America’s Election Day 2022 was not only important for several state and national legislative races, but also in Kentucky, where the state’s judges and justices are elected, non-partisan officials. Several notable races among the various levels of Kentucky’s state court system took place.
The Supreme Court of Kentucky is the court of last resort and final interpreter of Kentucky state law. Seven elected justices sit on the court. While Western Kentucky’s 1st District Justice Christopher Shea Nickell won re-election unopposed, three of the Kentucky Supreme Court’s seats were contested in Tuesday’s election. Justice-elect Angela McCormick Bisig won her race with 80-plus percent of the votes in the 4th District (Jefferson County). She will replace retiring Justice Lisabeth Hughes.
Chief Justice John Minton’s seat, left open because of Justice Minton’s retirement, is expected to be won by Kelly Thompson, a state Court of Appeals Judge, who leads the race with 61% of the votes, with just under half of the precincts reporting as of Wednesday morning.
In the other Supreme Court seat, incumbent Justice Michelle Keller currently leads challenger and current state representative Joe Fischer with 55% of the reported vote compared to 45% of the reported vote in the 6th District (comprised mainly of Northern and Central Kentucky counties).
Two open Court of Appeals seats, were won by District Judge Annette Karem and Circuit Court Judge Audra Eckerle.
Significant turnover is expected in many circuit court judicial races across Kentucky. In Jefferson County, where Abaray Craddock & Smith’s injury office Is located, there are 13 circuit court judges that hear controversies involving contested probate cases, civil matters involving more than $5,000, such as most medical malpractice cases, nursing home neglect and abuse cases, slip-and-fall cases, and car wreck cases, in addition to criminal matters such as capital offenses and felonies.
In the contested Jefferson Circuit Court races, Tish Morris, who most recently practiced as a plaintiff’s personal injury lawyer herself, defeated Dorislee Gilbert. Sarah Clay, Melissa Logan Bellows, Julie Kaelin were also victorious. Tracy Evette Davis also became judge-elect in Jefferson County, ousting the only incumbent to lose her seat, Mary Shaw.
The Louisville Courier-Journal published the full details of the election results in Kentucky’s state and local judicial races: https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/politics/elections/2022/11/08/kentucky-midterm-election-2022-kentucky-supreme-court-race-results/69527147007/
