Hennepin County Bar Association's Information on
Judicial Plebiscites

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The Hennepin County Bar Association has been conducting Judicial Plebiscites since 1984.

There have been 37 contested Hennepin County District Court elections since then and one Hennepin County Municipal Court challenge. 

The bar's poll asks attorneys to vote for one candidate in each contested election -- allowing the Hennepin County Bar members to express their preference for judgeships prior to the general public election.

The tables below show the incumbent judge( * ), the challenger, the number and percentage of votes received, the percentage of HCBA membership that voted in the poll, and the candidate who was elected to the bench by the public.

2008 Results
2006 Results
2004 Results
2002 Results
2000 Results
1998 Results
1996 Results
1994 Results
1990 Results
1986 Results

1984 Results

 
2008 General Election - Hennepin County District Court

Candidates

Votes Cast by  Members

% Voting in Plebescite

Winner of General Election

*Philip D. Bush 1015 97% 14% Philip D. Bush

Eugene Link

30 3%

Candidates

Votes Cast  by  Members

% Voting
Plebescite

Winner of General Election

David L. Piper

622 59.5% 14% Jane Ranum
Jane Ranum 424 40.5%

Candidates

Votes Cast  by  Members

% Voting
Plebescite

Winner of General Election

Thomas F. Haeg

234 22% 14% James T. Swenson
*James T. Swenson 836 78%
 
2006 General Election - Hennepin County District Court

Candidates

Votes Cast by  Members

% Voting

Winner of General Election

*Patricia Kerr Karasov 855 68.1% 19.6% Patricia Kerr Karasov

Dee Rowe

401 31.9%

Candidates

Votes Cast  by  Members

% Voting

Winner of General Election

Kevin J. Kolosky

58 4.5% 19.6% John Q. McShane
*John Q. McShane 1219 95.5%
 
 
2004 General Election - Hennepin County District Court

Candidates

Votes Cast by  Members

% of HCBA Voting

Winner of General Election

*Thor Anderson 579 79.2% 9.5% Thor Anderson

Julie Delgado-O'Neil

152 20.8%

Candidates

Votes Cast  by  Members

% of HCBA Voting

Winner of General Election

Stephen Allan Baker  

132 17.5% 9.8% Susan N. Burke
Susan N. Burke 621 82.5%

Candidates

Votes Cast  by  Members

% of HCBA Voting

Winner of General Election

*LaJune Thomas Lange 498 68.6%

9.4%

LaJune Thomas Lange
Kevin J. Kolosky 228 31.4%
 
 
 

2002 General Election - Hennepin County District Court   
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Candidates

Votes Cast by  Members

% of HCBA Voting

Winner of General Election

*Harry Seymour Crump 1547 91.4%

23%

Harry Seymour Crump

Kevin J. Kolosky 145 8.6%

Candidates

Votes Cast by  Members

% of HCBA Voting

Winner of General Election

*Stephen C. Aldrich 1503 86.8%

23%

Stephen C. Aldrich

Judd Edward Gushwa 228 13.2%

Candidates

Votes Cast by  Members

% of HCBA Voting

Winner of General Election

*Tanya M. Bransford 1459 85.8%

23%

Tanya M. Bransford

Joseph (Pat) McCormick 241 14.2%

Candidates

Votes Cast by  Members

% of HCBA Voting

Winner of General Election

*Thomas W. Wexler 1273 74%

23%

Thomas W. Wexler

Jill Clark 447 26%

Candidates

Votes Cast by  Members

% of HCBA Voting

Winner of General Election

*Herbert P. Lefler 1377 82.5%

23%

Herbert P. Lefler

Liz Pierce 292 17.5%

Candidates

Votes Cast by  Members

% of HCBA Voting

Winner of General Election

 *James T. Swenson 1478 87.5%

23%

*James T. Swenson

Robert D. Schwartz 212 12.5%

Candidates

Votes Cast by  Members

% of HCBA Voting

Winner of General Election

*Lloyd Zimmerman 1439 85%

23%

Lloyd Zimmerman

 Julie Delgado O'Neil 253 15%
2000 General Election - Hennepin County District Court                    Back to Top

Candidates

Votes Cast by  Members

% of HCBA Voting

Winner of General Election

*David Duffy 1,411 86.6% 23% David Duffy

Shaun G. Jamison

219 13.4%

Candidates

Votes Cast  by  Members

% of HCBA Voting

Winner of General Election

*Myron S. Greenberg

1,506 90.2% 23% Myron S. Greenberg
Kevin J. Kolosky 163 9.8%

Candidates

Votes Cast  by  Members

% of HCBA Voting

Winner of General Election

*Patricia Kerr Karasov 1,058 67%

23%

Patricia Kerr Karasov
Kathleen A. Mottl 521 33%
Candidates Votes Cast  by  Members % of HCBA Voting Winner of General Election
*John Q. McShane 1,515 92.2% 23%

