Judges appointed by Sean Parnell
This page lists judges appointed by Sean Parnell (R) during their term as Governor of Alaska. As of today, the total number of Parnell appointees was 28. For the full profile of Parnell, click here.
Ballotpedia provides comprehensive coverage of the 100 largest cities in America by population. Some Alaska judges are outside of that coverage scope. As a result, this page does not provide an exhaustive list of all judges appointed by Gov. Parnell.
Appointment process
In Alaska, the governor makes a judicial appointment after candidates are recommended by a judicial nominating commission. After the governor appoints a judge, she or he must run for retention after serving at least three years in office.
Appointed judges
The tables below list the governor's appointees to the courts across the state.
State Courts
Supreme Court
| Name | Court | Active |
|---|---|---|
|
Alaska Supreme Court |
2009 - June 1, 2020 |
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|
Alaska Supreme Court |
August 9, 2012 - January 13, 2025 |
|
|
Alaska Supreme Court |
February 1, 2013 - June 30, 2021 |
Court of Appeals
| Name | Court | Active |
|---|---|---|
|
Alaska Court of Appeals |
November 23, 2012 - Present |
|
|
Alaska Court of Appeals |
Local Courts
| Name | Court | Active |
|---|---|---|
|
Alaska First District District Court |
2010 - June 30, 2018 |
|
|
Alaska First District Superior Court |
September 30, 2011 - June 29, 2018 |
|
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Alaska Fourth District District Court |
||
|
Alaska Fourth District Superior Court |
||
|
Alaska Fourth District Superior Court |
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|
Alaska Fourth District Superior Court |
2012 - 2019 |
|
|
Alaska Fourth District Superior Court |
||
|
Alaska Second District Superior Court |
||
|
Alaska Second District Superior Court |
||
|
Alaska Second District Superior Court |
||
|
Alaska Third District District Court |
2012 - 2017 |
|
|
Alaska Third District District Court |
2010 - Present |
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|
Alaska Third District District Court |
2011 - Present |
|
|
Alaska Third District District Court |
2012 - Present |
|
|
Alaska Third District District Court |
||
|
Alaska Third District Superior Court |
||
|
Alaska Third District Superior Court |
2010 - Present |
|
|
Alaska Third District Superior Court |
||
|
Alaska Third District Superior Court |
2011 - 2022 |
|
|
Alaska Third District Superior Court |
||
|
Alaska Third District Superior Court |
||
|
Alaska Third District Superior Court |
||
|
Alaska Third District Superior Court |
2012 - February 6, 2023 |
Judicial selection process
- See also: Judicial selection in Alaska
| Judicial selection in Alaska | |
 | |
| Alaska Supreme Court | |
| Method: | Assisted appointment |
| Term: | 10 years |
| Alaska Court of Appeals | |
| Method: | Assisted appointment |
| Term: | 8 years |
| Alaska Superior Court | |
| Method: | Assisted appointment |
| Term: | 6 years |
| Alaska District Court | |
| Method: | Assisted appointment |
| Term: | 4 years |
Judicial selection refers to the process used to select judges for courts. At the state level, methods of judicial selection vary substantially in the United States, and in some cases between different court types within a state. There are six primary types of judicial selection: partisan and nonpartisan elections, the Michigan method, assisted appointment, gubernatorial appointment, and legislative elections. To read more about how these selection methods are used across the country, click here.
This article covers how state court judges are selected in Alaska, including:
- Alaska Supreme Court,
- Alaska Court of Appeals,
- Alaska Superior Court, and
- Limited jurisdiction courts
As of March 2023, judges for all courts in the state were selected through the assisted appointment method, where the governor selects a nominee from a list provided by a nominating commission.
Click here to notify us of changes to judicial selection methods in this state.
| Appellate state court selection in the United States, by general selection method[1] |
|---|
|
|
| State courts and their selection methods across the U.S., including the District of Columbia[1] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Method | Supreme Court (of 53)[2] | Courts of Appeal (of 46) | Trial Courts (of 147) |
| Partisan elections (PE) | 8 | 6 | 39 |
| Nonpartisan elections (NPE) | 13 | 16 | 34 |
| Legislative elections (LE) | 2 | 2 | 5 |
| Gubernatorial appointment of judges (GA) | 5 | 3 | 6 |
| Assisted appointment (AA) | 22 | 18 | 46 |
| Combination or other | 3[3] | 1[4] | 17[5] |
State profile
| Demographic data for Alaska | ||
|---|---|---|
| Alaska | U.S. | |
| Total population: | 737,709 | 316,515,021 |
| Land area (sq mi): | 570,641 | 3,531,905 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White: | 66% | 73.6% |
| Black/African American: | 3.4% | 12.6% |
| Asian: | 5.9% | 5.1% |
| Native American: | 13.8% | 0.8% |
| Pacific Islander: | 1.2% | 0.2% |
| Two or more: | 8.4% | 3% |
| Hispanic/Latino: | 6.5% | 17.1% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate: | 92.1% | 86.7% |
| College graduation rate: | 28% | 29.8% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income: | $72,515 | $53,889 |
| Persons below poverty level: | 11.3% | 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 Alaska. **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 Alaska
Alaska voted Republican in all seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.
More Alaska coverage on Ballotpedia
- Elections in Alaska
- United States congressional delegations from Alaska
- Public policy in Alaska
- Endorsers in Alaska
- Alaska fact checks
- More...
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection," archived February 2, 2015
- ↑ Both Oklahoma and Texas have two state supreme courts: one for civil matters and one for criminal matters.
- ↑ Michigan and Ohio use nonpartisan general elections with candidates selected through partisan primaries or conventions. In the District of Columbia, judges are selected in the same manner as federal judges.
- ↑ Judges of the North Dakota Court of Appeals are appointed on an as-needed basis by the supreme court justices.
- ↑ Most courts that use combination/alternative methods (for example, mayoral appointment) are local level courts. These courts are often governed by selection guidelines that are unique to their specific region.
Federal courts:
Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: District of Alaska • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: District of Alaska
State courts:
Alaska Supreme Court • Alaska Court of Appeals • Alaska Superior Court • Alaska District Court
State resources:
Courts in Alaska • Alaska judicial elections • Judicial selection in Alaska