Iowa judicial elections, 2012

2013 →

<- 2011

Judicial Elections
Judicial elections, 2012
Judicial election dates

The Iowa judicial elections consisted of a general election on November 6th. The candidate filing period was from July 30th to August 17th for state offices and August 6th to 29th for county offices.[1]

## Iowa judicial elections summary, 2012

|  |  Supreme  |  Appellate  |  Trial

|
|
|

Total candidates  |  4  |  3 |  67
Unopposed candidates  |  0 |  |
Judges facing retention  |  4 |  3 |  67
Judges retained |  4 |  3 |  67
Judges re-elected |  |  |
Judges not re-elected |  |  |
New judges elected |  |  |
Partisan or Nonpartisan |  | Retention |

## Supreme Court[edit]

Justices Mansfield, Waterman and Zager stood for their first retention in office following appointment in 2011, while Justice Wiggins stood for retention for the second time.

Candidate| Incumbent| Retention vote:| Retention Vote %

|
|
|

ZagerBruce B. Zager A| Yes|  | 74.1%A
WigginsDavid Wiggins A| Yes|  | 54.5%A
MansfieldEdward Mansfield A| Yes|  | 74.3%A
WatermanThomas Waterman A| Yes|  | 74.8%A

## Court of Appeals[edit]

Candidate| Incumbent| Retention vote:| Retention Vote %

|
|
|

VaitheswaranAnuradha Vaitheswaran A| Yes| 724,621| 69.86%A
TaborMary Tabor A| Yes| 809,274| 76.95%A
MullinsMichael R. Mullins A| Yes| 800,302| 76.65%A

## District Courts[edit]

### District 1A[edit]

Candidate| Incumbent| Retention vote:| Retention Vote %

|
|
|

BauercamperJohn J. Bauercamper A| Yes| 42,508| 77.5%A
LingreenMargaret L. Lingreen A| Yes| 42,815| 77.75%A
AckleyMonica Ackley A| Yes| 43,694| 76.01%A
NiggRandall J. Nigg A| Yes| 43,560| 77.34%A
RichterRobert Richter A| Yes| 42,969| 79.18%A
BitterThomas Bitter A| Yes| 43,892| 76.57%A

### District 1B[edit]

Candidate| Incumbent| Retention vote:| Retention Vote %

|
|
|

DryerAndrea Dryer A| Yes| 55,003| 79.56%A
StaudtDavid Staudt A| Yes| 53,460| 78.06%A
HarrisJeffrey L. Harris A| Yes| 54,271| 78.6%A
MoothartJoseph Moothart A| Yes| 54,402| 78.59%A
LekarKellyann M. Lekar A| Yes| 53,697| 77.89%A
CallahanNathan A. Callahan A| Yes| 55,008| 79.87%A

### District 2A[edit]

Candidate| Incumbent| Retention vote:| Retention Vote %

|
|
|

DrewJames M. Drew A| Yes| 43,789| 79.76%A
DavenportRustin Davenport A| Yes| 41,843| 77.47%A

### District 2B[edit]

Candidate| Incumbent| Retention vote:| Retention Vote %

|
|
|

DoyleAngela L. Doyle A| Yes| 76,236| 78.78%A
RuighDale E. Ruigh A| Yes| 74,108| 76.77%A
RileyKim Riley A| Yes| 76,159| 78.87%A
StoebeKurt J. Stoebe A| Yes| 76,432| 77.96%A
WilkeKurt L. Wilke A| Yes| 77,370| 78.5%A
JahnLawrence E. Jahn A| Yes| 73,708| 76.82%A
AhlersPaul B. Ahlers A| Yes| 74,514| 77.51%A
OethSteven J. Oeth A| Yes| 74,349| 77.2%A

### District 3A[edit]

Candidate| Incumbent| Retention vote:| Retention Vote %

|
|
|

LesterDavid A. Lester A| Yes| 36,038| 78.47%A
BormannDonald J. Bormann A| Yes| 37,424| 79.85%A
WhittenburgNancy L. Whittenburg A| Yes| 36,697| 77.79%A

### District 3B[edit]

Candidate| Incumbent| Retention vote:| Retention Vote %

|
|
|

PoulsonJeff Poulson A| Yes| 47,439| 80.33%A
DullRobert J. Dull A| Yes| 45,773| 77.25%A
JarmanTimothy T. Jarman A| Yes| 45,769| 78.54%A
HensleyTodd Hensley A| Yes| 46,019| 79.14%A