John Q. McShane

Dennis Evans 129 7.8%
1998 General Election - Hennepin County District Court                    Back to Top
Candidates Votes Cast  by  Members % of HCBA Voting Winner of General Election
*Franklin J. Knoll 1,451 94% 20% Franklin J. Knoll
Kevin J. Kolosky 87 6%
1996 Primary Election - Hennepin County District Court                    Back to Top
Votes Cast  by  Members % of HCBA Voting
*William B. Christensen 449 22%

29%

Richard E. Schieffer 284 14%
Mary E. Steenson 1,274 63%
Votes Cast  by  Members % of HCBA Voting
D. Richard Hellweg 116 6% 29%
Daniel B. Johnson 320 16%
Bruce A. Peterson 1,448 72%
Janet Nordell Poston 138 7%
Votes Cast  by  Members % of HCBA Voting
Stephen C. Aldrich 519 26%

29%

Jerry Gallivan 329 16%
Stephen C. Rathke 496 24%
Charles D. Reite 536 26%
James P. Reynolds 155 8%
1996 General Election - Hennepin County District Court                    Back to Top
Candidates Votes Cast  by  Members

% of HCBA Voting

Winner of General Election
*Pamela G. Alexander 1,397 82% 24% Pamela G. Alexander
Kevin J. Kolosky 297 18%
Candidates Votes Cast  by  Members % of HCBA Voting Winner of General Election
*William B. Christensen 409 24% 24% Mary E. Steenson
Mary E. Steenson 1,328 76%
Candidates Votes Cast  by  Members

% of HCBA Voting

Winner of General Election
*Bruce Hartigan 798 45% 24% Bruce Hartigan
Bradley C. Thorsen 968 55%
Candidates Votes Cast  by  Members % of HCBA Voting Winner of General Election
*Charles A. Porter, Jr. 1,048 60% 24% Charles A. Porter, Jr.
Paul D. Tierney 690 40%
Candidates Votes Cast  by  Members % of HCBA Voting Winner of General Election
Bruce A. Peterson 1,549 87% 24% Janet Nordell Poston
Janet Nordell Poston 226 13%
Candidates Votes Cast  by  Members % of HCBA Voting Winner of General Election
Stephen C. Aldrich 1,019 58% 24% Stephen C. Aldrich
 Stephen C. Rathke 729 42%

Candidates

Votes Cast  by  Members % of HCBA Voting Winner of General Election
*Thomas Wexler 1,054 62% 24% Thomas Wexler
Michael J. Fitzgerald 655 38%
1994 General Election - Hennepin County District Court                    Back to Top
Candidates Votes Cast  by  Members % of HCBA Voting Winner of General Election
*Deborah Hedlund 1,840 76% 36.5

Derborah Hedlund

Kevin J. Kolosky 580 24%
Candidates Votes Cast  by  Members % of HCBA Voting Winner of General Election
*Delores C. Orey 1,715 71% 36.5%

Delores C. Orey

Donald A. Hillstrom 715 29%
Candidates Votes Cast  by  Members % of HCBA Voting Winner of General Election
*Sean Jerome Rice 555 22% 36.5% Patricia Kerr Karasov
Patricia Kerr Karasov 1,924 78%
1990 General Election - Hennepin County District Court                    Back to Top

Candidates

Votes Cast  by  Members % of HCBA Voting Winner of General Election
*William Christensen 963 51% 31% William Christensen
Thomas B. Wilson 926 49%

Candidates

Votes Cast  by  Members % of HCBA Voting Winner of General Election
*James D. Rogers 704 37% 31% Thomas W. Wexler
Thomas W. Wexler 1,215 63%
1986 General Election - Hennepin County District Court                    Back to Top
Candidates Votes Cast  by  Members % of HCBA Voting Winner of General Election
*LaJune Thomas Lange 1,562 81% 35% LaJune Thomas Lange
Donald A. Hillstrom 365 19%
Candidates Votes Cast  by  Members % of HCBA Voting Winner of General Election
Isabel Gomez- Edwards 1,524 80% 35% Isabel Gomez-Edwards
John L. Gorman 372 20%
1984 General Election - Hennepin County District Court                      Back to Top

Candidates

Votes Cast by  Members

% of HCBA Voting

Winner of General Election

*Charles A. Porter, Jr. 1,357 67% 40% Charles A. Porter, Jr.
Patrick J. Foley 630 33%

Candidates

Votes Cast
 by  Members

% of HCBA Members Voting

Winner of General Election

*Chester Durda 1,506 79% 40% Chester Durda
John J. Hancock 408 21%
1984 General Election - Hennepin County Municipal Court                     Back to Top

Candidates

Votes Cast by  Members

% of HCBA Voting

Winner of General Election

*James D. Rogers 1,322 68% 40 James D. Rogers
David K. Porter 630 32%

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