We don't get a whole lot of D-versus-R elections for Justice of the Peace around here - by my count, only three of the fourteen JP races in the past two cycles had both a Dem and a Republican in them (a fourth was GOP versus Libertarian). We've got at least one interesting primary election shaping up for a JP seat, and now I know there will be at least one contested general election. Peter Rene will run against Justice of the Peace Russ Ridgway in Precinct 5, Place 1. Ridgway was the JP with the Lib challenger back in 2004, winning that race easily. Precinct 5 is huge, and generally pretty Republican - of 285,955 ballots cast, Ridgway was named on 174,202, or just over 60% of them. I'd have to do some digging to figure out what State Rep and Congressional districts it intersects with - much of CD07, I'd venture to guess - but with the coordinated countywide campaign for the Democratic judicial slate, I expect there will be some effort to raise the overall Democratic performance in the area. Rene has told me that he plans to run a ground campaign, and knock on a lot of doors. So, if you live in the area, check out Peter Rene, as he'll be on your ballot this spring and fall.