By Alabama Public Radio
Montgomery, AL – Three seats on the state Supreme Court will be up for election next year, and candidates are beginning to establish their campaigns. Shelby County District Judge Patti Smith announced Wednesday she will campaign for a seat on the court. Smith is a Republican and revealed her intentions on the steps of the Supreme Court building in Montgomery. Republican Judge Glenn Murdock of the Alabama Court of Civil Appeals is planning to run, and he says he'll make a formal announcement soon. Democrat John Rochester, presiding judge of the Clay and Coosa counties judicial circuit, says he, too, is seriously considering running. He says he'll make an announcement within the next few weeks. Another Republican appeals court judge and two Democratic attorneys also have expressed interest. Supreme Court Justices Gorman Houston and Douglas Johnstone will retire at the end of their six year terms. Republican Justice Jean Brown is seeking re-election.