Florida
Justices deciding state’s thorniest issues keep jobs
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — From deciding whether Florida taxpayer money can be used to fly immigrants to Democratic-led states to weighing in on the legality of an abortion prohibition after 15 weeks of pregnancy, the Florida Supreme Court is in the middle of making some of the thorniest decisions in the state.
But in the election that concluded Tuesday, it was Florida voters who judged whether five out of the seven Florida Supreme Court justices on the ballot got to keep their jobs, and they decided overwhelmingly to have them stay in their positions. The results weren’t surprising since it is exceedingly rare for Florida voters to reject justices on the state’s highest court.
The justices on the ballot this election cycle were Charles Canady, John Couriel, Jamie Grosshans, Jorge Labarga and Ricky Polston. Each justice received job-retention approval with a range of 62% to 64% of the votes cast in the nonpartisan races.
The Florida Supreme Court has several controversial cases on its docket. They include a petition to stay the recent Florida law outlawing abortions past 15 weeks of pregnancy; a request to prohibit Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis from executing a program that flies immigrants in Texas to another, Democratic-led state; and whether to uphold the death sentence of a man convicted of killing an Orlando police lieutenant.
Justices on the court are appointed by the governor, but Florida voters get to say whether they stay in office. “Yes” or “no” retention votes take place during the first general election that occurs more than a year after the justices have been named to the bench and then every six years thereafter.
Canady, Labarga and Polston were appointed to the Florida Supreme Court by then-Republican Gov. Charlie Crist, who served from 2007 to 2011. Crist, who switched to the Democratic party to run against DeSantis in the midterm elections that concluded Tuesday, was soundly defeated by the incumbent governor. Couriel and Grosshans were appointed by DeSantis, who took office in 2019.
The two justices not on the ballot this election cycle, Chief Justice Carlos Muñiz and Justice Renatha Francis, both DeSantis appointees, face retention votes in 2026 and 2024, respectively.
New York
State attorney general, a thorn in Trump’s side, wins 2nd term
NEW YORK (AP) — Democrat Letitia James has been elected to a second term as New York’s attorney general, an office she has used to pursue former President Donald Trump and a list of other powerful targets.
James on Tuesday defeated Republican Michael Henry, a Queens lawyer who was endorsed by various police unions but faced long odds against one of the state’s most powerful Democrats.
“We sent a message, a shot across the bow to the most powerful companies and people who believe that they’re above the law that they are not, and that this Attorney General will hold them accountable,” James told supporters. “We show them that justice is not a theoretical concept to be pursued but a reality to be enforced.”
Henry did not make any comment, but on Twitter he retweeted a tweet from his spokesperson, Candace Giove, who said, “The chief law enforcement official of NY really should wait until the votes are counted before declaring victory.”
James, 64, made history when she took office in January 2019. She is the first Black woman elected to statewide office, the state’s first Black attorney general and the first woman elected to the post.
She began investigating Trump almost as soon as she took office, suing the Republican in September alleging he and his company misled banks and others about the value of his assets.
James also confronted one of her party’s stars, overseeing a sexual harassment investigation last year that precipitated Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s resignation.
Other foes have included the National Rifle Association — whom she is suing over alleged self-dealing by executives; the manufacturers and distributors of opioid painkillers; the Roman Catholic Church, which her office is investigating for its handling of priest abuse; and the NYPD, which she sued over its treatment of protesters in the wake of the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd.
Like many New York Republicans this year, Henry has campaigned on fears of rising crime and unwavering support for law enforcement. He favors loosening gun restrictions and less regulation of businesses.
Henry said James’ office “has been weaponized in service of political ambition.” He has criticized her for going after Trump and for involving herself in the Cuomo investigation when she had designs on possibly replacing him as governor.
James did briefly run for governor last year following Cuomo’s resignation, but abandoned the effort after about two months.
When Trump was president, James sued his administration dozens of times, challenging policies on the environment, immigration, education, health care and other issues. She also fought Trump on his plans to include a question about immigration status on the Census, winning in the U.S. Supreme Court.
Trump has repeatedly blasted James’ actions against him, saying she’s driven by “racism” and political considerations.
Before she won her office in 2018, James had called Trump a “con man,” “carnival barker” and “fear monger.”
After a leak of the Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade, James vowed to use her office protect abortion rights in the state.
James, who grew up and still lives in Brooklyn, also made a deeply personal disclosure, saying that she had an abortion about two decades ago.
Kentucky
Keller reelected to State Supreme Court, beating state lawmaker
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky Supreme Court Justice Michelle Keller has been reelected, overcoming a strong challenge from longtime state lawmaker Joseph Fischer.
In winning another eight-year term, Keller defeated one of the state’s most prominent abortion opponents. Fischer, an attorney from northern Kentucky, has served in the state House for more than two decades, and the Republican was at the forefront of legislative efforts to restrict abortion.
With her victory, Keller will continue a state Supreme Court career that began in 2013 when she was appointed by then-Gov. Steve Beshear. She was elected to a full eight-year term on the court in 2014.
Fischer promoted himself as “the conservative Republican” in a judicial race that the state constitution designates as nonpartisan. The partisan nature of his campaign drew criticism from a judicial watchdog group and also from Keller.
