Who Are the Supreme Court Judges on My Ballot?

This election season, all of Lake County will see candidates for the Minnesota courts on their ballots. But who are these individuals run­ning for office?

Natalie E. Hudson is the incum­bent Chief Justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court. She was appointed Chief Justice in 2023, and is the first Black woman to lead the Minneso­ta Judicial Branch, according to her website justicehudson.org. She has been an active member of multiple professional associations, commit­tees, and task forces, including the Minnesota State Bar Association, the Minnesota Women Lawyers Advisory Board, and the Minneso­ta Supreme Court Racial Bias Task Force and Implementation Com­mittee on Multicultural Diversity and Fairness in the Courts. Chief Justice Hudson and her husband, Reverend Willie Hudson, live in the Twin Cities.

Stephen A. Emery is running against Chief Justice Hudson for the position of Chief Justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court. Accord­ing to his website, stephenaemery.org, Emery has been married for 21 years and has five children. He was raised on a grain and livestock farm, and has worked as a county agent, sales representative for American Cyanamid, and a medical repre­sentative for Lederle Laboratories. Emery has worked in the legal field for 28 years, 25 of which were in legal analysis and writing. His web­site lists his views on private corpo­rations and the federal courts.

Karl Procaccini is the incumbent Associate Justice 6 on the MN Su­preme Court. Appointed by Gover­nor Walz, Procaccini is running to retain his seat on the court, accord­ing to his website, karlforjustice.com. Originally from Connecticut, Justice Procaccini attended Har­vard before moving to Minnesota with his wife, Dr. Nayla Hamdi. Procaccini converted to Islam when he married Dr. Hamdi, according to an article by the Star Tribune. His legal career began as law clerk to two federal judges, before entering private practice, including a pro bono practice. In 2019 Procaccini became General Counsel in the Of­fice of the Governor and Lt. Gover­nor, and won recognition from the Minnesota State Bar Association for his work during COVID-19 and the civil unrest after the death of George Floyd. Procaccini led the legal team that drafted Gover­nor Walz’s executive orders during COVID-19. Karl Procaccini and Nayla Hamdi live in Minneapolis, where they enjoy biking and hiking.

Matthew R. Hanson is running against Justice Procaccini for As­sociate Justice 6. According to Hanson’s website, mhansonlaw. com, he has been practicing law in Minnesota since 2018. He is the founder of MHanson Law and lives in Prior Lake with his wife, Amy, son, Roy, and dog, Koda. Hanson shares on his website that he “en­joys exploring the great outdoors with his family, carpentry, hunting, cooking, and volunteering in his lo­cal community”. He identifies as a Christian in his X bio, and shared in a post that “In Minnesota and across this country we need judg­es that will follow the rule of law and apply it equally without bias. I will pre-judge no case that may come before me; I am committed to ensuring the scales of justice weigh equally and accurately for all. It would be my great honor to be Minnesota’s next elected Supreme Court justice. Thank you.” Other posts state his beliefs that life be­gins at conception and his support for the 2nd Amendment.

Anne McKeig, incumbent for Associate Justice 5, is the only can­didate for that office, though many offices have a write-in option for those who would prefer another, unlisted candidate. According to her website, justicemckeig.org, she was appointed by Governor Dayton in 2016. Prior to the supreme court, Justice McKeig served as Hennepin County District Judge, working in the Criminal Division and Family Court. In her community, McKeig has served as Board Chair for Divi­sion of Indian Work, a member of Governor’s Task Force on Fetal Al­cohol Syndrome, and a mentor for College of St. Catherine students. A descendant of the White Earth Na­tion, McKeig is the first American Indian (the term she prefers, per her website) to serve on the Minnesota Supreme Court. She has five chil­dren.

As we approach the countdown to Election Day, be sure to learn about who is on your ballot. As Thomas Jefferson said, “A well informed citizenry is the best defense against tyranny.”