by The Associated Press –

Kentucky’s Supreme Court has set some conditions on what types of political comments judicial candidates can make when running for judgeships.

The state’s high court ruled Thursday that it’s permissible for judicial candidates to identify themselves as Democrats or Republicans. Candidates also can refer to themselves as the only Republican or Democratic candidate for judge, if the statement is true, the court ruled.

But the court said there are restrictions on what judicial candidates can say. It says they may not try to represent themselves as the Republican or Democratic nominee for a judgeship. The ruling said they may not describe themselves as the “conservative Republican” candidate for judge.

The court stems from a lawsuit challenging a state canon putting strict conditions on campaigning in Kentucky’s nonpartisan judicial elections.