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Minnesota voters will encounter only one statewide contest on their Aug. 9 primary ballots. It should give them little difficulty and considerable satisfaction to elect Supreme Court Associate Justice Natalie Hudson to a full term on the high court.

Hudson, 59, was appointed last summer to fill the Supreme Court seat long held by Justice Alan Page. She accepted an early (October 2015) date to join the court, which had a noteworthy effect under rules established in the Minnesota Constitution: It brings Hudson before voters after just 13 months as a Supreme Court justice.

Had she delayed her seating just another month, Hudson's first election would have been postponed until 2018 — giving her two more years to build presence and name recognition. Such strategic timing is routine among appointed judges. But Hudson says she believed it was important to show respect for voters.

It's a characteristic decision from a judge with a humble appreciation for the weighty responsibilities of the judicial branch. Voters should take appreciative note of it.

Justice Hudson brings to the court a distinguished and varied legal background. She began her career as a Legal Aid lawyer representing indigent clients, then worked as a private employment attorney, and then as a law school administrator at Hamline University. She served two years as St. Paul's city attorney and eight handling criminal appeals for the state attorney general's office.

Hudson's service on the appellate bench began in 2002, when Gov. Jesse Ventura appointed her to the state Court of Appeals, where she has heard many hundreds of cases over 14 years.

It adds up to an unsurpassed depth and breadth of experience with legal issues and litigants of every imaginable kind.

Hudson approvingly describes the court she joined last fall as somewhat "formal" — a place where courtesy and protocol make possible vigorous but constructive debate over the momentous issues that come before the justices. She laments the partisanship and politicization seen in courts and judicial elections in other states — but not, to date, in Minnesota.

Hudson articulates a judge's duty to sometimes make rulings in accordance with laws one does not personally like, but also to "tussle" with the tension between reading legal texts literally and applying them flexibly to new situations — all without becoming an "advocate." She is an ardent champion of guaranteeing access to legal assistance for all, regardless of economic circumstances.

The other candidates in this race are not qualified for the office they seek. Michelle MacDonald, 54, is a private attorney with an independent practice specializing in family law, founder of a nonprofit focused on keeping families out of court and resolving disputes.

In 2014, MacDonald received an ill-considered endorsement for a Supreme Court seat from the Minnesota Republican Party. Her selection became an embarrassment when MacDonald's contentious 2013 arrest on suspicion of drunken driving came to light. Earlier this year, the Court of Appeals upheld MacDonald's conviction for obstructing legal process and chemical-test refusal (she was acquitted of drunken driving). The state GOP declined to endorse MacDonald this year.

Craig J. Foss, 46, is a St. Paul attorney and former staff lawyer for Legal Services of Northwest Minnesota. He gives no reason for seeking a Supreme Court seat beyond his need for a job.

Natalie Hudson, in both temperament and background, has exceptional qualifications as a Supreme Court justice. Voters should elect her to a six-year term.