Tag: State courts
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One South Dakota Supreme Court justice faces a retention election in November
One South Dakota Supreme Court justice, Steven Jensen, will face a retention election on November 3, 2020. He was appointed in 2017 by Governor Dennis Daugaard (R). Currently, every justice on the court was appointed by a Republican governor. The governor appoints the five justices of the supreme court through a hybrid nominating commission where…
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Candidate filing period for state-level races ends in Washington state
On May 15, the statewide filing deadline passed to run for elected office in Washington state. Candidates filed for the following state-level offices: State Executive Governor Lieutenant Governor Attorney General Secretary of State Superintendent of Public Instruction Commissioner of Public Lands Treasurer Auditor Commissioner of Insurance State Legislative Washington State Senate (25 seats) Washington House…
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Van Pounds Challenges Incumbent Justice Thomas Balmer for Position 1 on the Oregon Supreme Court
Primaries are taking place for three positions on the Oregon Supreme Court on May 19, 2020. The Position 1 primary is the only contested primary, between current Justice Thomas Balmer and Van Pounds. If a justice wins over fifty percent of the vote in the primary election, then he secures a seat on the supreme…
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Voters to decide state executive, legislative, and judicial primaries in Oregon
The statewide primary election for Oregon is on May 19, 2020. The filing deadline to run passed on March 10. Candidates are running in elections for the following offices: • Secretary of State • Treasurer • Attorney General • 16 seats in the Oregon State Senate • All 60 seats in the Oregon House of…
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State supreme court strikes down Wisconsin’s stay-at-home order
On May 13, the Wisconsin Supreme Court, in 4-3 ruling, struck down the state’s stay-at-home order. The court found that Wisconsin Department of Health Services Secretary-designee Andrea Palm overstepped her authority when she extended the state’s stay-at-home order through May 26 on behalf of Gov. Tony Evers (D). This marks the first instance of a…
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Alaska Supreme Court rules Gov. Mike Dunleavy recall can proceed
The Alaska Supreme Court on May 8 affirmed a superior court ruling that the recall effort against Gov. Mike Dunleavy (R) can move forward. In November 2019, Attorney General Kevin Clarkson (R) determined that the recall failed to meet any of the grounds for recall. In Alaska, a recall petition has to meet one of…
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One Kansas Supreme Court justice faces retention election in November
One Kansas Supreme Court justice, Eric Rosen, will face a retention election on November 3, 2020. He was appointed by a Democratic governor. Currently, two justices on the court were appointed by a Republican governor while four were appointed by a Democratic governor. The governor appoints the seven justices of the supreme court through a…
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Maryland courts set tentative reopen date
On May 7, Chief Justice for the Maryland Court of Appeals Ellen Barbera announced that courts in the state could begin to reopen on June 8. Barbera told lawmakers during a Maryland State Senate hearing, per an article from, “Even if that day holds, I can assure you, this does not mean that Monday, June…
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Nebraska’s primaries to conclude May 12
The statewide primary for Nebraska is on May 12, 2020. In reaction to the coronavirus pandemic, every eligible voter received an absentee ballot application by mail. In-person locations are expected to remain open as planned. The filing deadline to run passed on March 2. Candidates are running in elections for the following offices: U.S. Senate…
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Chair of Rhode Island Senate Judiciary Committee seeks appointment to she state Supreme Court
On April 28, 2020, State Senator Erin Lynch Prata (D-RI), applied to fill retiring Justice Gilbert Indeglia’s seat on the state supreme court. Senator Lynch Prata is a former clerk to Supreme Court Associate Justice Maureen McKenna Goldberg. She stated that becoming a supreme court justice “has always been a dream,” and that the position on…