Judicial Reform

60 percent of JNC members are not Republicans

April 15, 2024

Jonathan Small

The Judicial Nominating Commission (JNC) determines who can be appointed to the Oklahoma Supreme Court.

Only six members of the JNC can be attorneys—and 83 percent of them are currently Democrats, including attorneys with a history of campaign contributions to Democratic candidates ranging from state legislative races to Joe Biden. That partisan ratio is typical of the JNC’s attorney members through the years.

How many Republicans serve on the 15-member JNC? Only six current members are Republicans. Five are non-attorneys. That means 60 percent of current JNC members are not Republicans in a state where a majority of voters are registered Republicans and just 28 percent are registered Democrats.

It’s often asked how a red state like Oklahoma could wind up with a blue judiciary. The Judicial Nominating Commission’s strong Democratic slant is a major reason why.