Oklahoma 2018 judicial retention ballot

Oklahoma has two separate appeals systems. Decisions of the Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals can be appealed to the Oklahoma Supreme Court, while the Court of Criminal Appeals is the apex of Oklahoma's criminal court system. All of the appeals judges are appointed by the governor; the public has the opportunity to oust them at retention elections. Below I list each judge on the ballot, their current party registration (as best as I can determine -- there are many Oklahoma voters named Robert Bell and David Lewis), and the governor who appointed them.

On the Supreme Court ballot, conservatives and pro-life activists support retaining Justice Wyrick, but oppose the other three on the ballot. Edmondson is the brother and former law partner of Drew Edmondson, Democrat nominee for governor. Kauger and Edmondson were also part of the unjust decision to invalidate the Taxpayer Bill of Rights initiative petition.

Oklahoma Supreme Court

I don't have any negative information about any of the appeals judges on the retention ballot. On the other hand, I don't have any positive information. Some voters will default to NO on all. Others may use the appointing governor as a guide to the judge's ideology.

There are only two appeals judges on the ballot who were appointees of a Democrat governor -- David B. Lewis on the Court of Criminal Appeals and Robert Bobby Bell on the Court of Civil Appeals, both appointed by Brad Henry. The rest were appointed either by Frank Keating or Mary Fallin. All of them, as far as I can determine, are currently registered to vote as Republicans. Judge Kuehn was previously an elected Associate District Judge for Tulsa County.

Court of Criminal Appeals

Court of Civil Appeals