I. Vacancies
There are a total of 10 vacancies on state supreme courts that will be filled by governor or legislative appointment. Four of these vacancies are current and 6 are future vacancies that have been announced.
District of Columbia
Current & Announced Future Vacancies: 2
| Outgoing | Vacancy Date | Nominee | Nominee Current Position | Nominee Prior Positions |
| Kathryn A. Oberly | 11/1/2013 | Carmen Iguina Gonzalez | Counsel, Kaplan Hecker & Fink; Director, Howard University School of Law Civil Rights Clinic | ACLU Immigrants’ Rights Project; ACLU of Southern California; corporate law |
| Loren AliKhan | 12/13/2023 | Joseph Palmore | Partner, Morrison Foerster | Assistant to the Solicitor General, U.S. DOJ; Deputy General Counsel, FCC; corporate law |
Maine
Current & Announced Future Vacancies: 1
| Outgoing | Vacancy Date | Nominee | Nominee Current Position | Nominee Prior Positions |
| Joseph Jabar | 2/2/2024 |
Maryland
Current & Announced Future Vacancies: 1
| Outgoing | Vacancy Date | Nominee | Nominee Current Position | Nominee Prior Positions |
| Michele Hotton | 4/20/2024 |
Minnesota
Current & Announced Future Vacancies: 2
| Outgoing | Vacancy Date | Nominee | Nominee Current Position | Nominee Prior Positions |
| Barry Anderson | May 10, 2024 (future) | Sarah Hennesy | Judge, State trial court | St. Cloud Legal Aid; public defender; appellate public defender; private practice |
| Margaret Chutich | July 31, 2024 (future) | Theodora Gaitas | Judge, State Court of Appeals | Judge, state trial court; appellate public defender |
New Jersey
Current & Announced Future Vacancies: 1
| Outgoing | Vacancy Date | Nominee | Nominee Current Position | Nominee Prior Positions |
| Lee Solomon | August 2024 (Future) |
South Carolina
Current & Announced Future Vacancies: 1
| Outgoing | Vacancy Date | Nominee | Nominee Current Position | Nominee Prior Positions |
| Donald Beatty | July 31, 2024 (Future) | Letitia Verdin | Judge, State Court of Appeals | State prosecutor; private practice |
Tennessee
Current & Announced Future Vacancies: 1
| Outgoing | Vacancy Date | Nominee | Nominee Current Position | Nominee Prior Positions |
| Roger A. Page | August 31, 2024 (Future) | Mary L. Wagner | Circuit Court (Trial) Judge | Law firm associate |
Texas
Current & Announced Future Vacancies: 1
| Outgoing | Vacancy Date | Nominee | Nominee Current Position | Nominee Prior Positions |
| Nathan Hecht | August 15, 2024 (Future) |
II. 2024 Contested Elections
18 states are holding regular elections for state supreme court seats in 2024, with a total of 51 seats at stake. In about one third of these elections, however, only one candidate has filed to run. The contested elections are noted below.
