State supreme court elections, 2025
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Three states — Louisiana, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin — are holding state supreme court elections in 2025. One seat on the Louisiana Supreme Court, three seats on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, and one seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court are on the ballot. Of the five seats up for election:
- Three are held by Democratic justices.
- One was held by a Republican justice.
- One was held by a nonpartisan justice.
As of July 14, 2025, two states, Louisiana and Wisconsin, held their elections. No state supreme courts have shifted partisan control. Additionally, Cade Cole (R) was elected to the Louisiana Supreme Court unopposed on February 3, 2025, replacing Justice James Genovese (R).[1] In Wisconsin, though the election was officially nonpartisan, media outlets reported that Wisconsin's Supreme Court maintained a liberal majority after Susan Crawford defeated Brad Schimel on April 1.[2] Crawford was endorsed by the Democratic Party and Schimel was supported by the Republican Party.[3]
Most states do not hold elections in odd-numbered years. Pennsylvania holds judicial elections exclusively in odd-numbered years, and Wisconsin holds judicial elections every year. Louisiana and Washington may also hold judicial elections in both even and odd years. In some years, no justice's term will end, and therefore, no election will be held.
Click here for information on state intermediate appellate court elections. Click here for information on local trial court elections.
- On the ballotA list of elections and candidates on the ballot
- Election methodsA description of the different election methods
- Previous electionsA summary of elections in past cycles
- Incumbent win ratesAn analysis of incumbent win rates in state supreme court elections
- Noteworthy eventsNoteworthy events related to these elections
On the ballot
Click the tabs below to view information about the elections this year. In this section, you will find:
- A list of seats up for election
- A list of candidates running
- Ballotpedia's Sample Ballot Lookup Tool
The following states are holding an election for a state supreme court seat in 2025. This list is subject to change if judges retire or are appointed.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection
State supreme court election methods
- See also: Judicial selection in the states
Thirty-eight states hold elections at some point in the selection process for state supreme court justices, using either partisan elections, nonpartisan elections, or retention elections. In the other 12 states, justices are appointed by governors or the state legislature. To learn more about those other selection methods, click here.
Partisan election of judges
In a partisan election, candidates may be nominated by political parties or declare their party affiliations upon filing to stand in the election. Primaries are typically held to narrow down the candidates to one per party before the general election; some states hold primaries in which candidates of all parties compete with each other, and the top vote-getters advance regardless of party.
In 2025, there is one partisan state supreme court election.
Nonpartisan election of judges
In a nonpartisan election, some states allow candidates to declare their party affiliations, while some states prohibit them from doing so. If primaries are held, they do not narrow the candidates to one per party; instead, they typically narrow the candidates to two for each seat, regardless of party.
In Michigan, nonpartisan general elections are combined with a partisan nominating process to create the Michigan method. To read more about this selection method, click here.
In 2025, there is one nonpartisan state supreme court election.
Retention election of judges
In a retention election, an incumbent judge does not face an opponent. A question is placed on the ballot asking whether each judge shall be retained for another term, and voters choose "yes" or "no." Judges must receive majority "yes" votes in order to remain in their seats.
In 2025, there are three retention elections for state supreme court seats.
Previous elections
2024
- See also: State supreme court elections, 2024
Thirty-three states held state supreme court elections in 2024. In total, 82 of the 344 seats on state supreme courts were up for election.
Republicans lost one state court, Democrats did not gain or lose control of a state court, and one court became a divided court.
2023
- See also: State supreme court elections, 2023
Two states — Pennsylvania and Wisconsin — held state supreme court elections in 2023. In total, two of the 344 seats on state supreme courts were up for election.
Republicans lost one state court, Democrats gained control of one state court.
2022
- See also: State supreme court elections, 2022
Thirty states held elections for 84 state supreme court seats in 2022. In total, 84 of the 344 seats on state supreme courts were up for election.
Republicans gained three seats, and Democrats gained one seat. As a result, Republicans gained a majority on the North Carolina Supreme Court, and Democrats gained no new majorities.
Two incumbents were defeated. In Illinois, Mary O'Brien (D) defeated Michael Burke (R). In North Carolina, Trey Allen (R) defeated Sam Ervin IV (D).
Republicans gained one state court, Democrats lost control of one state court.
2021
- See also: State supreme court elections, 2021
One state — Pennsylvania — held a state supreme court election in 2021. In total, one of the 344 seats on state supreme courts was up for election.
No states saw partisan control of their courts change hands as a result of the elections.
2020
- See also: State supreme court elections, 2020
Thirty-five states held state supreme court elections in 2020. In total, 78 of the nation’s 344 state supreme court seats were up for election. At 23%, this was the greatest number of seats up for election in recent years.
Democrats gained control of one state court and Republicans lost control of one state court.
