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Georgia Supreme Court elections, 2026
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The terms of two Georgia Supreme Court justices will expire on December 31, 2026. The two seats are up for nonpartisan election on November 3, 2026.
Judges with expiring terms
- This is a list of the justices who must stand for nonpartisan 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.
■ Sarah Warren
■ Charlie Bethel
■ Ben Land
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
Charlie Bethel's seat
There are no official candidates yet for this election.
General election
The general election will occur on November 3, 2026.
Sarah Warren'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 Georgia
Ballotpedia will publish the dates and deadlines related to this election as they are made available.
About the Georgia Supreme Court
- See also: Georgia Supreme Court
This 1983 Georgia Constitution gives the Georgia Supreme Court exclusive appellate jurisdiction over constitutional cases and election contest cases. The court also has general appellate jurisdiction over land title, will and equity cases, divorce and alimony cases, certified cases, death penalty cases, and writs of habeas corupus or certiorari. The court may also exercise jurisdiction over Georgia Court of Appeals cases found to be of great public importance.[1]
Political composition
This is the political composition of the court heading into the 2026 election.
| ■ Charlie Bethel | Appointed by Gov. Nathan Deal (R) in 2018, and elected in 2020 | |
| ■ Verda Colvin | Appointed by Gov. Brian Kemp (R) in 2021, and elected in 2022 | |
| ■ John Ellington | Elected in 2018, and re-elected in 2024 | |
| ■ Shawn LaGrua | Appointed by Gov. Brian Kemp (R) in 2020, and elected in 2022 | |
| ■ Carla W. McMillian | Appointed by Gov. Brian Kemp (R) in 2020, and elected in 2022 | |
| ■ Nels Peterson | Appointed by Gov. Nathan Deal (R) in 2016, and elected in 2018 and 2024 | |
| ■ Andrew Pinson | Appointed by Gov. Brian Kemp (R) in 2022, and elected in 2024 | |
| ■ Sarah Warren | Appointed by Gov. Nathan Deal (R) in 2018, and elected in 2020 |
Selection
The nine justices on the Georgia Supreme Court are chosen by popular vote in nonpartisan elections. They serve six-year terms, after which they must run for re-election if they wish to retain their seats.[2]
Qualifications
To serve on this court, a judge must be:
Chief justice
The chief justice is selected by peer vote and serves in that capacity for four years.[2]
Vacancies
If a vacancy appears on the court, the position is filled by assisted appointment. The governor chooses an appointee from a list of qualified candidates compiled by the judicial nominating commission. As of March 2023, the judicial nominating commission consisted of 35 members, each appointed by the governor. For each court vacancy, the commission recommends candidates, but the governor is not bound to the commission's choices and may choose to appoint a judge not found on the list.[3] If appointed, an interim judge must run in the next general election held at least six months after the appointment, and, if confirmed by voters, he or she may finish the rest of the predecessor's term.[2][4][5] There is one current vacancy on the Georgia Supreme Court, out of the court's 9 judicial positions. The map below highlights how vacancies are filled in state supreme courts across the country.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Georgia Supreme Court Official Site
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Georgia," archived October 2, 2014
- ↑ American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Georgia; Judicial Nominating Commissions," archived October 2, 2014
- ↑ Governor Brian Kemp, "Executive Order," accessed March 29, 2023
- ↑ Governor Brian Kemp, "Gov. Kemp Names 35 to Judicial Nominating Commission," October 27, 2021
Federal courts:
Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Middle District of Georgia, Northern District of Georgia, Southern District of Georgia • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Middle District of Georgia, Northern District of Georgia, Southern District of Georgia
State courts:
Georgia Supreme Court • Georgia Court of Appeals • Georgia Superior Courts • Georgia State Courts • Georgia Business Court • Georgia Tax Court • Georgia Juvenile Courts • Georgia Probate Courts • Georgia Magistrate Courts • Georgia Municipal Courts
State resources:
Courts in Georgia • Georgia judicial elections • Judicial selection in Georgia
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