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Ginger Gooch
2023 - Present
2036
1
Ginger Gooch is a judge of the Missouri Supreme Court. She assumed office on November 1, 2023. Her current term ends on December 31, 2036.
Gooch ran for re-election for judge of the Missouri Supreme Court. She won in the retention election on November 5, 2024.
Gov. Mike Parson (R) appointed Gooch to the Missouri Court of Appeals in November 2022.[1] He appointed her to the Missouri Supreme Court on October 30, 2023, via assisted appointment.[2] To learn more about this appointment, click here.
Elections
2024
See also: Missouri Supreme Court elections, 2024
Missouri Supreme Court, Ginger Gooch's seat
Ginger Gooch was retained to the Missouri Supreme Court on November 5, 2024 with 62.2% of the vote.
Retention Vote |
% |
Votes |
|||
| ✔ | Yes |
62.2
|
1,606,477 | ||
No |
37.8
|
974,374 | |||
Total Votes |
2,580,851 | ||||
|
|
Endorsements
Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Gooch in this election.
Campaign themes
2024
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Ginger Gooch did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
Appointments
2023
Missouri governor Mike Parson appointed Ginger Gooch to the Missouri Supreme Court on October 30, 2023. She was sworn in two days later, on November 1, 2023.
Gooch replaced Justice Patricia Breckenridge, who retired on October 13, 2023, after reaching the state's mandatory retirement age of 70. Breckenridge's replacement was Governor Mike Parson's (R) third nominee to the seven-member supreme court.[3][4]
At the time of the vacancy, Missouri law required the governor to appoint a new judge from a list of candidates compiled by the Missouri Appellate Judicial Commission. Newly appointed judges were required to stand for retention in the next general election occurring one to three years after taking office.
State supreme court judicial selection in Missouri
- See also: Judicial selection in Missouri
The seven justices of the Missouri Supreme Court are chosen through assisted appointment in which the governor selects a nominee from a list provided by a nominating commission. When a vacancy occurs, a list of potential candidates is compiled by the Missouri Appellate Judicial Commission and narrowed to three choices. From those three candidates, the governor appoints a new judge. After the newly appointed judge serves for at least one year, they must stand for retention in the next general election. If retained, they serve twelve-year terms.[5]
Qualifications
To serve on the supreme court, a judge must be:
- a U.S. citizen for at least 15 years;
- a qualified state voter for at least nine years;
- licensed to practice law in the state;
- over the age of 30; and
- under the age of 70 (retirement at 70 is mandatory).[5]
Chief justice
The chief justice of the supreme court serves a two-year term and is elected by a peer vote.[5]
Vacancies
When a vacancy occurs, a list of potential candidates is compiled by the Missouri Appellate Judicial Commission and narrowed to three choices. From those three candidates, the governor appoints a new judge. After the newly appointed judge serves for at least one year, they must stand for retention in the next general election. If retained, they serve twelve-year terms.[5]
The map below highlights how vacancies are filled in state supreme courts across the country.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Missouri Governor Michael L. Parsons, "GOVERNOR PARSON ANNOUNCES THREE JUDICIAL APPOINTMENTS," accessed December 8, 2022
- ↑ Missouri Governor Mike Parson, "GOVERNOR PARSON APPOINTS THE HONORABLE GINGER GOOCH AS MISSOURI SUPREME COURT JUDGE," October 30, 2023
- ↑ St. Louis Post-Dispatch, "Two Missouri Supreme Court judges to retire," February 8, 2023
- ↑ St. Louis Post-Dispatch, "Parson set to make second appointment to Missouri Supreme Court," June 20, 2023
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 National Center for State Courts, "Methods of Judicial Selection," accessed September 7, 2021
Federal courts:
Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Eastern District of Missouri, Western District of Missouri • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Eastern District of Missouri, Western District of Missouri
State courts:
Missouri Supreme Court • Missouri Court of Appeals • Missouri Circuit Courts • Missouri Municipal Courts
State resources:
Courts in Missouri • Missouri judicial elections • Judicial selection in Missouri
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State of Missouri Jefferson City (capital) |
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