State Supreme Court elections, 2008

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There are 338 state Supreme Court justices in the United States. The paths taken by each justice to a seat on a state Supreme Court vary significantly from state-to-state.

* See election results.

• Eight states choose their Supreme Court justices in partisan elections. This includes nine courts, since Texas has two courts of last resort, one for civil and one for criminal matters, and the members of both of these courts are chosen in partisan elections.
• Fifteen states chose justices in non-partisan elections.
• Of the states that use a commission-selection, political appointment method of judicial selection, most hold a retention election at some point for their justices.
• Some states always use gubernatorial appointment of judges to fill their Supreme Courts, but even in states that have other primary methods of choosing justices, the governor can play a key role when a vacancy occurs between elections.
• Two states use the legislative election of judges including, in 2008, South Carolina.

Transitions in 2008

• Twenty-seven state supreme court seats will be contested (in either partisan or non-partisan elections) on November 4, 2008.
• Two state supreme court electoral contests were concluded in April and May.
• Twenty justices face retention elections.
• In other states, justices are being appointed by commissions, governors or state legislatures, depending on the rules in states with vacancies.
• See Important dates and deadlines, 2008.

November 4th results

Election	Incumbent	Challenger(s)	Result	Elections board
Alabama Supreme Court elections	Harold Frend See, Jr is retiring.	Deborah Bell Paseur Greg Shaw	Republican Shaw (1,021,371) narrowly edged out Democratic Paseur (1,008,479) with all the precincts being certified on November 25, 2008.	Alabama BOE
Kentucky Supreme Court elections	Lisabeth Hughes Abramson	Jim Shake	Abramson has held off the challenge from Shake with 55% of the vote and will serve on the KY Supreme Court until 2014	Kentucky BOE
Louisiana Supreme Court elections	Vacancy created by retirement of Pascal Calogero	Greg Guidry and James E. Kuhn	Guidry defeated Kuhn 60% to 40% to win a seat on the Supreme Court	Louisiana BOE
Michigan Supreme Court elections	Clifford W. Taylor	Diane Hathaway	Hathaway (Democrat) defeats Taylor (Republican) 49.3% to 39.4% (Libertarian Roddis had 11.2%)	Michigan BOE
Minnesota Supreme Court elections	Paul H. Anderson	Tim Tingelstad	Paul Anderson (60.4%) defeated challenger Tim Tingelstad (39.2%)	Minnesota BOE
Minnesota Supreme Court elections	Lorie Skjerven Gildea	Deborah Hedlund	Gildea defeats Hedlund 55% to 45%	Minnesota BOE
Mississippi Supreme Court elections District 1, Place 3	Chief Justice James Smith	Ceola James Jim Kitchens	Kitchens defeats Smith 55% to 36%	Mississippi BOE
Mississippi Supreme Court elections District 2, Place 2	Oliver E. Diaz, Jr.	Randy "Bubba" Pierce	Pierce defeats Diaz 58 to 42 percent	Mississippi BOE
Mississippi Supreme Court elections District 3, Place 1	Ann Lamar	Gene Barton	Lamar defeats Barton 62% to 38%	Mississippi BOE
Mississippi Supreme Court elections District 3, Place 2	Charles Easley	David Chandler	Chandler defeats Easley 67% to 33%	Mississippi BOE
Montana Supreme Court elections	Chief Justice Karla M. Gray is retiring	Mike McGrath Ron Waterman	McGrath defeats Waterman 75% to 25%	Montana BOE
Nevada Supreme Court elections	Chief Justice Mark Gibbons	Thomas Christensen	Gibbons defeats Christensen 55% to 25%	Nevada BOE
Nevada Supreme Court elections	William Maupin is retiring	Deborah Schumacher and Mary "Kris" Pickering	Pickering defeated Schumacher 42% to 39%	Nevada BOE
Supreme Court of North Carolina	Robert Edmunds	Suzanne Reynolds	Incumbent Edmunds wins with 51.04%	North Carolina BOE, p. 41
Ohio Supreme Court elections	Maureen O'Connor	Joseph D. Russo	O'Connor defeated Russo 67% to 33%	Ohio BOE
Ohio Supreme Court elections	Evelyn L. Stratton	Peter M. Sikora	Stratton declared the winner, beating Sikora 63% to 37%	Ohio BOE
Texas Supreme Court elections, 2008	Wallace B. Jefferson	Jim Jordan	Jefferson defeats Jordan 53% to 44%	Texas BOE
Texas Supreme Court elections, 2008 Place 7	J. Dale Wainwright	Sam Houston	Wainwright (3,926,015) with 51.1% defeats Houston (3,525,141) with 45.88%	Texas BOE
Texas Supreme Court elections, 2008 Place 8	Phil Johnson	Linda Yanez	Johnson defeats Yanez 52% to 45%	Texas BOE
West Virginia Supreme Court elections	"Spike" Maynard, Chief Justice (lost in the primary)	Margaret Workman, Elizabeth "Beth" Walker Menis Ketchum	Ketchum and Workman narrowly defeated Walker; Ketchum garnered 35% of the vote, with Workman and Walker trailing at 33% and 32%, respectively	Ketchum, Workman win WV Supreme Court seats
West Virginia Supreme Court elections	Incumbent Larry Starcher is not running	Margaret Workman, Elizabeth "Beth" Walker Menis Ketchum	Ketchum and Workman narrowly defeated Walker; Ketchum garnered 35% of the vote, with Workman and Walker trailing at 33% and 32%, respectively	Ketchum, Workman win WV Supreme Court seats

