Dang primaries (Aug 14) -- 8 county commissioners and lots of judges to figure out

[progree]

About all I figured out so far:

Where to vote and your sample ballot: http://Pollfinder.sos.state.mn.us

League of Women Voters -- what's on your ballot with biographical information, their websites, responses to sample questions (sometimes)
www.vote411.org/onyourballot/state.php/

Warning: even though I typed in my address at the above vote411.org link, and it showed my local races for non-judicial candidates, for some reason it showed an endless series of judicial races. SO FIRST, find out from the ballot at http://Pollfinder.sos.state.mn.us what judicial races you have in your area (and note who the incumbent is - usually the safest choice if you aren't into trying to research these critters), and then go to the vote411.org link above and see if you can glean any useful information about those judges.

For Supreme Court - don't vote for Dan Griffith or Tim Tingelstad (RW whack-a-doodles)
- what about Jill Clark? there's no info about her at vote411.org

[glinda]

1. Tingelstad is still running? Yikes. Will run Courts to the Bible. EEEK!

[Lydia Leftcoast]

2. I looked at the people on my sample ballot and here are my thoughts:

1. I don't think there really is a good candidate for Supreme Court Associate Justice 4. Tingelstad is an obvious non-starter, but Stras is endorsed by a bunch of Republicanites, and Nelson seems a bit on the libertarian side, which means that he is at least good on personal behavior issues. He doesn't say anything about economic or political issues except for being against "reverse discrimination."

2. For Judge 4th District Court 22, Steven Antolak is an obvious right-winger. I can't tell much about the others, though, who seem kind of bland and non-committal.

3. For Chief Justice, I hadn't realized the Gildea was appointed by Tim Pawlenty. Jill Clark is vague, but she quotes Obama and Chief Joseph. Dan Griffith quotes Ayn Rand on his website.

Amy Klobuchar is going to win the DFL endorsement. That is pre-ordained. My protest vote is going to be Darryl Stanton, who has a snowball's chance in hell but advocates a progressive platform.

[myrna minx]

3. Here's the Stonewall DFL's scorecard -

Last edited Tue Aug 14, 2012, 10:34 AM - Edit history (3)

http://www.stonewalldfl.com/endorsements.html

It doesn't provide any info on judges, but it's helpful to see who's allied with LGBT rights.

It looks like the choice for judges are between republicans and tea baggers theocrats, but at least it appears that some Pawleny appointments aren't ideologues:

http://www.mnprogressiveproject.com/diary/11936/gildea-stras-and-cutter-in-judicial-primaries
There does seem to be good choices for Hennepin County though.

[wellstone dem]

4. Jill Clark is under investigation by the Lawyers Board of Professional Responsibility

Her own lawyer has recommended that she be temporarily suspended because her disability (mental illness) makes it impossible to proceed.

http://www.mnprogressiveproject.com/diary/11899/before-the-primary-profiles-of-judicial-candidates

[Avis]

5. No

I voted for her as I thought she sounded more liberal than the other two.