Judicial election intrigue leaves ballot blank in Stillwater

Officials are considering reopening the filing for a judicial race in Stillwater after some last-minute maneuvering by a Washington County district court judge and his clerk left no candidates on the ballot.

The state ballot for one of the judgships in Minnesota's 10th judicial district is officially empty Friday morning.

After incumbent judge Thomas Armstrong filed for re-election, his clerk filed to run for the job, as well, in what would have been a rare election challenge to a sitting judge by his legal assistant.

Then Armstrong withdrew from the race, leaving only his clerk, Dawn Hennessey on the ballot. That potentially set her up to succeed her boss without an election challenge or an appointment by the governor.

In an email to MPR, Hennessy said she hadn't intended to circumvent the election process and that she, too, had decided to withdraw from the race.

Elections officials say that without a candidate, the judicial election could end up as a rare write-in election. But they said they are reviewing a state law that allows candidates to petition to be listed on an empty ballot.

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