Litigation

Alabama Leads for Judicial Election Spending; JAS Cited

By Peter Hardin

Alabama leads the nation this year in spending on state Supreme Court elections at more than $1 million, and that is an off-year pace with only three of the court’s nine seats listed on the ballot.

Alabama Supreme Court candidates raised and spent a whopping $41 million in the past decade, a Birmingham News article reported in citing data furnished by Justice at Stake.

“Small change in an Alabama election is big bucks anywhere else,” said Charles Hall, Justice at Stake’s spokesman. “Alabama is in a class of its own.” Between 2000 and 2009, Alabama outpaced the spending in Ohio and Pennsylvania by nearly double, as they almost tied for second place.

Nine candidates for the three open Alabama Supreme Court seats have reported spending a total of $1.05 million so far this year. Incumbent Justice Mike Bolin, who defeated challenger Tracy Cary in a GOP primary June 1, led in reported spending at $550,000 through May 26.

But Cary may have spent $650,000 to air advertising just before the primary, according to an estimate by Justice Bolin’s campaign. Cary’s spending during the pre-primary week is expected to be the subject of a disclosure report later. (See Gavel Grab for details about the Republican primary contest and Cary’s statements about money in judicial elections.)

When the same seats last were up for election, in 2004, the candidates spent a combined $7.7 million total, according to Justice at Stake.

Republican judicial campaigns in recent years have drawn their primary support from businesses and the trial lawyers who defend them, and Democrats have gotten support from trial lawyers who sue corporations, the state teachers’ union and gambling interests.

To learn about the risk posed by special-interest spending in judicial elections, visit Justice at Stake’s issues page on the topic.

Full post as published by The Gavel on June 07, 2010 (boomark / email).