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Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Ind. Courts - Unslated candidates withdraw from Marion County judges race [Updated]

Jon Murray reported at mid-morning that:

Republican incumbent judges Kenneth H. Johnson and Gary L. Miller, who had filed for candidacy last week, were not on the Indiana secretary of state's revised list Monday. Both had been overlooked at the party's slating convention in favor of newcomers and had intended to challenge the slate in the primary.

On the Democratic side, attorney Angela Davis withdrew her name, according to the revised candidate list. That leaves Kimberly J. Brown as the sole challenger to the Democratic slate.

Another Democrat, attorney Barbara A. Wyly, was mistakenly listed initially by the secretary of state's office among Marion Superior Court candidates. Her candidacy was moved to Dearborn County Superior Court on Monday.

Each party has been allotted eight Marion Superior Court judgeships in this year's election, with the outcome likely determined by the primary because of changes in state law designed to maintain party parity on the court.

See also these ILB entries from Feb. 21st and Feb. 17th.

Gary Welsh of Advance Indiana had a long post on the Republican withdrawals and the Marion County slating system earlier today.

[Updated 2/27/08] A brief story today in the Star reports:

Republican voters in Marion County's May primary won't need to choose among Superior Court judges after the withdrawal of two incumbents.

Judges Kenneth H. Johnson and Gary L. Miller had filed for candidacy last week despite losing the county party's endorsement. But both were no longer on the Indiana secretary of state's revised candidate list Monday, the deadline to withdraw.

"Under the circumstances, my family and I simply do not want to spend the next 10 weeks on an intense political campaign to the exclusion of all else," Miller said.

That leaves eight Republicans on the ballot for the eight judgeships allotted to the party.

Democrats also have eight judgeships at stake, with nine candidates remaining. A 10th, attorney Angela Davis, has withdrawn her name.

Kimberly J. Brown, now the Washington Township Small Claims Court judge, is the sole challenger to the slate endorsed by county Democrats.

The outcome of the Marion Superior Court judicial race will be determined by the primary, unless third-party candidates file to run in the general election. A separate race for Marion Circuit Court judge will be decided by voters in November.

Posted by Marcia Oddi on February 26, 2008 11:39 AM
Posted to Indiana Courts