### District 4[edit]

Candidate| Incumbent| Retention vote:| Retention Vote %

|
|
|

DreismeierCraig M. Dreismeier A| Yes| 42,814| 69.33%A
SteenslandGreg W. Steensland A| Yes| 40,866| 66.34%A
RichardsonJames Richardson A| Yes| 43,353| 69.15%A
EveloffMark J. Eveloff A| Yes| 42,434| 68.47%A

### District 5A[edit]

Candidate| Incumbent| Retention vote:| Retention Vote %

|
|
|

McCallBrad McCall A| Yes| 61,670| 75.13%A
ParkerKevin A. Parker (Iowa) A| Yes| 51,472| 75.92%A
HefnerRandy Hefner A| Yes| 60,457| 74.09%A
RickersTerry Rickers A| Yes| 60,779| 74.36%A
CobbVirginia Cobb A| Yes| 60,952| 74.28%A

### District 5C[edit]

Candidate| Incumbent| Retention vote:| Retention Vote %

|
|
|

CoppolaCarol L. Coppola A| Yes| 120,305| 78.08%A
EglyCarol S. Egly A| Yes| 118,275| 77.44%A
OvromEliza Ovrom A| Yes| 116,839| 77.08%A
BrandtGregory D. Brandt A| Yes| 118,470| 77.71%A
JacobsLouise Jacobs A| Yes| 119,635| 78.26%A
GundersonMary Pat Gunderson A| Yes| 122,946| 79.40%A
SeymourRachael E. Seymour A| Yes| 119,170| 78.05%A
Belcher-FordRomonda Belcher-Ford A| Yes| 117,236| 76.53%A
PriceWilliam A. Price A| Yes| 118,521| 77.66%A

### District 6[edit]

Candidate| Incumbent| Retention vote:| Retention Vote %

|
|
|

MinotDeborah Farmer Minot A| Yes| 125,908| 79.55%A
RussellDouglas S. Russell A| Yes| 123,259| 79.39%A
SpandeJane F. Spande A| Yes| 126,234| 79.86%A
BeckelmanMarsha Beckelman A| Yes| 125,307| 79.36%A
TurnerMitchell E. Turner A| Yes| 124,994| 79.71%A
MillerPaul Miller (Iowa) A| Yes| 125,555| 80.03%A
Jackson, Jr.Stephen B. Jackson, Jr. A| Yes| 123,679| 78.73%A

### District 7[edit]

Candidate| Incumbent| Retention vote:| Retention Vote %

|
|
|

AlpersBobbi M. Alpers A| Yes| 80,200| 75.68%A
StrausserGary P. Strausser A| Yes| 81,162| 76.88%A
TelleenJohn D. Telleen A| Yes| 78,686| 75.45%A
CleveMark D. Cleve A| Yes| 78,667| 75.65%A
TaborNancy S. Tabor A| Yes| 81,466| 76.49%A
ReidelTom Reidel A| Yes| 79,136| 75.98%A

### District 8A[edit]

Candidate| Incumbent| Retention vote:| Retention Vote %

|
|
|

CronkCrystal Cronk A| Yes| 41,387| 74.79%A
GamonLucy J. Gamon A| Yes| 40,617| 73.79%A
GookinMyron L. Gookin A| Yes| 40,095| 73.23%A

### District 8B[edit]

Candidate| Incumbent| Retention vote:| Retention Vote %

|
|
|

DanielsonCynthia Danielson A| Yes| 29,078| 76.48%A
WrightJohn M. Wright A| Yes| 28,993| 77.25%A
KruseMark Kruse A| Yes| 28,469| 76.31%A
DieterichMichael G. Dieterich A| Yes| 29,213| 77.06%A

## In the news[edit]

### Iowa Supreme Court retentions[edit]

As featured in JP Election Brief: The Supreme Court Special on October 18, 2012.

There are seven justices on the Iowa Supreme Court. In 2012, four justices are standing for retention, all except for Wiggins were appointed by Governor Terry Branstad. Wiggins was appointed by Governor Tom Vilsack.

