Oklahoma Supreme Court elections, 2026
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The terms of six Oklahoma Supreme Court and Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals justices will expire on January 10, 2027. The six seats are up for retention election on November 3, 2026. The filing deadline is September 4, 2026.
Oklahoma is one of two states that have two courts of last resort. Republicans appointed all justices. In 2024, Justice Yvonne Kauger became the first justice in state history to lose a retention campaign, receiving only 49.8% of the vote. Since 1990, Oklahoma justices have received an average of 63% of the vote in retention elections, the second-lowest average among all states.
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. This list includes justices on the Oklahoma Supreme Court and Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals, both of which serve as Oklahoma's court of last resort. The list is subject to change if justices retire or are appointed.
Oklahoma Supreme Court
■ M. John Kane IV
■ Travis Jett
■ Dana Kuehn
■ Richard Darby
Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals
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
Oklahoma Supreme Court
District 1
There are no official candidates yet for this election.
General election
The general election will occur on November 3, 2026.
District 4
There are no official candidates yet for this election.
General election
The general election will occur on November 3, 2026.
District 6
There are no official candidates yet for this election.
General election
The general election will occur on November 3, 2026.
District 9
There are no official candidates yet for this election.
General election
The general election will occur on November 3, 2026.
Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals
District 2
There are no official candidates yet for this election.
General election
The general election will occur on November 3, 2026.
District 3
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 Oklahoma
About the Oklahoma courts of last resort
- See also: Oklahoma Supreme Court
- See also: Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals
Political composition
This is the political composition of the court heading into the 2026 election.
Oklahoma Supreme Court
| ■ M. John Kane IV | Appointed by Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) in 2019 | |
| ■ Dustin Rowe | Appointed by Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) in 2019 | |
| ■ Noma D. Gurich | Appointed by Gov. Brad Henry (D) in 2011 | |
| ■ Travis Jett | Appointed by Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) in 2025 | |
| ■ James R. Winchester | Appointed by Gov. Frank Keating (R) in 2000 | |
| ■ Dana Kuehn | Appointed by Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) in 2021 | |
| ■ James Edmondson | Appointed by Gov. Brad Henry (D) in 2003 | |
| ■ Douglas L. Combs | Appointed by Gov. Brad Henry (D) in 2010 | |
| ■ Richard Darby | Appointed by Gov. Mary Fallin (R) in 2018 |
Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals
| ■ William J. Musseman | Appointed by Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) in 2022 | |
| ■ Rob Hudson | Appointed by Gov. Mary Fallin (R) in 2015 | |
| ■ Gary Lumpkin | Appointed by Gov. Henry Bellmon (R) in 1988 | |
| ■ Scott Rowland | Appointed by Gov. Mary Fallin (R) in 2017 | |
| ■ David B. Lewis | Appointed by Gov. Brad Henry (D) in 2005 |
Selection
The nine justices of the Oklahoma Supreme Court are selected through the assisted appointment method. Each justice is appointed by the governor from a list of three names compiled by the Oklahoma Judicial Nominating Commission.[1][2]
The appointed justice serves an initial term of at least one year, after which they must stand for retention during the next general election. Subsequent terms last six years.[1][3]
Qualifications
To serve on this court, a justice must be:
- at least 30 years old;
- a qualified voter in his or her respective district for at least one year; and
- licensed to practice for at least five years in the state (or have five years of service as a judge of a court of record).[1]
Chief justice
The chief justice of the court is selected by peer vote, serving in that capacity for two years.[1]
Vacancies
If a justice retires before the end of his or her term, the vacancy is filled just as it normally would be, with the governor appointing a successor from a list of names provided by the nominating commission. If the appointment is not made within 60 days of the vacancy, the chief justice is responsible for selecting a replacement.[4] The appointed justice then must stand for retention in the next general election after he or she has served one year on the bench to serve out the remainder of his or her predecessor's term.[1][3]
The map below highlights how vacancies are filled in state supreme courts across the country.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 National Center for State Courts, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Oklahoma," accessed September 22, 2021
- ↑ Oklahoma State Courts Network, "Oklahoma Judicial Nominating Commission," accessed September 22, 2021
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Justia, "Section VII-B-5," accessed September 22, 2021
- ↑ Oklahoma Public Research System, "Section VII-B-4: Vacancy in Judicial Office - Filling," accessed September 22, 2021
Federal courts:
Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Eastern District of Oklahoma, Northern District of Oklahoma, Western District of Oklahoma • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Eastern District of Oklahoma, Northern District of Oklahoma, Western District of Oklahoma
State courts:
Oklahoma Supreme Court • Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals • Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals • Oklahoma District Courts • Oklahoma Workers' Compensation Court of Existing Claims
State resources:
Courts in Oklahoma • Oklahoma judicial elections • Judicial selection in Oklahoma
