California Supreme Court elections, 2026
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The terms of two California Supreme Court justices will expire on January 4, 2027. The two seats are up for retention election on November 3, 2026.
Judges with expiring terms
- This is a list of the justices who must stand for retention 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.
■ Joshua Groban
■ Kelli M. Evans
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
Kelli Evans' seat
There are no official candidates yet for this election.
General election
The general election will occur on November 3, 2026.
Joshua Groban's seat
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 California
Ballotpedia will publish the dates and deadlines related to this election as they are made available.
About the California Supreme Court
- See also: California Supreme Court
The California Supreme Court is the state's court of last resort. The court is composed of a chief justice and six associate justices, who are appointed by the governor to 12-year terms. Appointments must be confirmed by the Commission on Judicial Appointments. The court has jurisdiction to review any ruling of the California Courts of Appeal, and also handles misconduct cases and discipline of state attorneys and judges.[1]
Political composition
This is the political composition of the court heading into the 2026 election.
| ■ Carol Corrigan | Appointed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) in 2005 | |
| ■ Goodwin Liu | Appointed by Gov. Jerry Brown (D) in 2011 | |
| ■ Leondra Kruger | Appointed by Gov. Jerry Brown (D) in 2014 | |
| ■ Joshua Groban | Appointed by Gov. Jerry Brown (D) in 2018 | |
| ■ Martin J. Jenkins | Appointed by Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) in 2020 | |
| ■ Patricia Guerrero | Appointed by Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) in 2022 | |
| ■ Kelli M. Evans | Appointed by Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) in 2023 |
Selection
The seven justices of the California Supreme Court are appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Commission on Judicial Appointments. The state bar's Commission on Judicial Nominee Evaluation—also known as the "Jenny Commission"—is required to perform an extensive investigation on prospective appointees. The commission recommends candidates to the governor after examining their qualifications and fitness, ranking them as exceptionally well qualified, well qualified, qualified, or not qualified. The commission is composed of attorneys and public members.[2][3] Although the governor is not bound to these recommendations, the Commission on Judicial Appointments can approve or veto the appointment by majority vote.[4]
Following confirmation from the Commission on Judicial Appointments, the appointed justice is sworn into office and is subject to voter approval at the next gubernatorial election. The appointed justice must be confirmed by voters via a yes-no retention election. According to the California Constitution, the term for a supreme court justice is 12 years. If retained by the voters, the appointed justice remains in office but their term may depend on their predecessor's term. If the predecessor served part of their term before leaving office, the appointed justice would be retained to serve the remainder of their predecessor's term. This would be for either four or eight years. At the end of that term, the justice again must be confirmed by the voters at a gubernatorial election to begin a new 12-year term.[5][6] If a justice has been appointed to a seat where the predecessor's term would have expired the January 1 immediately after that November gubernatorial election, then the justice would serve a full 12-year term.[7]
Qualifications
To serve as a justice, a candidate must have practiced law for at least 10 years in California or served as a judge in California for at least 10 years.[7]
Chief justice
The court uses the same process described above for selecting its chief justice. The governor, with commission approval, appoints a chief justice for a full 12-year term.[8]
Vacancies
Vacancies are filled by gubernatorial appointment. Appointed judges are required to participate in yes-no retention elections occurring at the time of the next gubernatorial race, which is held every four years.[7]
The map below highlights how vacancies are filled in state supreme courts across the country.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ California Courts, "About the Supreme Court," accessed December 23, 2014
- ↑ The State Bar of California, "Background," accessed March 27, 2023
- ↑ The State Bar of California, "Commission on Judicial Nominees Evaluation," accessed March 27, 2023
- ↑ Brennan Center for Justice, "Judicial Selection: An Interactive Map," accessed March 23, 2023
- ↑ California Legislative Information, "Article VI Judicial Sec. 16.," accessed March 27, 2023
- ↑ California Secretary of State, "Justices of the Supreme Court," accessed March 27, 2023
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 California Courts, "Judicial Selection: How California Chooses Its Judges and Justices," accessed March 27, 2023
- ↑ Justia, "Supreme Court of California Decisions," accessed March 27, 2023
Federal courts:
Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Central District of California, Eastern District of California, Northern District of California, Southern District of California • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Central District of California, Eastern District of California, Northern District of California, Southern District of California
State courts:
California Supreme Court • California Courts of Appeal • California Superior Courts
State resources:
Courts in California • California judicial elections • Judicial selection in California
