Hennepin County
Bar Association

Bar Association Poll on Judicial Elections Results Released  

A survey of Minnesota 's three largest lawyer organizations included contested Minnesota Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, and district court races.  The survey was conducted by the Minnesota State Bar Association (MSBA), the Hennepin County Bar Association (HCBA) and the Ramsey County Bar Association (RCBA), along with other local bar districts.

The MSBA portion of the poll covers the contested Minnesota Supreme Court and Court of Appeals races, and contested district races outside of Hennepin and Ramsey counties (districts 1, 3, and 8). The HCBA portion of the poll covers the contested district court races in Hennepin county and the RCBA portion of the poll covers the contested district court race in Ramsey county.

Supreme Court and Court of Appeals results

Hennepin County results | Ramsey County results

District Courts

  • District 1 [Carver, Dakota, Goodhue, LeSueur, McLeod, Scott, Sibley]   
  • District 3 [ Dodge, Fillmore, Freeborn, Houston, Mower, Olmsted, Rice, Steele, Wabasha, Waseca, Winona
    ]
  • District 8 [ Big Stone, Chippewa, Grant, Kandiyohi, Lac qui Parle, Meeker, Pope, Renville, Stevens, Swift, Traverse, Wilkin, Yellow Medicine] 

Bar association members have long been polled on judicial elections.  The purpose of the poll is to collect and make available to the general electorate additional information, in conjunction with voter guides, candidate questionnaires, news articles, etc., made available by non-bar related sources relative to contested judicial elections, which the general electorate can include in the overall mix when considering whom they might wish to vote for in November.  The polls are conducted in a neutral, unbiased and confidential manner.  The results of the poll do not constitute an endorsement of any candidate by any of the involved bar associations.  Traditional paper ballots have largely been replaced by an Internet-based system.   The poll was conducted between September 16 and September 30, 2008.

The plebiscite was not made with the authorization or express or implied consent of, or in cooperation with or in concert with, or at the request or suggestion of any candidate, candidate’s committee or candidate’s agent.

MSBA
Contact: Nancy Mischel, 612-278-6331

Supreme Court

Seat 3

  • Paul H. Anderson, Supreme Court justice since 1994, 92 percent (2229 votes) of the 2417 total votes;
  • Tim Tingelstad 8 percent (188 votes).

Seat 4

  • Lorie Skjerven Gildea, Supreme Court justice since 2006, 72 percent (1703 votes) of the 2377 total votes;
  • Deborah Hedlund 28 percent (674 votes).

Court of Appeals

Seat 16

  • Terri J. Stoneburner, Appeals Court judge since 2000, 92 percent (2175 votes) of the 2375 total votes;
  • Dan Griffith 8 percent (200 votes). 

District Court races

1st Judicial District

Seat 32

  • Joseph Carter, incumbent, 91.5 percent (43 votes) of  47 total votes;
  • Nathaniel J. Reitz, 8.5 percent (4 votes).

RCBA - 2nd Judicial District
Contact: Cheryl Dalby, 651-222-0846

Seat 21

  • Gail Chang Bohr, 49 percent (228 votes) of 462 total votes;  
  • Howard Orenstein, 51 percent (234 votes).

3rd Judicial District

Seat 1

  • Lawrence E. Agerter, incumbent, 75.5 percent (40 votes) of 53 total votes;
  • Anthony J. Mossbrugger, 24.5 percent (13 votes).

HCBA - 4th Judicial District
Contact: Larry Buxbaum, 612-752-6610

Seat 9

  • Philip D. Bush, incumbent, 97 percent (1015 votes) of 1045 total votes;
  • Eugene Link, 3 percent (30 votes).

Seat 53

  • David L. Piper, 59.5 percent (622 votes) of 1046 total votes;
  • Jane Ranum, 40.5 percent (424 votes);

Seat 58

  • Thomas F. Haeg, 22 percent (234 votes) of 1070 total votes;
  • James T. Swenson, incumbent, 78 percent (836 votes).

8th Judicial District

Seat 7

  • Glen M. (Jake) Jacobsen, 16 percent (6 votes) of 37 total votes;
  • Randall J. Slieter, incumbent, 84 percent (31 votes).

A complete list of judicial races is available on the Secretary of State's website.

Comprehensive coverage of the state's judicial races is available from Minnesota Lawyer newspaper.