Kentucky Supreme Court elections, 2020
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Robert Conley defeated Chris Harris in the general election for Kentucky Supreme Court 7th District on November 3, 2020.
Election procedure changes in 2020
Ballotpedia provided comprehensive coverage of how election dates and procedures changed in 2020. While the majority of changes occurred as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, some changes occurred for other reasons.
Kentucky modified its absentee/mail-in voting procedures for the November 3, 2020, general election as follows:
- Absentee/mail-in voting: Absentee/mail-in voting eligibility was extended to all voters "concerned with contracting or spreading COVID-19."
For a full timeline about election modifications made in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, click here.
Candidates and results
Wright's seat
General election
General election for Kentucky Supreme Court 7th District
Robert Conley defeated Chris Harris in the general election for Kentucky Supreme Court 7th District on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Robert Conley (Nonpartisan) | 55.5 | 90,636 | |
| Chris Harris (Nonpartisan) | 44.5 | 72,691 | ||
| Total votes: 163,327 | ||||
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Nonpartisan primary election
Nonpartisan primary for Kentucky Supreme Court 7th District
Robert Conley and Chris Harris defeated incumbent Samuel T. Wright in the primary for Kentucky Supreme Court 7th District on June 23, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Robert Conley (Nonpartisan) | 39.9 | 32,782 | |
| ✔ | Chris Harris (Nonpartisan) | 30.2 | 24,807 | |
| Samuel T. Wright (Nonpartisan) | 29.8 | 24,470 | ||
| Total votes: 82,059 | ||||
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Past elections
2018
- See also: Kentucky Supreme Court elections, 2018
General election
General election for Kentucky Supreme Court 3rd District
Debra Hembree Lambert defeated Daniel Ballou in the general election for Kentucky Supreme Court 3rd District on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Debra Hembree Lambert (Nonpartisan) | 65.1 | 95,237 | |
| Daniel Ballou (Nonpartisan) | 34.9 | 51,075 | ||
| Total votes: 146,312 (100.00% precincts reporting) | ||||
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Nonpartisan primary election
Nonpartisan primary for Kentucky Supreme Court 3rd District
Debra Hembree Lambert and Daniel Ballou defeated David A. Tapp in the primary for Kentucky Supreme Court 3rd District on May 22, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Debra Hembree Lambert (Nonpartisan) | 50.2 | 64,028 | |
| ✔ | Daniel Ballou (Nonpartisan) | 25.3 | 32,277 | |
| David A. Tapp (Nonpartisan) | 24.5 | 31,289 | ||
| Total votes: 127,594 | ||||
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Click [show] at the right to view more past election results. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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2016
November 8 general election resultsLaurance VanMeter defeated Glenn Acree in the general election for Mary Noble's seat on the Kentucky Supreme Court.
May 17 primary resultsBecause there were only two candidates, both advanced to the general election on November 8, 2016.
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About the Kentucky Supreme Court
- See also: Kentucky Supreme Court
The Kentucky Supreme Court is composed of seven justices who are elected in nonpartisan elections by voters. A full term on the court is eight years. Kentucky's nonpartisan judicial elections take place during its general elections. These are usually held in even-numbered years but can be held in odd-numbered years.
Political composition
This was the political composition of the supreme court heading into the 2020 election. Justices in Kentucky are elected by voters; for a midterm vacancy, the governor appoints a judge, who then must stand for election by voters in a forthcoming general election.
| ■ Christopher Nickell | Elected in 2019 | |
| ■ Lisabeth Tabor Hughes | Appointed by Gov. Ernie Fletcher (R) in 2007 | |
| ■ Michelle Keller | Appointed by Gov. Steve Beshear (D) in 2013 | |
| ■ Debra Hembree Lambert | Elected in 2018 | |
| ■ John D. Minton, Jr. | Appointed by Gov. Ernie Fletcher (R) in 2006 | |
| ■ Laurance VanMeter | Elected in 2016 | |
| ■ Samuel T. Wright III | Elected in 2015 |
Selection
- See also: Judicial selection in Kentucky
Justices are elected for eight-year terms in nonpartisan elections. If a midterm vacancy occurs, the governor appoints a successor from a list of three names provided by the Kentucky Judicial Nominating Commission. If the term the appointee will fill expires at the next election, the appointment is for the remainder of the term. If the term does not expire at the next election and that election is more than three months away, the appointee must stand for election, and the election is for the remainder of the unexpired term. If the term does not expire at the next election, but the election is less than three months away, the appointee must stand for election in the election following the next. The election is for the remainder of the unexpired term, if any; if none of the term is left, the election is for a full term.[1]
Qualifications
For the position of supreme court justice, the candidate must be a citizen of the United States and a resident of both the Commonwealth and of the district from which he or she is elected for at least two years immediately prior to taking office. He or she must be licensed to practice law in the courts of the Commonwealth for at least eight years before becoming eligible to serve on the court.[2]
See also
External links
Footnotes
Federal courts:
Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Eastern District of Kentucky, Western District of Kentucky • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Eastern District of Kentucky, Western District of Kentucky
State courts:
Kentucky Supreme Court • Kentucky Court of Appeals • Kentucky Circuit Courts • Kentucky District Courts • Kentucky Family Court
State resources:
Courts in Kentucky • Kentucky judicial elections • Judicial selection in Kentucky
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