Idaho judicial elections, 2016
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Three seats on Idaho's state-level courts were up for election on May 17, 2016. Two seats on the Idaho Supreme Court joined one seat on the Idaho Court of Appeals on the ballot. A runoff election was held on November 8.
Overview
Idaho Supreme Court Chief Justice Jim Jones did not run for re-election in 2016 and retired in January 2017. Six candidates filed to run for his seat; two later withdrew.[1] Of the four candidates, none received more than 50 percent of the vote. Attorney Robyn Brody and state Senator Curt McKenzie were the top two finishers and advanced to the runoff election on November 8. The last time a supreme court justice race was decided in a runoff rather than during the primary election was 1998.[2] Each justice elected to the court serves a six-year term.
Idaho Supreme Court Justice Roger Burdick ran unopposed and won re-election on May 17.
Idaho Court of Appeals Judge Molly Huskey ran unopposed and won re-election on May 17.
Candidates
Supreme Court
Jim Jones' seat
Defeated in primary
■ Sergio Gutierrez
■ Clive Strong
Withdrawn
■ Christ Troupis
■ William Seiniger
Roger Burdick's seat
■ Roger Burdick 
Court of Appeals
Molly Huskey's seat
■ Molly Huskey
Election results
November 8 runoff election
Robyn Brody defeated Curt McKenzie in the runoff for the Idaho Supreme Court, Jones' seat.
| Idaho Supreme Court, Jones' Seat, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Robyn Brody |
53.80% | 298,983 |
| Curt McKenzie | 46.20% | 256,719 |
| Total Votes (100% reporting) | 555,702 | |
| Source: Idaho Secretary of State Official Results | ||
May 17 general election
| Idaho Supreme Court, Justice Jones' Seat, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Robyn Brody |
30.29% | 45,282 |
| Curt McKenzie |
27.66% | 41,348 |
| Sergio Gutierrez | 21.37% | 31,944 |
| Clive Strong | 20.68% | 30,921 |
| Total Votes (938 of 938: 100%) | 149,495 | |
| Source: Idaho Secretary of State Official Results | ||
| Idaho Supreme Court, Justice Burdick's Seat, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Roger Burdick Incumbent (unopposed) |
100.00% | 135,592 |
| Total Votes (938 of 938: 100%) | 135,592 | |
| Source: Idaho Secretary of State Official Results | ||
| Idaho Court of Appeals, Judge Huskey's Seat, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Molly Huskey Incumbent (unopposed) |
100.00% | 136,347 |
| Total Votes (938 of 938: 100%) | 136,347 | |
| Source: Idaho Secretary of State Official Results | ||
Selection
- See also: Judicial selection in Idaho
Nonpartisan election
Supreme court, court of appeals, and district court races are decided during the state's primary election. However, if no candidate in a judicial race receives over 50 percent of the votes in the primary, the two candidates who received the greatest number of votes advance to the general election to stand in a judicial runoff election.[3]
If a race advances to the general election, but one of the candidates leaves the race before that time, the candidate who received the next highest number of votes in the primary takes the vacant spot on the general election ballot. In such a situation, if there is a tie for third place in the primary, the candidate to advance to the general election is chosen by lot by the secretary of state.[4]
Note: In May 2012, the Idaho Republican Party switched to a closed primary system, which required voters to identify as Republicans before voting. To read more about this, see: Some Idaho voters avoid closed primary, May 17, 2012.
Retention
Magistrates stand for retention in the general election, which is held in November. Judges file for retention in August. Specifically, they must file their declaration of candidacy no less than 90 days prior to the election.
The ballot includes the following language for such elections: "Shall Magistrate __ of __ County of the __ Judicial District be retained in office?" The voter may then choose to answer either "Yes" or "No". The magistrate must receive a majority of "yes" votes to be retained to a new term.[5]
Fees
The filing fee for supreme court and court of appeals candidates is $300. Candidates for the district courts must pay $150. Alternately, candidates may collect signatures in order to waive the filing fee. Supreme court and court of appeals candidates are required to collect 1,000 signatures and district court candidates are required to collect 200 (as of 2014).[6][7][8][9]
State profile
| Demographic data for Idaho | ||
|---|---|---|
| Idaho | U.S. | |
| Total population: | 1,652,828 | 316,515,021 |
| Land area (sq mi): | 82,643 | 3,531,905 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White: | 91.7% | 73.6% |
| Black/African American: | 0.6% | 12.6% |
| Asian: | 1.3% | 5.1% |
| Native American: | 1.3% | 0.8% |
| Pacific Islander: | 0.1% | 0.2% |
| Two or more: | 2.6% | 3% |
| Hispanic/Latino: | 11.8% | 17.1% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate: | 89.5% | 86.7% |
| College graduation rate: | 25.9% | 29.8% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income: | $47,583 | $53,889 |
| Persons below poverty level: | 16.9% | 11.3% |
| Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Idaho. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. | ||
Presidential voting pattern
- See also: Presidential voting trends in Idaho
Idaho voted Republican in all six presidential elections between 2000 and 2020.
More Idaho coverage on Ballotpedia
- Elections in Idaho
- United States congressional delegations from Idaho
- Public policy in Idaho
- Endorsers in Idaho
- Idaho fact checks
- More...
Recent news
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See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Idaho Secretary of State, "2016 May Primary candidate list," accessed March 15, 2016
- ↑ Idaho State Journal, "4 Idaho Supreme Court candidates debate," May 6, 2016
- ↑ Idaho Statutes, "Title 34. Elections, Chapter 12, 34-1217," accessed April 28, 2014
- ↑ Idaho Statutes, "Title 34. Elections, Chapter 12, 34-716," accessed April 28, 2014
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedmagistrate - ↑ Idaho Statutes, "Title 34. Elections, Chapter 6, 34-615," accessed April 28, 2014
- ↑ Idaho Secretary of State, "2014 Guidelines for Filing for the Office of Supreme Court Justice or Court of Appeals Judge," accessed April 28, 2014
- ↑ Idaho Statutes, "Title 34. Elections, Chapter 6, 34-616," accessed April 28, 2014
- ↑ Idaho Secretary of State, "2014 Guidelines for Filing for the Office of District Judge," accessed April 28, 2014
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Federal courts:
Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: District of Idaho • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: District of Idaho
State courts:
Idaho Supreme Court • Idaho Court of Appeals • Idaho District Courts • Idaho Magistrate Division
State resources:
Courts in Idaho • Idaho judicial elections • Judicial selection in Idaho