A 104-Year Incumbent Streak in Georgia Continues

More voters selected Democratic primary ballots than Republican ones in Georgia’s primary elections, but three incumbent state Supreme Court justices appointed by Republican governors retained their seats for six more years. All three voted to uphold Georgia’s six-week abortion ban. One race was close, and one justice ran unopposed. Georgia Supreme Court elections have been labeled nonpartisan since 1983, but the Republican-controlled legislature moved the election date from November to the May primary in 2012. Low-turnout primaries tend to favor Republicans. In states without party labels on ballots, incumbents often win, and Georgia’s statewide incumbent judges all won. No sitting Georgia Supreme Court justice has lost since 1922, and most justices were first appointed by Republican governors.

"In yesterday's primary elections in Georgia, more voters chose Democratic primary ballots than Republican ones. Yet three incumbent state Supreme Court Justices appointed by Republican governors-all of whom voted to uphold Georgia's six-week abortion ban in the state-held onto their seats for six more years. Only one of the races was even close, and one justice ran unopposed."

"Georgia's Supreme Court elections have been purportedly "nonpartisan" since 1983, but the Republican-controlled legislature moved the date of the judicial elections from the normal November date to the date of the May primary in 2012, at a time when low-turnout elections particularly favored Republicans. Republicans like to talk about the sanctity of nonpartisan races, but in the 13 states where party affiliation isn't on the ballot, incumbents almost always win."

"Voters who might have spent a few minutes researching who to vote for in the Governor and Senate races might have been surprised by a four-page ballot with dozens of names they weren't expecting, or to find their Democratic primary ballot had a pair of Republican-appointed Supreme Court Justices on it. On top of this, nothing on their ballot would have clued them in. It was just a pair of names, one with "(I)" next to it to show the incumbent, if they didn't just assume that stood for independent."

Read at Jezebel