This retention election may show a shift in public sentiment, if votes follow polling. A recent survey found 600 registered Iowa voters were in favor of retaining the justices standing for retention.[2] However, just two years ago, three justices became the first to ever be defeated for retention in the state's history after a gay marriage decision.

### Iowa Supreme Court election reminiscent of 2010[edit]

As featured in JP Election Brief: Retentions, retirements and ratings on September 20, 2012.

Iowa: A campaign to unseat Supreme Court justice David Wiggins is underway.

Groups both for and against Wiggins are actively campaigning.[3][4][5][6] Wiggins is the final remaining judge on the Supreme Court who voted in favor of legalizing same sex marriage. The other three justices who did so, David Baker, Marsha Ternus, and Michael Streit, were removed in the 2010 elections.[7]

This year, activists have enlisted the help of Senator and former presidential candidate, Rick Santorum, as well as Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal. The two men will be part of a "NO Wiggins" bus tour, sponsored by various conservative groups, which will make stops in 17 Iowa communities next week.[8]

### Iowa Supreme Court retention ratings[edit]

As featured in JP Election Brief: Judges seeking retention are judged on September 13, 2012.

A new poll of 600 likely voters shows that the four Iowa Supreme Court justices up for retention in the November election are likely to be retained.[9] The judges up for retention are: Bruce B. Zager, Thomas Waterman, and Edward Mansfield, who are facing their first retentions, and David Wiggins, the only remaining judge on the court involved in the 2009 ruling legalizing gay marriage.

In 2010, three Supreme Court justices, David Baker, Marsha Ternus and Michael Streit, were voted out of office following the gay marriage decision. These justices were the first to be defeated at retention since the state instituted its system of appointment and retention in 1962.[7]

### Iowa 2012 retention elections[edit]

As featured in JP Election Brief: 2012 Retention Elections on July 5, 2012.

Following a judge's appointment, he or she face retention elections after either six years, for the Court of Appeals and District Courts, or eight years, for the Supreme Court.

This November, four Iowa Supreme Court justices will face retention votes. Three of the justices, Edward Mansfield, Bruce B. Zager, and Thomas Waterman, are new to the court, having been appointed to the court following the removal of three of the justices involved in the legalization of gay marriage in Iowa. The fourth justice up for retention, David Wiggins, has served on the court since 2006.

## External links[edit]

* Iowa Secretary of State, "Election Results and Statistics"

## Footnotes[edit]

1. ↑ Iowa Secretary of State, Election Calendar
2. ↑ The Sioux City Journal, "Poll: Iowa justices likely to survive November retention vote," September 12, 2012
3. ↑ Radio Iowa, "Democrats get pep talk about judicial retention election (AUDIO)," September 16, 2012
4. ↑ The Cedar Rapids Gazette, "New group launches ‘Yes on Retention’ campaign for Iowa judges," September 13, 2012
5. ↑ Omaha.com, "New group works to keep judge on Iowa Supreme Court," September 15, 2012
6. ↑ Quad-City Times, "Santorum, Jindal join efforts to oust Iowa judge," September 18, 2012
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 TPMMuckraker "Anti-Gay Groups Defeat Iowa Supreme Court Justices," November 3, 2010
8. ↑ WCF Courier, "Santorum, Jindal join effort to oust an Iowa Supreme Court justice," September 18, 2012
9. ↑ The Sioux City Journal, "Poll: Iowa justices likely to survive November retention vote," September 12, 2012

* Iowa Secretary of State, Election Calendar

v • e

Judicial elections, 2012

Alabama • Alaska • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Florida • Georgia • Idaho • Illinois • Indiana • Iowa • Kansas • Kentucky • Louisiana • Maryland • Michigan • Minnesota • Mississippi • Missouri • Montana • Nebraska • Nevada • New Mexico • New York • North Carolina • North Dakota • Ohio • Oklahoma • Oregon • South Dakota • Tennessee • Texas • Utah • Washington • West Virginia • Wisconsin • Wyoming

Iowa courts

* * *

Federal courts:

Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Northern District of Iowa, Southern District of Iowa • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Northern District of Iowa, Southern District of Iowa

State courts:

Iowa Supreme Court • Iowa Court of Appeals • Iowa district courts

State resources:

Courts in Iowa • Iowa judicial elections • Judicial selection in Iowa