Wyoming judicial elections, 2016
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Three seats on Wyoming's state-level courts were up for retention elections on November 8, 2016. All three seats are on the Wyoming Supreme Court were on the general election ballot. Justice William U. Hill, Justice Kate M. Fox, and Justice Keith Kautz faced retention elections. If retained, a supreme court justice serves an eight-year term.
Justices who faced retention
Supreme Court
■ Kate M. Fox
■ William U. Hill
■ Keith G. Kautz
Election results
November 8 general election
Kate M. Fox was retained in the Wyoming Supreme Court. She won election with 76.32% of the vote.
| Wyoming Supreme Court, Fox's Seat, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Name | Yes votes | |
 Kate M. Fox | 76.32% | |
| Source: Wyoming Secretary of State Official Results | ||
William U. Hill (Wyoming) was retained in the Wyoming Supreme Court. He won election with 76.24% of the vote.
| Wyoming Supreme Court, Hill's Seat, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Name | Yes votes | |
| William U. Hill (Wyoming) | 76.24% | |
| Source: Wyoming Secretary of State Official Results | ||
Keith G. Kautz was retained in the Wyoming Supreme Court. He won election with 76.56% of the vote.
| Wyoming Supreme Court, Kautz's Seat, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Name | Yes votes | |
| Keith G. Kautz | 76.56% | |
| Source: Wyoming Secretary of State Official Results | ||
Selection
- See also: Judicial selection in Wyoming
From 1890 to 1972, justices of the court were elected by the people of the state. Starting in 1972, justices gained a seat on the court through a commission selection process. They face a retention election every eight years. There are seven members of the nominating commission, which is called the Wyoming Judicial Nominating Commission. The chairman of the commission is the chief justice of the supreme court or another justice of the court designated to act on behalf of the chief justice. Three members of the commission are elected from the active membership of the Wyoming State Bar. Three Wyoming electors who are not admitted to the bar are appointed to the commission by the governor.[1]
Qualifications
Requirements for service as a justice on the court are laid out in Article 5 of the Wyoming Constitution and include:
- U.S. citizenship
- Wyoming resident for at least three years.
- Nine years of legal experience
- Minimum age of 30.
- The mandatory retirement age is 70.
State profile
| Demographic data for Wyoming | ||
|---|---|---|
| Wyoming | U.S. | |
| Total population: | 586,555 | 316,515,021 |
| Land area (sq mi): | 97,093 | 3,531,905 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White: | 91% | 73.6% |
| Black/African American: | 1.1% | 12.6% |
| Asian: | 0.9% | 5.1% |
| Native American: | 2.2% | 0.8% |
| Pacific Islander: | 0.1% | 0.2% |
| Two or more: | 2.7% | 3% |
| Hispanic/Latino: | 9.6% | 17.1% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate: | 92.3% | 86.7% |
| College graduation rate: | 25.7% | 29.8% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income: | $58,840 | $53,889 |
| Persons below poverty level: | 12.7% | 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 Wyoming. **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 Wyoming
Wyoming voted Republican in all seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.
More Wyoming coverage on Ballotpedia
- Elections in Wyoming
- United States congressional delegations from Wyoming
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Recent news
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See also
External links
Footnotes
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Federal courts:
Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: District of Wyoming • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: District of Wyoming
State courts:
Wyoming Supreme Court • Wyoming District Courts • Wyoming Circuit Courts • Wyoming Municipal Courts
State resources:
Courts in Wyoming • Wyoming judicial elections • Judicial selection in Wyoming