While they don’t receive as much attention as elections for other offices, judicial elections are an important part of our justice system. Minnesota has a total of nine contested races this year. At the statewide level, Supreme Court Justices Natalie Hudson and Karl Procaccini have challengers, as does Judge Diane Bratvold at the Minnesota Court of Appeals.
There are two contested races in Ramsey County and one in Hennepin County. The 6th, 7th, and 10th judicial districts also have one contested race each. The 6th district’s rare open seat has drawn five candidates and will require a primary.
The MSBA will be conducting a judicial plebiscite for the three contested statewide races. We anticipate this will be sent around mid-August. As part of the plebiscite, we request that candidates complete a questionnaire. Their responses and photos will be posted on a special website for members to review as part of the plebiscite process. In recognition of the fact that it can be difficult to find information about judicial candidates, we encourage members to share the website with friends, family, and colleagues.
Stay tuned for more information and please plan to vote.