Oklahoma voters oust one OK Supreme Court judge, retain two others

Justice Yvonne Kauger was ousted on Tuesday, marking the first time in state history that a judge was removed by the ballot box. James Edmondson and Noma Gurich were retained.

The three judges came under fire from outside conservative groups ahead of the election in the form of television ads and mailers, stating the judges were too liberal for Oklahoma. According to Oklahoma Ethics Commission filings, at least $3.4 million had been spent on advertising in the judge retention race.

Kauger came up just shy of retention, with 49.76% of voters in favor of the judges retention. Edmondson and Gurich saw 51.01% and 50.26% of voter support, respectively.

Democrat governors had formerly appointed each of the three judges in Oklahoma. Kauger was appointed by former Gov. George Nigh, who also served as the University of Central Oklahoma’s president from 1992 to 1997, and both Edmondson and Gurich were appointed by former Gov. Brad Henry.

Should the Nov. 5 results stand, Gov. Kevin Stitt would select a replacement for Kauger.

“Sometimes you just need fresh blood,” said Stitt in an interview with The Vista. “When they’re also activist judges, sometimes they try to interpret and legislate from the bench.”

In the interview, Stitt specifically pointed out Kauger’s time on the bench, and how long the judge had been active.

Before the election, People for Opportunity launched an ad campaign encouraging voters to vote “No” on retaining the three judges. Another political action committee (PAC) called 46 Action ran an ad campaign tying the judges to Vice President Kamala Harris.

However, another PAC named Protect Our Freedoms called for voters to retain Kauger, Gurich and Edmondson.

Many of the claims made by People for Opportunity and 46 Action were proven to be false, according to an investigation conducted by The Frontier.

When selecting a replacement for the vacant Oklahoma Supreme Court seat, a 15-member Judicial Nominating Commission will sift through applications, narrowing it down to three candidates. From there, the governor may select a replacement.

Kauger’s term is set to conclude on the second Monday in January, Jan. 13, 2025.