Voters keep Iowa Supreme Court justices, appellate judges in office

Iowans voted Tuesday to keep all the appellate and Supreme Court justices up for retention in 2020 on the bench.

Iowa's justices and judges are appointed by the governor but face periodic, nonpartisan retention elections, in which voters decide if they should remain. Although judges and justices are usually retained, voters have occasionally tossed them out. 

All four Supreme Court justices were retained by margins of at least 69% to 31%, according to preliminary results with 100% of ballots counted. The four Court of Appeals judges on the ballot performed even better, as each received at least 73% of the vote with the same percentage of ballots counted. 

In addition to the Supreme Court and Court of Appeals judges, who appeared on ballots statewide, 87 district court and district associate judges were on ballots in the judicial district that they represent. Preliminary numbers show all 87 with wide leads to be retained, with all counties reporting.

The Iowa Supreme Court justices on the ballot this year were Susan Christensen, retained by a margin of 73% to 27%; Christopher McDonald, retained 71.3% to 28.7%; Edward Mansfield, retained 69.2% to 30.8%; and Thomas Waterman, retained 69.9% to 30.1%. Christensen and McDonald were appointed by Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, and Mansfield and Waterman were appointed by former Gov. Terry Branstad. Both Branstad and Reynolds are Republicans.

Iowa Court of Appeals judges Thomas Bower, David May, Sharon Soorholtz-Greer and Julie Schumacher also were on the ballot this year, and all were retained by wide margins. Preliminary returns show Bower received 73.4% of the vote in his election; May received 73.2%; Soorholtz-Greer received 74.2% and Schumacher received 76.2%. Bower was appointed by Branstad. The other three were Reynolds appointments.

More details:Iowa judges and justices are on the ballot this year. Here's how to learn more before you vote.

Voter guide:Here's what you'll find on your Iowa ballot, plus info about the candidates, their stances, fact checks

Iowa Supreme Court justices face retention elections every eight years. Court of Appeals judges, district court judges and district associate judges serve six-year terms, and magistrate judges serve four-year terms. All judges in Iowa have a mandatory retirement age of 72.

Iowa voters booted three state Supreme Court justices in 2010 following a high-profile campaign by conservative groups to unseat them over a unanimous high court ruling in 2009 that legalized same-sex marriage in Iowa. Voters have opted to retain the justices on the ballot in the years since.

Iowa has used a merit selection process to choose judges since the Iowa Constitution was amended in 1962. A nominating commission interviews applicants and sends finalists' names to the governor, who then selects the judge or justice from among the finalists. Reynolds last year signed a Republican-backed law giving the governor an additional appointment on the statewide nominating commission that selects Supreme Court justices and Court of Appeals judges.

Iowa is one of several states that uses some form of merit selection process involving a nominating commission and a gubernatorial appointment. In other states, judges are directly elected, either in partisan or nonpartisan elections.

Stephen Gruber-Miller covers the Iowa Statehouse and politics for the Register. He can be reached by email at sgrubermil@registermedia.com or by phone at 515-284-8169. Follow him on Twitter at @sgrubermiller.

William Morris covers courts for the Des Moines Register. He can be contacted at wrmorris2@registermedia.com, 715-573-8166 or on Twitter at @DMRMorris.