To the Editor,
On the ballot that voters receive on election day, generally half of the races for which votes can be cast will be for judicial offices, including district (local court) judges. (These are usually found on the back side of the ballot). Many of these persons, who are identified on the ballot as the “incumbent,” are unopposed in the election, but in some cases are not.
I have practiced law in the State of Minnesota for almost 50 years. Until my semi-retirement earlier this year, I spent 25 years as a public defender representing persons in the Court of Fillmore County. Because of my many years of legal experience in Fillmore County and the surrounding area, I am personally acquainted with almost all of the incumbent judges presently sitting on the District Court in the Third Judicial District, and those persons who are running against any of them in this election.
Judge Pamela A. W. King (Judicial Ballot Contest #9) is one of the incumbent judges who faces a challenger in this election. I strongly support Judge King when she applied for and was appointed to a judicial vacancy by the Governor, because I knew her to be intelligent, compassionate, respectful of others , and hard working and dedicated to public service.
Her work as a judge since her appointment has borne out my expectations. Judge King is deserving of re-election, not merely because she is the “incumbent,” but because of the fine job she has done since assuming this important public office, and that which I expect that she will continue to do in the future.
Frederick S. Suhler, Jr.
Rochester, MN