14 People Want To Be Oklahoma's Next Supreme Court Justice

Oklahoma's Judicial Nominating Commission has released a list of 14 people who applied for the vacancy left by the historic ousting of the previous justice, Yvonne Kauger.

The failed retention vote for one of three justices on the ballot this November, with justices Edmondson and Gurich narrowly surviving, is a first for Oklahoma. Millions in political advertising from "dark money" groups amped up what, in past years, has been an otherwise uninvolved political process.

The commission is composed of 15 commissioners, including six who are split among political parties.

Names will be sent to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation to conduct background investigations. After that, the commission will conduct interviews of these candidates, pending their evaluation by OSBI:

1. Aric Ammaron Alley, from Buffalo
2. Associate district judge in Harper County.
3. Scott Robert Biggs, from Stillwater
4. Former State Representative, former state director for the Farm Service Agency, and previously worked in DA’s offices, according to his biography as a current commissioner on the Oklahoma Workers’ Compensation Commission.
5. Donna Lynn Dirickson, from Weatherford
6. District judge representing judicial district 2. Previously worked as an assistant district attorney, and as an associate district judge.
7. Louis Alvin Duel Jr., from Guthrie
8. Associate district judge in Logan County, and previously an assistant district attorney and undersheriff.
9. Spencer Tracy Habluetzel, from Wheatland
10. Attorney for Buxton law Group, specializing in civil and appellate litigation.
11. Paul Arthur Hesse, from Mustang
12. District judge in Canadian County. Previously worked as an assistant district attorney.
13. Travis Verl Jett, from Woodward
14. Attorney for Hogden Law Firm, with experience spanning several practice areas.
15. Michelle Kirby-Roper, from Elk City
16. Associate district judge in Beckham County.
17. Mithun Suresh Mansinghani, from Logan County
18. Former Oklahoma Solicitor General, currently a partner at Lehotsky Keller Cohn LLP., with experience spanning several practice areas.
19. Nisha Moreau, from Edmond
20. Manages a boutique law firm spanning several practice areas.
21. Jon Keith Parsley, from Guymon
22. District judge in Beaver, Cimarron, Harper and Texas counties.
23. Lawrence Elmer Schneiter IV “Lance”, from Okarche
24. Associate district judge in Kingfisher County.
25. Chelsea Celsor Smith, from Leedey
26. Currently a private practice attorney maintaining her own consulting business, she previously worked as general counsel to the Oklahoma House of Representatives.
27. Stuart Lee Tate, from Fairfax
28. District judge in Osage County. Previously worked as an assistant district attorney in Osage County.

The commission will shorten the list to three finalists, one of whom will be appointed to the vacancy by Governor Stitt. That appointment would be Stitt's fourth pick for the Supreme Court and sway the majority of the court to appointments made by Republican governors.