Which judges are on your Alaska ballot, and why the council opposes two

Early voting for the Nov. 3 general election began Monday, and Alaskans will decide whether to keep 21 judges, including two in Kenai whom the Alaska Judicial Council recommends voters not retain.

The council, the constitutional body that evaluates judges before they face voters, recommends a yes vote on 18, according to its Sept. 4 report. It recommends a no vote on Kenai District Court Judge Martin Fallon and Kenai Superior Court Judge Kelly J. Lawson. It made no recommendation on Juneau Superior Court Judge Marianna Carpeneti after its members split, as Alaska News reported July 31.

Fallon and Lawson are on every ballot in the Third Judicial District, from Anchorage and the Mat-Su to Kodiak and Dillingham, not just on the Kenai Peninsula.

The council's recommendations are advice, and voters decide. A judge stays unless a majority of those voting on the question say no. Judges can't campaign unless someone actively opposes them, the council says.

Voters rarely remove judges. They have rejected six in state history, most recently Anchorage Superior Court Judge Michael Corey in 2018, according to the council's retention FAQ. That's five rejections in nearly 480 retention votes since 1976, according to the council's vote history. In 2024, voters kept all 19 judges on the ballot. Of the four judges the council opposed in 2006, 2008, 2010 and 2014, voters removed two and kept two.

The council says Fallon, a Kenai district judge since 2019, fell short on integrity and on diligence and administrative skills. It points mainly to a 2024 Alaska Supreme Court reprimand for leaving two cases undecided for more than six months. Judges can't be paid until they file an affidavit saying no case has gone undecided that long, and the court said Fallon signed three that he should have known were not accurate. In January 2025, he reported another case pending more than six months, and his pay was withheld until he decided it, the council said.

The court found his conduct negligent but said he cooperated, had no prior discipline and "did not have a selfish or dishonest motive." In his questionnaire to the council, Fallon wrote, "I apologized to the litigants involved and have made lasting changes to assure decisions are rendered in a timely manner."

The council says Lawson, appointed in 2023 and on the ballot for the first time, has performed acceptably on the bench but "has lacked patience, dignity, and courtesy in her communications with court employees," creating friction with staff and other judges "to a degree that has impeded the efficient administration of justice." Her evaluation doesn't describe a specific incident. It says attorneys who appeared before her gave positive reviews, and that she has not faced public discipline and "followed standards of ethical conduct for judges."

"I strive to be fair, calm and to provide an opportunity for people to be heard when they appear before me," Lawson wrote in her questionnaire.

On Carpeneti, appointed in 2021, three council members voted to recommend against retaining her, two voted to recommend keeping her and two abstained, short of the four votes the council needs to act. The council made no findings, and her evaluation doesn't explain the split. It reports a 97% affirmance rate on appeal and excellent ratings from attorneys and court employees on impartiality and integrity, while peace and probation officers rated her poor or below acceptable.

Carpeneti wrote in her questionnaire that she is "likely about where one would expect a judge to be four years into the job," adding, "I've learned an enormous amount, and know I have a huge amount still to learn."

Justice Jude Pate is the only judge on every ballot in the state. The council unanimously recommends keeping him on the Supreme Court.

If voters reject a judge, the seat opens 90 days after the election, and the governor appoints a replacement from at least two nominees the council sends, under state law.

Judges on the ballot. The council recommends yes unless noted. Your sample ballot shows which ones you'll see, and each judge's full evaluation is on the council's website.

Statewide: Supreme Court Justice Jude Pate.

First Judicial District, including Juneau, Ketchikan, Sitka and the rest of Southeast: Superior Court Judges Marianna C. Carpeneti, Juneau (no recommendation); Daniel E. Doty, Ketchikan; and Katherine H. Lybrand, Ketchikan.

Second Judicial District, including Utqiagvik, Kotzebue and Nome: Superior Court Judge David L. Roghair, Utqiagvik.

Third Judicial District, including Anchorage, the Mat-Su, the Kenai Peninsula, Kodiak, Valdez, Dillingham and Unalaska: Superior Court Judges Laura Hartz, Yvonne Lamoureux, Jack R. McKenna, David A. Nesbett, Christina Rankin and Ian Wheeles, Anchorage; Kelly J. Lawson, Kenai (no); Christina "Tina" Reigh, Dillingham; and Jonathan A. Woodman, Palmer. District Court Judges Chris Darnall, Anchorage; Martin C. Fallon, Kenai (no); and Shawn D. Traini, Palmer.

Fourth Judicial District, including Fairbanks, North Pole, Delta Junction, Tok and Bethel: Superior Court Judges Nathaniel Peters, Bethel; Kirk Schwalm, Fairbanks; and Amy K. Welch, Fairbanks. District Court Judge Benjamin A. Seekins, Fairbanks.

Early in-person voting runs through Nov. 2, and applications for a ballot by mail are due Oct. 24. On Election Day, polls are open 7 am to 8 pm.