Click [show] at the right to view more past election results. | |
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2019
Three states — Kentucky, Louisiana, and Wisconsin — held elections for supreme court justices in 2019. In total, three of 344 seats were up for election. Kentucky and Wisconsin held nonpartisan elections, while Louisiana held partisan elections. No states saw partisan control of their courts change hands as a result of the elections. 2018
Thirty two states held elections for 68 state supreme court seats.' Twenty seats were up for partisan election and included one Democratic justice and 19 Republican justices. Democrats gained five seats in those partisan elections, leaving them with six justices and Republicans with 14. 2017
Two states held supreme court elections for four state supreme court seats in 2017. The only seat up for contested election in 2017 was in Pennsylvania, where sitting Justice Sallie Mundy (R) defeated Judge Dwayne D. Woodruff (D). In Wisconsin, the other race that could have produced a contested election saw Republican-affiliated Justice Annette Ziegler run unopposed in a nonpartisan election. Two other judges in Pennsylvania — Chief Justice Thomas Saylor (R) and Justice Debra Todd (D) — were retained. 2016
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Incumbent win rates
Click the tabs below to view information about incumbent win rates in state supreme court elections over time. In this section, you will find:
- Win rates by year
- Win rates in partisan elections
- Win rates in nonpartisan elections
- Win rates by state
Incumbents tend to do better in elections for any office than newcomers facing incumbents. This is no less true in state supreme court elections. Across all types of state supreme court elections, incumbent justices running for re-election won 93% of the time from 2008 to 2024. The year when the most incumbents lost was 2024, when eight incumbents did not win re-election. The year with the lowest re-election rate was 2015, when out of two justices, only one (50%) was re-elected. In years where more justices were running, the year with the lowest re-election rate was 2024, when 89% of justices were re-elected..
| Election year | Total incumbent elections | Incumbent elections won | Incumbent elections lost | Incumbent win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 73 | 65 | 8 | 89% |
| 2023 | 0 | — | — | — |
| 2022 | 78 | 75 | 3 | 96% |
| 2021 | 0 | — | — | — |
| 2020 | 70 | 64 | 6 | 91% |
| 2019 | 0 | — | — | — |
| 2018 | 58 | 52 | 6 | 90% |
| 2017 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 100% |
| 2016 | 65 | 62 | 3 | 95% |
| 2015 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 50% |
| 2014 | 71 | 69 | 2 | 97% |
| 2013 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 100% |
| 2012 | 65 | 60 | 5 | 92% |
| 2011 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 100% |
| 2010 | 68 | 63 | 5 | 93% |
| 2009 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 100% |
| 2008 | 63 | 57 | 6 | 90% |
| TOTAL | 625 | 580 | 45 | 93% |
Noteworthy events
Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Ann Walsh Bradley announces retirement (April 2024)
On April 11, 2024, Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Ann Walsh Bradley announced she would not seek a fourth 10-year term in 2025. At the time of her announcement, Bradley said, "I know I can do the job and do it well. I know I can win re-election, should I run. But, it's just time to pass the torch, bringing fresh perspectives to the court."[4] Bradley last ran for re-election in 2015, defeating James Daley 58.1% to 41.9%.
The Washington Post's Patrick Marley wrote before the election that the retirement "sets the stage for an intense race for control of the court two years after candidates, political parties and interest groups spent more than $50 million in the most expensive judicial race in U.S. history."[5]
While Wisconsin Supreme Court elections are officially nonpartisan, justices and candidates are considered to be liberal or conservative. The court’s 15-year conservative majority tightened in three elections preceding Bradley's announcement. The 2019 election resulted in conservatives gaining a 5-2 majority, and the 2020 election resulted in a 4-3 conservative majority. In the 2023 election, Janet Claire Protasiewicz defeated Daniel Kelly 55.4% to 44.4%, resulting in liberals gaining a 4-3 majority on the court.
Bradley was part of the court’s liberal majority, and her retirement created an opportunity in the 2025 election for conservatives to regain a 4-3 majority or for liberals to hold their majority. Conservative justices are up for re-election in 2026 and 2027, meaning they cannot win a majority on the court until 2028.
In the April 1, 2025, election, the liberal candidate Susan Crawford defeated the conservative candidate Brad Schimel 55% to 45%, meaning liberals kept a majority on the court.[2]
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See also
- Judicial selection in the states
- Past state supreme court elections: 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016
- Past state judicial elections: 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016
- Past election analysis: 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Louisiana Illuminator, "Cade Cole becomes Louisiana’s newest Supreme Court justice without opposition," February 3, 2025
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Wisconsin Examiner, "Wisconsin voters elect Susan Crawford in rebuke of Trump, Musk," April 1, 2025
- ↑ MPR News, "Democratic-backed Susan Crawford wins Wisconsin Supreme Court seat, cementing liberal majority," April 1, 2025
- ↑ Wisconsin Supreme Court, "Press Release," April 11, 2024
- ↑ The Washington Post, "Wisconsin Supreme Court liberal won’t run again, shaking up race for control," April 11, 2024
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