Arizona election recap, 2012

November 15, 2012

Arizona: The outcome this year's general election boded well for Arizona supreme and appellate court judges. Justice John Pelander was retained to a second term on the Arizona Supreme Court and nine of nine appeals court judges were retained to another six-year term.

While retentions for state's higher courts remained relatively calm, two superior court races in Yuma County and Coconino County have drawn the public's eye as results trickle in.

• Yuma County Superior Court, Division 4

Incumbent Judge David M. Haws lost his seat on the Yuma County Superior Court to opponent Jim Clark. Judge Haws was appointed to the court by Governor Jan Brewer earlier this year to replace Andrew W. Gould who moved to the Court of Appeals and challenger Jim Clark is a civil litigator who has practiced law in Yuma County for 38 years.

After a delay in results, the Yuma County Elections office reported that Clark defeated Haws by 366 votes.

• Coconino County Superior Court, Division 5

In a race originally thought to be unopposed, Cathleen Nichols found herself in a heated race, battling for votes. After incumbent Judge Joseph Lodge was declared unable to appear on the ballot, Nichols expected to be the only candidate in this year's general election. The race changed when attorney Gary Robbins entered as a write-in candidate, accusing Nichols of using "legal shenanigans" to have Judge Lodge removed from the ballot. Nichols in turn replied with attacking Robbins' experience saying, "There is no question that Gary is not qualified to do this job."

Now that unofficial results are in we have the outcome of this battle. Cathleen Nichols garnered 54.77 percent of the vote, defeating Gary Robbins, who received 44.33 percent of the vote. Nichols will begin her term in early January 2013.

For more information on this year's judicial elections in Arizona, see: Arizona judicial elections, 2012 and Arizona judicial elections, 2012 - Superior Courts.