Alabama Supreme Court elections, 2026
| 2026 State Judicial Elections | |
|---|---|
2027 »
« 2025
| |
 | |
| Overview | |
| Supreme Courts Overview | |
| Appellate Courts Overview | |
| View judicial elections by state: | |
The terms of three Alabama Supreme Court justices will expire on January 18, 2027. The three seats are up for partisan election on November 3, 2026. A primary is scheduled for May 19, 2026. A primary runoff is scheduled for June 16, 2026.
Judges with expiring terms
- This is a list of the justices who must stand for partisan election in 2026 in order to remain on the bench. Justices may choose not to stand for election. The list is subject to change if justices retire or are appointed.
■ Bill Lewis
■ Brad Mendheim
■ Greg Shaw
Candidates and results
Note: The following list includes official candidates only. Ballotpedia defines official candidates as people who:
- Register with a federal or state campaign finance agency before the candidate filing deadline
- Appear on candidate lists released by government election agencies
Seat 1
There are no official candidates yet for this election.
General election
The general election will occur on November 3, 2026.
Seat 2
There are no official candidates yet for this election.
General election
The general election will occur on November 3, 2026.
Seat 8
There are no official candidates yet for this election.
General election
The general election will occur on November 3, 2026.
Voting information
- See also: Voting in Alabama
Ballotpedia will publish the dates and deadlines related to this election as they are made available.
About the Alabama Supreme Court
- See also: Alabama Supreme Court
The Alabama Supreme Court is composed of nine justices who are elected in statewide partisan elections. A full term on the court is six years. Judicial elections take place during Alabama's general elections, which are held every two years in even-numbered years.
Political composition
This is the political composition of the court heading into the 2026 election.
| ■ Sarah Stewart | Elected in 2018.[1] | |
| ■ Tommy Bryan | Elected in 2012 | |
| ■ Greg Cook | Elected in 2022 | |
| ■ Chris McCool | Elected in 2024 | |
| ■ Brad Mendheim | Appointed by Gov. Kay Ivey (R) in 2018 | |
| ■ William Sellers | Appointed by Gov. Kay Ivey (R) in 2017 | |
| ■ Greg Shaw | Elected in 2008 | |
| ■ Kelli Wise | Elected in 2010 | |
| ■ Bill Lewis | Appointed by Gov. Kay Ivey (R) in 2025 |
Selection
The nine justices on the Alabama Supreme Court are selected through partisan elections for six-year terms. They appear on partisan election ballots statewide and face re-election if they wish to serve again.[2] For more information about these elections, visit the Alabama judicial elections page.
Qualifications
To serve on this court, a judge must be:
- licensed to practice law for at least 10 years;
- a state resident for at least one year;
- under the age of 70 at the time of election (judges who turn 70 in office may serve until their terms expire).[3][4]
Chief justice
The chief justice of the court is selected by popular vote, serving in that office for his or her full six-year term.[2][5]
Vacancies
Should a vacancy occur between regularly scheduled elections, which take place in November of even-numbered years, an interim justice is appointed by the governor. Any justice appointed in this fashion must then stand for election in the next general election occurring at least one year after taking office.[2][6]
The map below highlights how vacancies are filled in state supreme courts across the country.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Note: Stewart was elected to the Chief Justice position in 2024. Before this, she held an associate justice postiion.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Alabama Judicial System, "Qualification of Judges," accessed March 23, 2023
- ↑ Judicial Retirement Laws, "Alabama: Mandatory Retirement Provisions Applicable Generally," accessed August 10, 2021
- ↑ Alabama Secretary of State, "Minimum Qualifications for Public Office," accessed March 23, 2023
- ↑ Justia, "Article VI, Alabama Constitution - Section 152," accessed March 23, 2023
- ↑ Brennan Center for Justice, "Judicial Selection: An Interactive Map," accessed March 23, 2023
Federal courts:
Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Northern District of Alabama, Middle District of Alabama, Southern District of Alabama • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Northern District of Alabama, Middle District of Alabama, Southern District of Alabama
State courts:
Alabama Supreme Court • Alabama Court of Civil Appeals • Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals • Alabama Circuit Courts • Alabama District Courts • Alabama Juvenile Courts • Alabama Municipal Courts • Alabama Probate Courts • Alabama Small Claims Courts
State resources:
Courts in Alabama • Alabama judicial elections • Judicial selection in Alabama
| ||||||||||
