8 judicial hopefuls have raised $10,000.

Byline: Kevin Featherly

A slate of eight contested Minnesota judicial elections this cycleincluding five in Ramsey Countydoes not appear to be attracting much special interest money, according to financial disclosure forms.

"It just hasn't happened yet," said David Schultz, the Hamline University political science professor. "We've all sort of wondered for years at what point is it going to happen."

Eight candidates in contested races on November's general election ballot have received contributions exceeding $10,000, according to the most recent figures.

The vast bulk of that money comes from individual contributors, not PACs or other political funds, according to the latest disclosures to the state Campaign Finance Board.

Leading all statewide judicial candidates, state Supreme Court Associate Justice Margaret Chutich raised $64,008 for the period of Jan. 1 through Sept. 18, her report shows. Of that total, $1,600 comes from lobbyists and $4,250 from political committees or political funds.

All of the political action committee, political fund and lobbyist contributions to her campaign were generated out of Minnesota law firms, according to disclosure forms.

Chutich is running against Michelle MacDonald, who makes her third consecutive Supreme Court bid since 2014. Chutich is the only Supreme Court justice who is facing an election challenge this year.

MacDonald lags far behind Chutich's fundraising performance. She raked in just $1,875 from three individual contributors between Jan. 1 and Sept. 18. In fact, she owes considerably more than she has raised, according to her Sept 24 financial report. MacDonald's unpaid obligations incurred before 2018 total $8,825, according to her latest campaign-finance disclosure form. About $3643 of that campaign debt is to MacDonald.

Chutich is not the only Supreme Court justice to receive campaign contributions this year, despite waging the only competitive race.

Justice Anne McKeig, who is running unopposed, took in $8,775 as of Sept. 18, all from individual contributors. G. Barry Anderson ($500) and David Lillehaug ($100) are the only other justices to raise money this year. Neither has an opponent.

Altogether, Minnesota Supreme Court candidates have raised $75,258 so far in 2018, according to the latest figures. That compares to the $64,879 raised and spent in the 2016 election that pitted MacDonald against incumbent Associate Justice Natalie E. Hudson. Attorney Craig Foss also competed up until the...