State judicial races: Candidates try to make their own bench marks

Supreme Court Justice Lorie Skjerven Gildea's radio ads encourage Minnesotans to vote for her -- "the one with the long name."

It's a mundane slogan for a lawyer who has prosecuted white-collar criminals in Hennepin County, worked as associate general counsel at the University of Minnesota and rewritten the state sentencing guidelines. "It gives people something easy to remember," Gildea said.

Gildea is one of two state Supreme Court incumbents facing challenges on Nov. 4, along with one incumbent on the state Court of Appeals. But these races for six-year terms on courts that decide legal appeals in criminal and civil cases, defining the meaning of the state Constitution and the extent of individual rights are comparatively low-cost, low-key and low-profile affairs.

Hennepin County District Judge Deborah Hedlund, 61, is running against Gildea on the basis of trial experience. Hedlund says she has that background while no one else on the Supreme Court does. Hedlund has been on the district court since 1980, when she was appointed by Gov. Al Quie.

Gildea, 47, appointed by Gov. Tim Pawlenty in December 2005, counters that she has a proven two-year record on the high court and the endorsement of Quie as well as previous Supreme Court chief justices, law school deans and lawyers.

Challengers in the other two state court races are running in large part to strengthen the role of elections in the selection of Minnesota judges.

Lawyer Dan Griffith of International Falls said he has no issue with Court of Appeals Judge Terri Stoneburner, although he is running for the seat she has held since she was appointed by Gov. Jesse Ventura in 2000. Griffith takes issue with the judicial appointment process. He said he believes the state Constitution calls for elected rather than appointed judges. But because most Minnesota judges retire in mid-term, most judges in the state are initially appointed by the governor and then stand for election, Griffith noted.

Tim Tingelstad of Bemidji is running against Justice Paul H. Anderson. Tingelstad, too, said he is worried about Minnesotans giving up the "right to judicial elections."

Both Tingelstad, a magistrate in the 9th Judicial District, and Griffith have run unsuccessfully in the past.

Seeking distinctions

Despite the limitations of judicial campaigns, the candidates are trying mightily to distinguish themselves.

Gildea spent the summer and fall marching in parades while playing her snare drum. Her campaign signs are maroon and gold in a nod to her passion for watching University of Minnesota women's sports with her husband, Andy Gildea, who works for the state House minority caucus.

Gildea, a native of Plummer, Minn., calls her work on the court "the greatest honor" of her life.

Hedlund filed to run against Gildea in the final hours of the July filing period. She's got her YouTube.com videos in which she wears her robe and talks about experience. She's using recycled campaign signs from her district court elections and is posting billboards in outstate Minnesota.

Unlike Gildea's website, Hedlund's doesn't boast a long list of endorsements, but she does list the "voters of Hennepin County" who elected her five times.

Hedlund, who claimed $600 in her campaign bank account in August, admits she is overmatched by the Gildea campaign's fundraising. During the same period, Gildea reported $27,000 in hand. Gildea's campaign also recently reported contributions of $9,000 from two donors.

Similarly, in the other high court race, Anderson's account showed $31,000 in August compared to $3,700 for Tingelstad.

Like Gildea, Anderson, 65, is running radio commercials. His ads talk about a proven record and fairness. He spent 20 years in private practice and nearly two years as the chief of the Court of Appeals before Gov. Arne Carlson appointed him to the high court in 1994.

"I'm the type of person you want on the Supreme Court; I'm fair, open-minded and impartial. I decide cases on the facts and the law," he said. Anderson also is a strong believer in community outreach and said he speaks at least twice a week to civic groups even when he isn't campaigning.

Tingelstad, 48, is campaigning in part on the issue of religious liberty. He believes in prayer and displays of the Ten Commandments in public schools. He thinks the doctrine of church-state separation has been wrongly interpreted.

Appeals court

The one contested state Court of Appeals race is an even lower-budget affair.

For the August reporting period, Griffith had $1,000 and Stoneburner had $7,300 on hand. The judge estimates she will spend no more than $15,000 on the race.

Griffith, 46, said he has no issue with Stoneburner's work as a judge, saying he wouldn't even characterize the race as "running against her." But he notes the state Constitution calls for judges to be elected and "that, frankly, has been frustrated."

Stoneburner, 63, said the only real issue in the campaign is "who's qualified to be on the Court of Appeals. ... This shouldn't be a position that's just a soapbox for a platform."

The judge also has a long list of endorsements on her website. She repeatedly talks about how much she enjoys the painstaking, fast-paced appellate work.

"I love research and writing. Most of our job is reading thousands of pages a week," she said. "I like bringing some finality to people's disputes.

Rochelle Olson • 612-673-1747