Alabama
| Incumbent | Candidate (Party) | Candidate Background | Election Date |
| Open (Chief Justice Tom Parker not running) | Greg Griffin (Dem) | Trial judge; Legal counsel to state Board of Pardons & Paroles; corporate law; staff attorney at Legal Services Corporation; Assistant State Attorney General | 11/5/24 |
| Sarah Stewart (Rep) | Associate Justice; trial judge; private practice |
Arkansas
| Incumbent | Candidate (Party) | Candidate Background | Election Date |
| Open (Chief Justice Dan Kemp not running) | Karen R. Baker | Associate Justice; state trial judge; state appellate judge; public defender; private practice | 11/5/24 |
| Rhonda Wood | Associate Justice; state trial judge; state appellate judge; private practice & corporate law; hearing officer for Conway Housing Authority |
Georgia
| Incumbent | Candidate (Party) | Candidate Background | Election Date |
| Andrew Pinson (Rep) | Associate Justice; state solicitor | 11/5/24 | |
| John Barrow (Dem) | Atlanta Legal Aid; U.S. Representative for Georgia’s 12th congressional district; county commissioner; private practice |
Kentucky
| Incumbent | Candidate (Party) | Candidate Background | Election Date |
| Open (Chief Justice Laurance VanMeter not running) | Pamela Goodwine | Chief Judge, state Court of Appeals; state trial judge; private practice; Chair, Kentucky Commission on Human Rights | 11/5/24 |
| Erin Izzo | Private practice, corporate lawyer and insurance defense |
Michigan
| Incumbent | Candidate (Party) | Candidate Background | Election Date |
| Kyra Harris Bolden (D) | Associate Justice; state legislator (D); criminal defense & civil litigator | 11/5/24 | |
| Mark Boonstra (R) | Court of Appeals judge; private practice | ||
| Andrew Fink (R) | State legislator (R); Officer, U.S. Marine Corps | ||
| Kimberly Ann Thomas (D) | Law professor/Director, Juvenile Justice Clinic; Member, Michigan Task Force on Juvenile Justice Reform; private practice |
Mississippi
| Incumbent | Candidate (Party) | Candidate Background | Election Date |
| Jim Kitchens | Presiding Justice; Elected District Attorney; private practice | 11/5/24 | |
| Jenifer Branning | State senator (R); private practice | ||
| Ceola James | State Court of Appeals judge; Chancery judge; solo practitioner | ||
| Abby Robinson | Plaintiffs-side private practice |
Montana
| Incumbent | Candidate (Party) | Candidate Background | Election Date |
| Open (Dirk M. Sandefur retiring) | Katharine Bidegaray | State trial judge; state auditor’s office; private practice | Primary 6/4/24 |
| Dan Wilson | State trial judge; Justice of the Peace; local prosecutor; private practice | ||
| Jerry O’Neil | State legislator (R) | ||
| Open (Mike McGrath retiring) | Jerry Lynch | U.S. Magistrate Judge; private practice | |
| Cory Swanson | Elected prosecutor; lobbyist; deputy attorney general | ||
| Doug Marshall | Private practice, plaintiffs-side & criminal defense |
North Carolina
| Incumbent | Candidate (Party) | Candidate Background | Election Date |
| Allison Riggs (D) | State Supreme Court justice; Civil rights attorney | 11/5/24 | |
| Jeff Griffin (R) | State Court of Appeals judge; State trial court judge; local prosecutor; private practice |
Ohio
| Incumbent | Candidate (Party) | Candidate Background | Election Date |
| Melody Stewart (D) | State Court of Appeals judge; law professor; private practice; assistant city law director | 11/5/24 | |
| Joe Deters (R) | State Supreme Court justice; elected prosecutor | ||
| Michael P. Donnelly (D) | County judge; local prosecutor; plaintiff-side private practice; insurance defense | ||
| Megan Shanahan (R) | Judge, Court of Common Pleas; municipal court judge; local prosecutor | ||
| Open (Joe Deters challenging Stewart instead of running) | Lisa Forbes (D) | Judge, State Court of Appeals; corporate law | |
| Dan Hawkins (R) | Judge, Court of Common Pleas; municipal court judge; local prosecutor |
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals
| Incumbent | Candidate (Party) | Candidate Background | Election Date |
| Open (Sharon Keller (R) defeated in primary) | David Schenck (R) | Judge, State Court of Appeals; Deputy State Attorney General; private practice | 11/5/24 |
| Holly Taylor (D) | Local prosecutor (civil rights & conviction integrity units); | ||
| Open (Barbara Hervey (R) defeated in primary) | Gina Parker (R) | Local prosecutor; city attorney; solo practitioner; | |
| Nancy Mulder (D) | Judge, State Criminal District Court; private practice criminal defense; local prosecutor | ||
| Mark Ash (L) | Private practice | ||
| Open (Michelle Slaughter (R) defeated in primary) | Lee Finley (R) | Private practice | |
