Arizona voters have never unseated a Supreme Court justice. But after the state Supreme Court upheld a Civil War-era law that bans almost all abortions, down-ballot judicial retention elections in Arizona are attracting national attention.
"The recent decision out of the Arizona Supreme Court implementing and enforcing an abortion ban that is over a century old was a real wake up call in terms of the impact that these courts have on people’s lives," said Marina Jenkins, executive director of the political group, National Democratic Redistricting Committee.
The National Democratic Redistricting Committee, along with the group Planned Parenthood Votes will spend at least $5 million encouraging voters to oust state Supreme Court justices in several states this November, including in Arizona.
“It’s incredibly important for these public servants to be serving the public the same as any other elected official," Jenkins said.
In Arizona, Justices are up for retention votes every six years. Justices Clint Bolick and Kathryn Hackett King voted with the 4-2 majority in favor of the near-total abortion ban and will be on ballots this year.
The organization Progress Arizona in April launched another campaign to unseat Bolick and King.
A political action committee called Arizonans for an Independent Judiciary has launched a campaign in support of the justices. That group argues retention should be based on qualifications and performance, not on unpopular decisions.
