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| Chief Justice Debra Lambert |
“That is foundational for judges in Kentucky, to be nonpartisan.”
“I don’t think the public knows enough about the judiciary but it’s not their fault. . . . Sometimes people don’t understand the limitations judges have when they review a case.”
Asked how difficult it is to run when you can’t tell voters how you will rule on cases, and how voters can know you will render quality service, Lambert said, “What people expect is an impartial judge, a judge that isn’t influenced by politics.” She said judicial campaigning is fun because you get to attend all events, including those of both parties.
Asked if she considers it odd for prosecutors and circuit clerks to be elected on partisan basis, she said, “I do, but I think it goes back to” negotiations on the Judicial Article of 1975, which created the Supreme Court and the District Court and abolished county and city courts.
Lambert said she will run for re-election next year in the Third District. That will be one of two Supreme Court races set for 2026; the other is in the Fifth District, where appointed Justice Pamela Goodwine is running for the remainder of the unexpired term of Laurence Van Meter, who resigned from the court last year when he was chief justice. His wife, Fayette Circuit Judge Lucy Van Meter, has filed for the seat. If no one else files, there will be no primary election; if there are more than two candidates, a primary will be held and the top two vote-getters will run off in the general election.
