FLAGSTAFF—Flagstaff Attorney Gary Robbins announces his write-in candidacy for Division 5 of the Coconino County Superior Court as a Republican. Republican write in candidates need at least 361 voters to write in their names on the ballot to be listed on the November election ballot.

Mr. Robbins joined the race because he is outraged that Cathleen Nichols would use a technicality to have incumbent Judge Joe Lodge removed from the primary ballot, leaving herself as the only person on the General Election ballot. Mr. Robbins states that the voters of Coconino County deserve a choice, and right now, the voters don’t have a choice.

“Although the Governor, Coconino County voters and Coconino County Superior Court judges have rejected Cathleen Nichols’ quest for Coconino County Superior Court judge on four prior occasions in 2010, Ms. Nichols is again attempting to become a Superior Court Judge. However, this time, to ensure her success, she has successfully knocked the incumbent opponent off of the primary ballot on a technicality,” his press release stated.

A July 13 article in the Arizona Daily Sun, indicates that Joe Lodge, a Democrat, may be running as a write in candidate on the Libertarian ticket.

Lodge would need only 15 write in votes, but unlike the Republican primary only Libertarians can vote in the Libertarian primary. An independent or non-partisan voter may go into the polls August 28th and ask for the ballot of any of the other major parties and vote in that primary. Thus, independents can write in Gary Robbins on the Republican ballot.

“A candidate for judicial office should not take the position to take away the voter’s choice,” Lodge said of Nichols. Cathleen Nichols is currently serving as Justice of the Peace in Flagstaff.

Mr. Robbins, a resident of Coconino County for almost 20 years, has been practicing law for 35 years. Instead of hearing traffic tickets in the Flagstaff Justice of the Peace Court for the last seven years, Mr. Robbins has practiced law in the Arizona Superior Court as a trial attorney for the last 31 years, appearing in thousands of hearings, after serving for nearly two years as a Staff Attorney for the Arizona Court of Appeals where he wrote draft opinions for the Court to issue.

The only other Republican candidate in the county is Glen Davis who is running for the office of Sheriff of Coconino County as a write in candidate.