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Minnesota intermediate appellate court elections, 2026
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The terms of six Minnesota intermediate appellate court judges will expire on January 4, 2027. The six seats are up for nonpartisan election on November 3, 2026.
Judges with expiring terms
- This is a list of the judges who must stand for nonpartisan election in 2026 in order to remain on the bench. Judges may choose not to stand for election. The list is subject to change if judges retire or are appointed.
■ Elizabeth Bentley
■ Rachel Bond
■ Randall Slieter
■ Jeanne Cochran
■ Kevin Ross
■ JaPaul Harris
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
Elizabeth Bentley's seat
There are no official candidates yet for this election.
General election
The general election will occur on November 3, 2026.
Jeanne Cochran's seat
There are no official candidates yet for this election.
General election
The general election will occur on November 3, 2026.
Kevin Ross' seat
There are no official candidates yet for this election.
General election
The general election will occur on November 3, 2026.
JaPaul Harris' seat
There are no official candidates yet for this election.
General election
The general election will occur on November 3, 2026.
Rachel Bond's seat
There are no official candidates yet for this election.
General election
The general election will occur on November 3, 2026.
Randall Slieter'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 Minnesota
Ballotpedia will publish the dates and deadlines related to this election as they are made available.
Selection
Judges on the Minnesota Court of Appeals are chosen in nonpartisan general elections to six-year terms.[1] Sitting judges must run for re-election if they wish to serve additional terms. While party affiliation is not designated on the ballot, incumbency is.[1]
Qualifications
Judges of the appeals court are required to be "learned in the law" and under 70 years old. Sitting judges who reach the age of 70 while in office are allowed to serve until the last day of that month.[1]
Chief judge
The chief judge of the appeals court is appointed by the governor. He or she serves in that capacity for a three-year term.[1]
Vacancies
Interim vacancies on the appeals court are filled via gubernatorial appointment. After serving for at least one year, the appointed judge can run for a full term in the next general election.[1] Other candidates may file to run against them in the election.[2]
See also
External links
Footnotes
Federal courts:
Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: District of Minnesota • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: District of Minnesota
State courts:
Minnesota Supreme Court • Minnesota Court of Appeals • Minnesota District Courts • Minnesota Problem-Solving Courts • Minnesota Tax Court • Minnesota Workers' Compensation Court of Appeals
State resources:
Courts in Minnesota • Minnesota judicial elections • Judicial selection in Minnesota
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