Arkansas judicial elections, 2012
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The Arkansas judicial elections will consist of a primary on May 22[1] and general election on November 6, 2012. If a primary runoff is needed, it will be held in June. [2]
The filing deadline was March 1, 2012.[3]
Arkansas judicial elections summary, 2012 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Supreme Court
To organize the columns, click on the arrows in the column heading.| Candidate | Incumbency | Position | Primary Vote | Election Vote |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Josephine Hart  | No | 65.4% | | |
| Raymond Abramson | No | District 1, Position 2 | 34.6% |
Court of Appeals
To organize the columns, click on the arrows in the column heading.| Candidate | Incumbency | Position | Primary Vote | Election Vote |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brandon Harrison | No | District 4, Position 1 | 52.6% | |
| David Glover | Yes | District 4, Position 2 | 100% | |
| J.W. Looney | No | District 4, Position 1 | 47.4% | |
| Jeannette Robertson | No | District 1, Position 2 | 32.4% | 46.2%  |
| Kenneth Hixson | No | District 3, Position 2 | 51.5% | |
| Mitch Cash | No | District 2, Position 2 | 37.2% | |
| Niki Cung | No | District 3, Position 2 | 48.5% | |
| Phillip Whiteaker | No | District 1, Position 2 | 38.1% | 53.8% |
| Rhonda Wood | No | District 2, Position 2 | 62.8% | |
| Richard Lusby | No | District 1, Position 2 | 29.5% | |
| Robin Wynne | Yes | District 5 | 100% | |
Circuit Courts
Fourth Circuit
To organize the columns, click on the arrows in the column heading.| Candidate | Incumbency | Position | Primary Vote | Election Vote |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amy Estes Turner | No | Division 4 | 12.7% | |
| Bob Lambert | No | Division 4 | 46.9% | 48.1% |
| Brenda Austin | No | Division 6 | 29.5% | |
| Cristi Beaumont | No | Division 4 | 40.4% | 51.9% |
| Mark Lindsay | Yes | Division 6 | 70.5% | |
Sixth Circuit
To organize the columns, click on the arrows in the column heading.| Candidate | Incumbency | Position | Primary Vote | Election Vote |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Hout | No | Division 11, Subdistrict 6.2 | 35.2% | 36.8% |
| Mackie Pierce | Yes | Division 17 | 100% | |
| Morgan "Chip" Welch | No | Division 16, Subdistrict 6.2 | 100% | |
| Patti James | No | Division 11, Subdistrict 6.2 | 42.3% | 63.2% |
| Tjuana Byrd | No | Division 11, Subdistrict 6.2 | 22.5% |
Seventh Circuit
To organize the columns, click on the arrows in the column heading.| Candidate | Incumbency | Position | Primary Vote | Election Vote |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eddy R. Easley | No | Division 2 | 100% | |
Thirteenth Circuit
To organize the columns, click on the arrows in the column heading.| Candidate | Incumbency | Position | Primary Vote | Election Vote |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Robin Carroll | No | Division 4 | 100% | |
Nineteenth Circuit West
To organize the columns, click on the arrows in the column heading.| Candidate | Incumbency | Position | Primary Vote | Election Vote |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brad Karren | No | Division 2 | 58.2% | |
| Jon Comstock | No | Division 3 | 49.7% | |
| Mark Fryauf | No | Division 2 | 41.8% | |
| Tom E. Smith | No | Division 3 | 50.3% | |
In the News
Arkansas election recap, 2012
In Arkansas this year, nearly all of the judicial races were decided in the primary election, held on May 22. Only three races made it onto the November 6 general election ballot.
- Supreme Court
The race for the sole vacant seat on the Arkansas Supreme Court was decided in the primary election. Josephine Hart, a judge on the Arkansas Court of Appeals, defeated her Court of Appeals colleague Raymond Abramson by a comfortable margin, taking nearly two-thirds of the vote. Judge Hart, who spent less on her campaign than her opponent, was able to be identified as a judge on the ballot, because she was elected to her position on the Court of Appeals; Abramson, who was appointed to his appeals court position, could not use the "Judge" title, and thus was listed on the ballot as simply "Raymond Abramson." Both candidates acknowledged that being able to use the title "Judge" was likely an advantage for Hart.[1] Hart will join two other women on the seven-member Arkansas Supreme Court when her term begins in January.[2]
- Court of Appeals
Six seats were open on the Arkansas Court of Appeals this year, but only one race was decided in the general election: Phillip Whiteaker defeated Jeannette Robertson on November 6 to take the District 1, Position 2 seat. Of the six judges elected to the Court of Appeals this year, four (Whiteaker, Rhonda Wood, Kenneth Hixson, and Brandon Harrison) are new to the court, while two (David Glover and Robin Wynne) are incumbents who successfully held on to their positions. The two incumbent judges were also the only two candidates who were unopposed in their races; no incumbent judges were defeated.
- Trial courts
At the trial court level, a total of sixteen candidates competed for nine positions on five different Arkansas Circuit Courts. Only two races were decided in the general election: Cristi Beaumont defeated Bob Lambert for the Division 4 position on the Fourth Circuit, and Patti James defeated John Hout to capture the Division 11, Subdistrict 6.2 position on the Sixth Circuit. The other seven races were decided in the primary election in May, and four of those seven were uncontested. Only two of the sixteen candidates that ran for circuit court positions were incumbents; both of them, Mark Lindsay and Mackie Pierce, successfully held their seats, with Pierce unopposed in his bid for re-election.
