GOP-endorsed judicial candidates lose in statewide contests

A trio of judicial candidates who were backed by the Republican Party of Minnesota and tea party groups was defeated at the polls on Tuesday. Supreme Court candidates Greg Wersal and Tim Tingelstad were projected to lose by more than 20 points, and Appeals Court candidate Dan Griffith appeared to lose his challenge by about 4 points.

The three candidates had courted controversy by answering questions on the Minnesota Family Council judicial questionnaire — the only three candidates in the state to do so — and were active in partisan politics. Each said they opposed court decisions in favor or abortion rights or LGBT rights and had spoken at tea party events over the last few months.

Wersal lost to incumbent Minnesota Supreme Court Justice Helen Meyer; Tingelstad lost to Justice Alan Page; and Griffith just barely lost to Appellate Judge Larry Stauber.

Those races were also a loss for a new conservative political action committee, Justice in Minnesota, which had been backing the three candidates.