
Votes |
|||
| ✔ | Yes |
70.0
|
1,187,184 | ||
No |
30.0
|
507,800 | |||
Total Votes |
1,694,984 | ||||
|
|
About the Arizona Supreme Court
- See also: Arizona Supreme Court
The Arizona Supreme Court is composed of seven justices who are appointed by the governor and then must stand for retention by voters thereafter. A full term on the court is six years.
Political composition
This is the political composition of the supreme court heading into the 2018 election. Justices on the Arizona Supreme Court are appointed to their seats. Six of the seven justices were appointed by Republican governors: Ann Timmer, John Pelander, Robert Brutinel, Andrew W. Gould, John Lopez IV, and Clint Bolick. Chief Justice Scott Bales was appointed by Democratic Governor Gov. Janet Napolitano.
| ■ Chief Justice Scott Bales | Appointed by Janet Napolitano (D) in 2005 | |
| ■ Clint Bolick | Appointed by Doug Ducey (R) in 2016 | |
| ■ Robert Brutinel | Appointed by Jan Brewer (R) in 2010 | |
| ■ John Pelander | Appointed by Jan Brewer (R) in 2009 | |
| ■ Ann Timmer | Appointed by Jan Brewer (R) in 2012 | |
| ■ Andrew W. Gould | Appointed by Doug Ducey (R) in 2017 | |
| ■ John Lopez IV | Appointed by Doug Ducey (R) in 2017 |
Selection
There are seven justices on the Arizona Supreme Court, each appointed by the governor from a list of names compiled by the Arizona Commission on Appellate Court Appointments. The initial term of a new justice is at least two years, after which the justice stands for retention in an uncontested yes-no election. Subsequent terms last six years.[2] For more information on these retention elections, visit the Arizona judicial elections page.
Qualifications
To serve on this court, a justice must be:
- a state resident;
- licensed to practice law in the state for 10 years; and
- under the age of 70 (retirement by 70 is mandatory).[2]
Selection of the chief justice
The court's chief justice is selected by peer vote. He or she serves in that capacity for five years.[2]
State profile
| Demographic data for Arizona | ||
|---|---|---|
| Arizona | U.S. | |
| Total population: | 6,817,565 | 316,515,021 |
| Land area (sq mi): | 113,594 | 3,531,905 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White: | 78.4% | 73.6% |
| Black/African American: | 4.2% | 12.6% |
| Asian: | 3% | 5.1% |
| Native American: | 4.4% | 0.8% |
| Pacific Islander: | 0.2% | 0.2% |
| Two or more: | 3.2% | 3% |
| Hispanic/Latino: | 30.3% | 17.1% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate: | 86% | 86.7% |
| College graduation rate: | 27.5% | 29.8% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income: | $50,255 | $53,889 |
| Persons below poverty level: | 21.2% | 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 Arizona. **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 Arizona
Arizona voted Republican in six out of the seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.
More Arizona coverage on Ballotpedia
- Elections in Arizona
- United States congressional delegations from Arizona
- Public policy in Arizona
- Endorsers in Arizona
- Arizona fact checks
- More...
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 Arizona are Pivot Counties.
Donald Trump (R) defeated Hillary Clinton (D) in the 2016 presidential election. Trump won 48.7 percent of the vote, while Clinton won 45.1 percent. Arizona was one of 12 key battleground states in 2016. Of the 30 states won by Trump in 2016, Arizona had the fifth closest margin. From when it became a state in 1912 to 2016, Arizona voted Republican in 66.7 percent of presidential elections. It voted Republican in all presidential elections from 2000 to 2016.