The end to a "bruising" campaign
As featured in JP Election Brief: Highlights of the 2012 judicial elections on November 15, 2012
In Arkansas, the race for the Division 11 position on the Sixth Circuit featured Patti James, a family law attorney, and John Hout, a deputy prosecuting attorney. At stake was a position as a juvenile court judge.[3]
Though the race began peaceably enough, by election day the campaign was described as "bruising."[4] Hout's campaign sent a mailer to voters that seemed to attack James for being part of a firm that represents criminal defendants, claiming that his opponent "owns and manages a law firm that represents criminals that have raped and murdered children."[3] The mailer went on to accuse James's firm of "bill[ing] taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars to defend the most violent and dangerous of offenders."[3]
As Hout's critics were quick to point out, a criminal defendant's constitutional right to counsel is a fundamental part of the American justice system--so fundamental, in fact, that criminal defendants who cannot afford an attorney are appointed one, paid for by the state. The fact that Hout seemed to be attacking James on the basis of her association with a criminal defense attorney did not sit well with James, who described her opponent's tactics as "Dirty dirty dirty" on her campaign Facebook page.[3]
After all the dust settled, James defeated Hout in the election, taking just over 63% of the vote.
Judicial campaigns target TV, spending 4.6 million and counting
As featured in JP Election Brief: Money and controversies on September 27, 2012.
Candidate spending is on the rise in Alabama, Illinois, Texas, West Virginia, Arkansas, Montana and Oregon. According to data compiled by Justice at Stake and the Brennan Center for Justice at the New York University School of Law, candidates from the seven states spent a combined total of $4,673,370 on primary television ads.[5] That figure is more than quadruple the estimated amount spent on television ads during the 2010 primaries. This year's primary spending also surpassed 2004's record of $3.8 million, which included nine states.[6][7]
The two organizations who compiled the data are trying to show the effects of special interest groups on judicial elections.
| “ | Money and special interests continue to transform judicial elections around the country.[6] - Alicia Bannon[8] | ” |
The candidates
The following is a selection of the highest-spending candidates.[9]
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Arkansas
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The Brennan Center for Justice is a "'non-partisan public policy and law institute that focuses on fundamental issues of democracy and justice'".[7] Justice at Stake is a non-partisan nonprofit "working to keep America's courts fair and impartial."[7]
Arkansas Supreme Court race results
As featured in JP Election Brief: All about appellate courts on May 24, 2012.
The race for the sole vacant seat on the Arkansas Supreme Court was decided in the Arkansas primary election this week. Judge Josephine Hart, currently serving a term on the Arkansas Court of Appeals, defeated her Court of Appeals colleague Raymond Abramson by a comfortable margin, taking 65.36% of the vote to Abramson's 34.64%.[11]
Interestingly, Judge Hart raised and spent less money on her campaign than Abramson, who was endorsed by both Democratic legislators and former Republican congressman Asa Hutchinson.[12][13] Judge Hart boasted that she ran more of a "grass roots" campaign.[13]
Abramson believes that he lost the election at least in part because Hart was identified as a judge on the ballot, whereas Abramson was not. Though both candidates currently serve on the Arkansas Court of Appeals, Abramson was appointed to his position in 2010, while Hart was elected to her position in 1998. Under Arkansas state law, "candidates can only put the title of a judicial office ahead of their name in an election if they're currently serving in a judicial position to which they were elected," which meant that Hart appeared as "Judge Josephine Hart" on the ballot while Abramson's was listed as simply "Raymond Abramson." Both candidates acknowledge that being able to use the title "Judge" was likely an advantage for Hart.[13]
Abramson has not announced what he will do next following this defeat.[13] In January, Judge Hart will join two other women currently serving on the seven-member Supreme Court.[14]
See also
- News: Only three judicial races in Arkansas general election, August 2, 2012
- News: Libertarian Party of Arkansas certified for 2012 ballot, July 5, 2011
External links
- Arkansas Times, "Tjuana Byrd announces for judgeship," June 15, 2011
- Daily Journal, "Fayetteville attorney to vie for seat on Arkansas Court of Appeals," July 8, 2011
- 4029TV.com, "Fort Smith Attorney Announces Judicial Candidacy," October 28, 2011
References
- ↑ The Republic, "Judge vying for spot on Arkansas Supreme Court lost to colleague who trailed in fundraising," May 23, 2012
- ↑ TalkBusiness.net, "Supreme Court, legislative races offer surprises, status quo," May 23, 2012
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Arkansas Times Blog, "Circuit judge race finishes in the mud," November 4, 2012
- ↑ Arkansas Online, "James well past Hout in juvenile-court race," November 7, 2012
- ↑ This total does not include spending for the general election or other campaign spending.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Legal Newsline, "Report: Judicial candidates spent more than $4.6M in primary TV ads," September 14, 2012
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 The West Virginia Record, "Report: W.Va. judicial candidates spent nearly $600,000 in primary TV ads," September 18, 2012
- ↑ A counsel in the Brennan Center's Democracy Program
- ↑ The list is not exhaustive, it only includes the highest-spending candidates.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 10.6 10.7 Justice at Stake, "Campaign Money Patterns Entering New Phase in 2012 Judicial Races," September 13, 2012
- ↑ Arkansas Secretary of State, 2012 Primary Election Results
- ↑ Arkansas News Blog, "Asa! Robocalling for Supreme Court candidate Abramson," May 18, 2012
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 The Republic, "Judge vying for spot on Arkansas Supreme Court lost to colleague who trailed in fundraising," May 23, 2012
- ↑ TalkBusiness.net, "Supreme Court, legislative races offer surprises, status quo," May 23, 2012
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