| Chika Anyiam (D) | Judge, State Criminal District Court; private practice (criminal defense) | ||
| Stephen Kinsella (L) | Patent attorney; corporate law (in house) |
Texas Supreme Court
| Incumbent | Candidate (Party) | Candidate Background | Election Date |
| Jimmy Blacklock (R) | General Counsel & Adviser to Gov. Greg Abbott; Deputy State Attorney General; U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division (GWB Admin); private practice | 11/5/24 | |
| Desean Jones (D) | Judge, State Criminal District Court; Army JAG Corps; | ||
| John Devine (R) | Judge, State District Court; corporate lawyer; anti-abortion activist | ||
| Christine Weems (D) | Judge, State Civil District Court; plaintiffs-side private practice; corporate litigation | ||
| Jane Bland (R) | Judge, State 1st District Court of Appeals; Judge, State District Court; corporate law at Big Law | ||
| Bonnie Lee Goldstein (D) | Judge, State 5th District Court of Appeals; private practice, solo practitioner; city attorney; municipal prosecutor | ||
| David Roberson (L) | Tax Attorney |
III. 2024 Retention Elections
There 15 states with supreme court retention elections in 2024
Alaska
| Incumbent | Professional Background | Election Date |
| Dario Borghesan | Assistant state attorney general | 11/5/24 |
| Jennifer Henderson | Local prosecutor; corporate litigation; state trial judge |
Arizona
| Incumbent | Professional Background | Election Date |
| Clint Bolick | DOJ Civil Rights Division; EEOC; advocacy for school choice & private property rights | 11/5/24 |
| Kathryn Hackett King | Governor general counsel; corporate litigation |
Colorado
| Incumbent | Professional Background | Election Date |
| Maria Berkenkotter (D) | Corporate litigation; assistant state attorney general; state trial judge | 11/5/24 |
| Brian Boatright (D) | State trial judge; local prosecutor | |
| Monica Marquez (D) | State AG prosecutor & civil litigation; corporate litigation |
Florida
| Incumbent | Professional Background | Election Date |
| Renatha Francis | State trial judge; career law clerk | 11/5/24 |
| Meredith Sasso | Governor general counsel; corporate litigation & insurance defense |
Indiana
| Incumbent | Professional Background | Election Date |
| Mark Massa | Local prosecutor; white collar criminal defense; governor general counsel | 11/5/24 |
| Derek Molter | State appellate judge; corporate transactional | |
| Loretta H. Rush | Corporate & plaintiff’s-side litigation; state trial judge |
Iowa
| Incumbent | Professional Background | Election Date |
| David May | State trial & appellate judge; corporate litigation | 11/5/24 |
Maryland
| Incumbent | Professional Background | Election Date |
| Angela M. Eaves | Federal prosecutor; legal aid; assistant attorney general (civil) state trial judge | 11/5/24 |
| Matthew Fader | State trial & appellate judge; DOJ civil; corporate litigation | |
| Shirley Marie Watts | Local prosecutor; public defender |
Missouri
| Incumbent | Professional Background | Election Date |
| Ginger Gooch | State appellate judge; private practice | 11/5/24 |
| Kelly Broniac | State appellate & trial judge; local prosecutor |
Nebraska
| Incumbent | Professional Background | Election Date |
| Stephanie Stacy | State trial judge; private practice | 11/5/24 |
New Mexico
| Incumbent | Professional Background | Election Date |
| Briana H. Zamora (D) | State prosecutor; public defender; plaintiff-side private practice; state appellate judge | 11/5/24 |
Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals
| Incumbent | Professional Background | Election Date |
| David B. Lewis | State trial judge; local prosecutor; private practice | 11/5/24 |
| William J. Musseman | State trial judge; local prosecutor | |
| Scott Rowland | Local prosecutor |
Oklahoma Supreme Court
| Incumbent | Professional Background | Election Date |
| James Edmondson | Local prosecutor; private private; state administrative law judge | 11/5/24 |
| Norma Gurich | State trial court judge; private practice | |
| Yvonne Kauger | Career law clerk |
South Dakota
| Incumbent | Professional Background | Election Date |
| Scott P. Myren | Magistrate judge | 11/5/24 |
Tennessee
| Incumbent | Professional Background | Election Date |
| Dwight Tarwater | Plaintiffs-side/personal injury private practice | 11/5/24 |
Utah
| Incumbent | Professional Background | Election Date |
| Matthew Durrant | State trial judge; private practice | 11/5/24 |
Wyoming
| Incumbent | Professional Background | Election Date |
| John G. Fenn | State trial judge; private practice | 11/5/24 |
| Kate M. Fox | Civil cases defending the criminal legal system; other private practice |