Gordon to seek second family court judgeship
May 24—Julie Hawes Gordon announced on social media she plans to file for the second Daviess County family court judge seat.
The second circuit judge position was voted into law in April through House Bill 214, which created nine judgeships across the state. One of those new positions was for a second family court division in Daviess County.
As of Monday morning, only one person had filed to run for the seat with the Secretary of State, and that was James Andrew Johnson. Johnson is a partner with Gordon Law Offices in Owensboro.
On Saturday, Gordon posted on her Facebook page that many have asked her if she intends to file for the second judgeship, to which she replied: "The answer is a resounding yes!"
"After taking a few days to spend with my family, we will be back in full swing with our campaign of truth, and ready to win in November so I can continue to serve this community I love," Gordon wrote.
Gordon held the first family court judge seat until the end of April, when the Judicial Conduct Commission ordered her permanently removed from the bench.
The JCC ruled that Gordon abused her position as judge when she attempted to use her position and power to impact the outcome of criminal cases involving her adult son, Dalton Gordon.
Kentucky law allows removed judges to seek election as long as it is not in a special election to fill the rest of their term.
She was one of three who ran for the other family court Circuit Judge, Division III seat in the primary election, along with Jennifer L. Hendricks and Thomas L. Vallandingham. For that seat, the two top vote-getters — Hendricks and Vallandingham — moved forward to the November general election.
Gordon's request to reconsider the JCC's order to remove her from the bench was denied, but she previously has said she intends to file an appeal with the state Supreme Court. The deadline to file that appeal is Tuesday, May 24.
When asked if she would like to comment for this story, Gordon said in a text message that she did not want to announce her campaign to the media until after the brief filing.
"The contents of my brief provide the basis for my decision," she said. "I want to ensure the citizens of Daviess County are fully informed."
The filing deadline for the new seat is June 7. Every candidate who files for the new seat will be on the November ballot, according to Michon Lindstrom, director of communications for the Secretary of State's office.
The race is nonpartisan, and the candidate with the most votes will claim the seat in January.
According to Taylor Brown, general counsel for the state board of elections, because the filing deadline for the new judgeship closes after the May primary, the candidate eliminated in the primary can file for the new seat.
Bobbie Hayse, bhayse@messenger-inquirer.com, 270-691-7315
