By Sheena Dooley | Iowa Watchdog
Iowa Supreme Court Justice David Wiggins
DES MOINES — The leader of Iowa’s Republican Party on Wednesday launched an attack against Iowa Supreme Court Justice David Wiggins, urging voters to seek his ouster in the November elections.
Wiggins is one of the seven Supreme Court justices who unanimously legalized same-sex marriages in Iowa in 2009. He has served on the court since 2003 and is the only justice up for a retention vote this year. Voters — in an unprecedented move — ousted three of the justices less than two years ago. Three remaining justices won’t face voters until 2016.
Judges in Iowa are nonpartisan and appointed by the governor, after receiving an endorsement from the Iowa Judicial Nominating Commission. They must go through retention votes — for Supreme Court justices its every eight years — to maintain their position.
A.J. Spiker, state GOP chairman, told Iowans in an email blast that Wiggins allowed his political views to influence his vote.
“Just as Iowans successfully showed in 2010, it is again time to put a check on this power and reign in an activist judge from his position of misused authority,” Spiker said. “This is the only chance voters have to make their voices heard.”
Wiggin’s term ends in December, while the remaining three judges face retention votes in 2016.
Wiggins could not immediately be reached for comment.
