Incumbents win Minn. Supreme Court races

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Three incumbents appointed by Gov. Tim Pawlenty won new terms on the Minnesota Supreme Court on Tuesday.

Chief Justice Lorie Skjerven Gildea turned back a challenge from Dan Griffith, a private practice attorney from International Falls who had made four unsuccessful runs previously for the Minnesota Court of Appeals.

Associate Justice G. Barry Anderson overcame the best-known challenger, Dean Barkley, a close political associate of Gov. Jesse Ventura who served a brief term in the U.S. Senate in 2002.

Associate Justice David Stras kept his seat in his first test before the voters. Stras was a University of Minnesota law professor and former clerk to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. He defeated Tim Tingelstad, a Bemidji magistrate

Summary of results:

Supreme Court Chief Justice

4,093 of 4,102 precincts – 99 percent

x-Lorie Skjerven Gildea, NP (i) 1,276,869 – 60 percent

Dan Griffith, NP 842,785 – 40 percent

Supreme Court District 1

4,093 of 4,102 precincts – 99 percent

Dean Barkley, NP 843,062 – 41 percent

x-Barry Anderson, NP (i) 1,221,780 – 59 percent

Supreme Court District 4

4,093 of 4,102 precincts – 99 percent

Tim Tingelstad, NP 885,961 – 44 percent

x-David Stras, NP (i) 1,135,684 – 56 percent