Presidential results by legislative district
The following table details results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections by state House districts in Arizona. Click [show] to expand the table. The "Obama," "Romney," "Clinton," and "Trump" columns describe the percent of the vote each presidential candidate received in the district. The "2012 Margin" and "2016 Margin" columns describe the margin of victory between the two presidential candidates in those years. The "Party Control" column notes which party held that seat heading into the 2018 general election. Data on the results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections broken down by state legislative districts was compiled by Daily Kos.[3][4]
| In 2012, Barack Obama (D) won 12 out of 30 state House districts in Arizona with an average margin of victory of 25 points. In 2016, Hillary Clinton (D) won 14 out of 30 state House districts in Arizona with an average margin of victory of 27.5 points. Clinton won two districts controlled by Republicans heading into the 2018 elections. |
| In 2012, Mitt Romney (R) won 18 out of 30 state House districts in Arizona with an average margin of victory of 22.9 points. In 2016, Donald Trump (R) won 16 out of 30 state House districts in Arizona with an average margin of victory of 21.5 points. |
| 2016 presidential results by state House district | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District | Obama | Romney | 2012 Margin | Clinton | Trump | 2016 Margin | Party Control |
| 1 | 30.1% | 68.2% | R+38.2 | 28.6% | 66.9% | R+38.3 | R |
| 2 | 57.2% | 41.6% | D+15.7 | 59.4% | 36.1% | D+23.2 | D |
| 3 | 70.0% | 28.1% | D+41.9 | 70.2% | 24.4% | D+45.8 | D |
| 4 | 54.3% | 44.2% | D+10.2 | 56.8% | 38.2% | D+18.7 | D |
| 5 | 28.1% | 70.0% | R+41.9 | 22.2% | 73.5% | R+51.3 | R |
| 6 | 42.2% | 55.6% | R+13.4 | 41.7% | 52.1% | R+10.4 | R |
| 7 | 63.2% | 35.4% | D+27.8 | 59.8% | 34.1% | D+25.7 | D |
| 8 | 44.7% | 53.5% | R+8.8 | 40.2% | 54.6% | R+14.4 | R |
| 9 | 53.4% | 44.9% | D+8.4 | 56.8% | 37.9% | D+18.9 | D |
| 10 | 51.8% | 46.5% | D+5.4 | 52.9% | 41.6% | D+11.4 | D |
| 11 | 39.7% | 59.0% | R+19.3 | 40.6% | 54.5% | R+13.9 | R |
| 12 | 32.5% | 65.9% | R+33.4 | 34.8% | 59.3% | R+24.5 | R |
| 13 | 33.5% | 65.1% | R+31.6 | 34.1% | 61.1% | R+27 | R |
| 14 | 35.7% | 62.5% | R+26.8 | 33.6% | 59.9% | R+26.2 | R |
| 15 | 36.4% | 61.9% | R+25.4 | 39.1% | 55.7% | R+16.6 | R |
| 16 | 35.0% | 63.1% | R+28.1 | 32.9% | 61.3% | R+28.4 | R |
| 17 | 42.1% | 56.2% | R+14.2 | 45.1% | 49.2% | R+4.1 | R |
| 18 | 48.1% | 50.0% | R+1.9 | 51.9% | 41.5% | D+10.4 | R |
| 19 | 66.4% | 32.1% | D+34.3 | 67.4% | 27.2% | D+40.3 | D |
| 20 | 42.4% | 55.3% | R+12.9 | 42.7% | 50.7% | R+8 | R |
| 21 | 40.6% | 58.0% | R+17.4 | 39.8% | 55.0% | R+15.2 | R |
| 22 | 33.4% | 65.4% | R+31.9 | 33.7% | 62.1% | R+28.4 | R |
| 23 | 35.9% | 62.9% | R+26.9 | 41.2% | 54.6% | R+13.3 | R |
| 24 | 63.2% | 34.4% | D+28.8 | 65.9% | 27.7% | D+38.3 | D |
| 25 | 33.1% | 65.1% | R+31.9 | 35.1% | 58.7% | R+23.6 | R |
| 26 | 58.3% | 38.5% | D+19.8 | 59.4% | 31.9% | D+27.5 | D |
| 27 | 75.2% | 23.2% | D+52 | 74.1% | 20.6% | D+53.5 | D |
| 28 | 44.6% | 53.6% | R+9 | 49.9% | 44.6% | D+5.3 | R |
| 29 | 64.7% | 33.6% | D+31.1 | 65.0% | 29.3% | D+35.7 | D |
| 30 | 61.3% | 36.7% | D+24.7 | 62.2% | 31.7% | D+30.5 | D |
| Total | 44.6% | 53.7% | R+9.1 | 45.5% | 49.0% | R+3.6 | - |
| Source: Daily Kos | |||||||
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms 'Arizona Supreme Court election 2018' OR 'Arizona Supreme Court'. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Arizona Daily Sun, "Group seeks to oust two Arizona Supreme Court justices," September 15, 2018
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 National Center for State Courts, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Arizona," accessed August 22, 2016
- ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' statewide election results by congressional and legislative districts," July 9, 2013
- ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' 2016 presidential results for congressional and legislative districts," February 6, 2017
Federal courts:
Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: District of Arizona • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: District of Arizona
State courts:
Arizona Supreme Court • Arizona Court of Appeals • Arizona Superior Court • Arizona Justice Courts • Arizona Municipal Courts
State resources:
Courts in Arizona • Arizona judicial elections • Judicial selection in Arizona