Contested seats, election concluded

Court	Incumbent	Challenger	Details	Outcome
Idaho Supreme Court	Joel Horton	John Bradbury	Idaho Supreme Court elections	Voters chose Horton, May 27, 2008
Louisiana Supreme Court	Catherine Kimball	Jefferson Hughes	Louisiana Supreme Court elections	Voters chose Kimball by 65% on October 4
Wisconsin Supreme Court	Butler	Gableman	Wisconsin Supreme Court election	Voters chose Gableman, April 1, 2008
Washington Supreme Court	Johnson	Beecher, Vulliet	Washington Supreme Court election	Voters chose Johnson during the August 19, 2008 primary; he advances uncontested to the general election and will presumably serve another term
Washington Supreme Court	Fairhurst	Bond	Washington Supreme Court election	Voters chose Fairhurst during the August 19, 2008 primary; she advances uncontested to the general election and will presumably serve another term

State justices facing retention votes

Retention elections are frequently thought of in connection with the commission-selection, political appointment method of judicial selection. However, some states that choose state Supreme Court justices for their initial term in office using partisan or non-partisan elections, use a retention election for subsequent terms on the court.

Court	Initial term	Incumbent	Results
Alaska Supreme Court	Commission/political	Robert L. Eastaugh	Retained 11/4/08 (62.77%)
Arizona Supreme Court	Commission/political	Scott Bales	Retained 11/4/08 (77%)
Connecticut Supreme Court	Commission/political	Christine Vertefeuille	11/4/2008
Florida Supreme Court	Commission/political	Charles T. Wells	Retained 11/4/08 (72.7%)
Indiana Supreme Court	Commission/political	Randall T. Shephard, Brent E. Dickson, Theodore R. Boehm	All three retained on 11/4/08
Iowa Supreme Court	Commission/political	Mark S. Cady, Daryl L. Hecht, Brent R. Appel	All three retained on 11/4/08
Kansas Supreme Court	Commission/political	Eric Rosen, Lee A. Johnson	All retained on 11/4/08
Missouri Supreme Court	Commission/political	Patricia Breckenridge	Retained on 11/4/08 (73%)
New Mexico Supreme Court	Partisan election	Patricio Serna	Retained 11/4/08 (75%)
New Mexico Supreme Court	Partisan election	Charles Daniels	Retained on 11/4/08
State of New York Court of Appeals	Commission/political	Carmen Beauchamp Ciparick	11/4/2008
Oklahoma Supreme Court	Commission/political	John F. Reif	Retained on 11/4/08 (63.2%)
Oklahoma Supreme Court	Commission/political	Tom Colbert	Retained on 11/4/08 (66.1%)
Oklahoma Supreme Court	Commission/political	Joseph M. Watt	Retained on 11/4/08 (63.7%)
Tennessee Supreme Court	Commission/political	William Koch, Jr.	11/4/2008
Wyoming Supreme Court	Commission/political	William U. Hill	11/4/2008

State justices appointed in 2008

Court	Appointer	Why vacant?	Nominees	Outcome
Florida Supreme Court	Governor	Raoul G. Cantero is stepping down effective September 6.	-	-
Florida Supreme Court	Governor	Kenneth B. Bell is stepping down effective October 8.	-	-
Iowa Supreme Court	Governor	Jerry L. Larson retired May 17, 2008	Connie Alt, David Baker, Thomas Waterman	Gov. Culver appointed David Baker on April 4, 2008
Circuit 7, Maryland Court of Appeals	Governor	Irma Raker has reached the mandatory retirement age.	-	-
Circuit 2, Maryland Court of Appeals	Governor	Vacancy	-	-
Minnesota Supreme Court	Governor	Chief Justice Russell Anderson retired in June	Eric Magnuson	Magnuson was appointed in March 2008 to replace Anderson in June
New York Court of Appeals	Commission/political	Chief Judge Judith Kaye reaches mandatory retirement this year	-
Pennsylvania Supreme Court	Governor	Chief Justice Ralph Cappy retired January 7, 2008.	James Gardner Colins	Interim appointment is pending; appointee will fill vacancy until 2009

Supreme Court judges chosen by state legislature

Court	Retiring judge	New judge	Date of election	Date sworn in
South Carolina Supreme Court	James E. Moore	John Kittredge	February 2008	June 18, 2008

State justices running in uncontested elections

Court	Election notes	Justice
Arkansas Supreme Court	Non-partisan	Jim Hannah
Arkansas Supreme Court	Non-partisan	Paul E. Danielson
Georgia Supreme Court	Non-partisan	Robert Benham
Georgia Supreme Court	Non-partisan	Harris Hines
Idaho Supreme Court	Non-partisan	Warren Jones
Illinois Supreme Court	Judicial selection in Illinois	Anne M. Burke
Kentucky Supreme Court	Non-partisan	Mary C. Noble
Montana Supreme Court	Non-partisan	Patricia O'Brien Cotter
North Dakota Supreme Court	Non-partisan	Mary Muehlen Maring
North Dakota Supreme Court	Non-partisan	Daniel J. Crothers
Oregon Supreme Court	Non-partisan	Thomas Balmer
Oregon Supreme Court	Non-partisan	Martha Lee Walters
Washington Supreme Court	Non-partisan	Debra Stephens

See also

• Important dates and deadlines, 2008
• 2008 State Appellate Court Elections
• 2008 State Circuit Court Elections
• Judicial selection in the states: Courts of last resort
• Judicial selection in the states
• Adam Smith Foundation
• Wisconsin Supreme Court Race (2008)
• Justice at Stake

External links

• State Finance Director Jim Main says he won't run for the Alabama Supreme Court this year
• Special interests pour millions into judicial races
• Stop lawsuit abuse