Oregon 23rd Judicial District

This officeholder information was last updated on October 23, 2017. Please contact us with any updates.

Court

The Oregon 23rd Judicial District is one of twenty-seven different judicial districts in Oregon and has jurisdiction in Linn County.

Judges

• David E. Delsman
• Thomas McHill
• Daniel R. Murphy
• DeAnn L. Novotny
• Fay Stetz-Waters

Former judges

• Carol Bispham Hashagen

See also

• Linn County, Oregon
• Oregon Circuit Courts

External links

• Oregon Courts, "Map of Oregon judicial districts," accessed April 18, 2014
• Oregon's 23rd Judicial District web page

Elections

See also: Oregon judicial elections

Oregon is one of 43 states that hold elections for judicial positions. To learn more about judicial selection in Oregon, click here.

• Oregon local trial court judicial elections, 2024
• Oregon local trial court judicial elections, 2023
• Oregon local trial court judicial elections, 2022
• Oregon local trial court judicial elections, 2021
• Oregon local trial court judicial elections, 2020
• Oregon local trial court judicial elections, 2019
• Oregon local trial court judicial elections, 2018
• Oregon local trial court judicial elections, 2017
• Oregon local trial court judicial elections, 2016
• Oregon judicial elections, 2014
• Oregon judicial elections, 2012
• Oregon judicial elections, 2010

Selection method

See also: Nonpartisan election of judges

Judges of the Oregon Supreme Court, Oregon Court of Appeals and Oregon Circuit Courts are all selected in an identical manner. They are chosen in nonpartisan elections to serve six-year terms, after which they must run for re-election if they wish to continue serving.

The chief judges of the circuit courts are appointed by the chief justice of the state supreme court to serve a two-year term.

Qualifications
To serve on the circuit court, a judge must be:

• a U.S. citizen;
• a state resident for at least three years;
• a resident of his or her circuit for at least one year;
• a state bar member; and
• under the age of 75.

Election rules

Primary election

The primary election is held in even-numbered years on the third Tuesday in May.

If a candidate in the primary election receives more than 50% of the vote, she or he is elected. If not, the two candidates with the most votes advance to the general election. The exception to this rule is when the election is for a vacated seat that would not otherwise have been on the ballot.

All judicial races require a primary election except those to fill a midterm vacancy for a seat that would otherwise have not appeared on the ballot that year. In the case of such a midterm vacancy, the primary may be skipped if only one or two candidates file for that office. If there are three or more candidates running for that seat, however, they compete in the primary. If any of them receives over 50% of the vote in the primary, that candidate's name appears unopposed on the general election ballot. If no candidate receives a majority, then the top two candidates advance to the general election. This differs from regular judicial elections that are held at the end of a judge's term in that no candidates can be elected at the primary.

Recounts

Close races may trigger an automatic recount. If the difference between the two highest-voted candidates is not more than one-fifth of one percent of the total votes for both candidates, a recount is required. If, after a recount, two candidates are tied, the winner is decided by lot.

Vote by mail

Oregon votes completely by mail. Registered voters receive a ballot two to three weeks prior to the election, which they must submit by mail or by dropping it in an official drop box. The deadline by which ballots must be received is 8 p.m. on the day of the election.