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Indiana Supreme Court elections
There are five justices on the Indiana Supreme Court. For more information about these elections, visit the Indiana judicial elections page.
Judicial selection
- See also: Judicial selection in Indiana
The five justices on the Indiana Supreme Court are selected through the assisted appointment method. The Indiana Judicial Nominating Commission is responsible for providing the names of three nominees to the governor, who must then select a justice from that list.[1][2] The commission is made up of six voting members from the three geographic districts covered by the Indiana Court of Appeals. Members include three attorneys, elected by attorneys in their respective geographic districts, and three non-attorneys, appointed by the governor. The chief justice or his or her designee serves as an ex officio member of the commission.[2]
Justices serve at least two years following their initial appointment. They must stand for retention at the first statewide general election to remain in office. If retained, justices serve a ten-year term and must stand for retention every ten years after that point to remain in office.[3]
Qualifications
To serve on this court, a judge must be:
- a U.S. citizen;
- an Indiana resident;
- admitted to practice law in the state for at least 10 years or have served as a trial court judge for at least five years; and
- under the age of 75 (retirement at 75 is mandatory).[1]
Chief Justice
The chief justice is selected by the Indiana Judicial Nominating Commission from the members of the supreme court and serves a five-year term.[2] In the event of a vacancy, the justice with the longest tenure on the supreme court serves as acting chief justice until the nominating commission fills the position.[2]
Vacancies
If a midterm vacancy occurs on the court, the position is filled as it normally would be had the vacancy occurred at the end of a justice's term. The Indiana Judicial Nominating Commission provides the names of three nominees to the governor, who must then select a justice from that list.[1][2] The new appointee serves at least two years following his or her initial appointment and must stand for retention at the first statewide general election to remain in office.[3] The map below highlights how vacancies are filled in state supreme courts across the country.
Elections
2024
- See also: Indiana Supreme Court elections, 2024
Derek Molter's seat
General election
General election for Indiana Supreme Court
Incumbent Loretta H. Rush won election in the general election for Indiana Supreme Court on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Loretta H. Rush (Nonpartisan) | 100.0 | 1,636,577 |
| Total votes: 1,636,577 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Loretta H. Rush's seat
General election
General election for Indiana Supreme Court
Incumbent Derek Molter won election in the general election for Indiana Supreme Court on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Derek Molter (Nonpartisan) | 100.0 | 1,571,882 |
| Total votes: 1,571,882 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Mark S. Massa's seat
General election
General election for Indiana Supreme Court
Incumbent Mark S. Massa won election in the general election for Indiana Supreme Court on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Mark S. Massa (Nonpartisan) | 100.0 | 1,561,879 |
| Total votes: 1,561,879 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2020
- See also: Indiana Supreme Court elections, 2020
Goff's seat
General election
General election for Indiana Supreme Court
Incumbent Christopher M. Goff won election in the general election for Indiana Supreme Court on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Christopher M. Goff (Nonpartisan) | 100.0 | 1,740,922 |
| Total votes: 1,740,922 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2018
- See also: Indiana Supreme Court elections, 2018
Candidates and results
Slaughter's seat
General election candidates
- Geoffrey Slaughter (Incumbent) (Nonpartisan) ✔
2014
Retention
| Judge | Election Vote |
|---|---|
| Mark S. Massa | 67.3%  |
| Loretta H. Rush | 69.0% |
2012
| Judge | Incumbency | Retention vote | Retention Vote % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Robert Rucker | Yes | 71.4% | |
| Steven David (Indiana) | Yes | 68.9% |
See also
Footnotes
Federal courts:
Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Northern District of Indiana, Southern District of Indiana • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Northern District of Indiana, Southern District of Indiana
State courts:
Indiana Supreme Court • Indiana Court of Appeals • Indiana Tax Court • Indiana Superior Courts • Indiana Circuit Courts • Indiana City Courts • Indiana County Courts • Indiana Municipal Courts • Indiana Small Claims Courts • St. Joseph County Probate Court • Indiana Town Courts
State resources:
Courts in Indiana • Indiana judicial elections • Judicial selection in Indiana
