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Verda Colvin
2021 - Present
2029
4
Verda Colvin is a judge of the Georgia Supreme Court. She assumed office on July 29, 2021. Her current term ends on January 1, 2029.
Colvin ran in a special election for judge of the Georgia Supreme Court. She won in the special general election on May 24, 2022.
Colvin first became a member of the Georgia Supreme Court when she was appointed by Gov. Brian Kemp (R) on July 20, 2021, to replace Harold Melton.[1] Colvin was sworn in on July 29, 2021.[2] To learn more about this appointment, click here.
Biography
Verda Colvin earned a B.A. in government and religion from Sweet Briar College in 1987 and a J.D. from the University of Georgia in 1990. Colvin's career experience includes working as an assistant United States attorney with the United States Attorney's Office of the Middle District of Georgia.[3]
Elections
2022
See also: Georgia Supreme Court elections, 2022
General election
Special general election for Georgia Supreme Court
Incumbent Verda Colvin defeated Veronica Brinson in the special general election for Georgia Supreme Court on May 24, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Verda Colvin (Nonpartisan) | 68.3 | 1,168,175 |
| Veronica Brinson (Nonpartisan) | 31.7 | 541,628 | ||
| Total votes: 1,709,803 | |||
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2016
Georgia held elections for local judicial offices—some of which are partisan, others of which are nonpartisan—in 2016. On May 24, 2016, regions across the state held primaries for the partisan races and general elections for the nonpartisan races. Runoff races for both the partisan primaries and the nonpartisan general elections were held on July 26, 2016. The general election for partisan races took place on November 8, 2016. The filing deadline for candidates who wished to run in this election was March 11, 2016.[4]
Incumbent Verda Colvin ran unopposed in the general election for one of 13 seats up for election on the 3rd District of the Georgia Superior Court.
| Georgia Superior Court, 3rd District Macon Circuit (Colvin seat), 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Verda Colvin Incumbent (unopposed) |
100.00% | 20,915 |
| Total Votes | 20,915 | |
| Source: Georgia Election Results, "General Primary and Nonpartisan General Election May 24, 2016," June 10, 2016 | ||
Campaign themes
2022
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Verda Colvin did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.
Appointments
2021
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp (R) appointed Verda Colvin to the Georgia Supreme Court on July 20, 2021. Colvin succeeded Harold Melton, who retired on July 1, 2021.[5][6] Colvin was Gov. Kemp's third nominee to the nine-member court.
As of July 2021, under Georgia law when an interim vacancy occurred the seat was filled using the assisted appointment method of judicial selection with the governor selecting the interim justice from a slate of candidates provided by the Georgia Judicial Nominating Commission. The commission would recommend at least five candidates to the governor for each judicial vacancy unless fewer than five applicants are found to be qualified. There was no requirement that the governor appoint a candidate from the nominating commission's list.[7]
2020
Colvin was appointed to the Georgia Court of Appeals by Republican Governor Brian Kemp on March 27, 2020, and was sworn in on April 10.[8]
2014
Colvin was appointed to the Macon Circuit of the 3rd Superior Court District of Georgia by Governor Nathan Deal on March 24, 2014.[9]
State supreme court judicial selection in Georgia
- See also: Judicial selection in Georgia
The nine justices on the Georgia Supreme Court are chosen by popular vote in nonpartisan elections. They serve six-year terms, after which they must run for re-election if they wish to retain their seats.[10]
Qualifications
To serve on this court, a judge must be:
Chief justice
The chief justice is selected by peer vote and serves in that capacity for four years.[10]
Vacancies
If a vacancy appears on the court, the position is filled by assisted appointment. The governor chooses an appointee from a list of qualified candidates compiled by the judicial nominating commission. As of March 2023, the judicial nominating commission consisted of 35 members, each appointed by the governor. For each court vacancy, the commission recommends candidates, but the governor is not bound to the commission's choices and may choose to appoint a judge not found on the list.[11] If appointed, an interim judge must run in the next general election held at least six months after the appointment, and, if confirmed by voters, he or she may finish the rest of the predecessor's term.[10][12][13] There is one current vacancy on the Georgia Supreme Court, out of the court's 9 judicial positions. The map below highlights how vacancies are filled in state supreme courts across the country.
See also
2022 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ WGXA, "Gov. Kemp appoints Judge Verda Colvin to the Georgia Supreme Court," July 20, 2021
- ↑ Gov. Kemp appoints Judge Verda Colvin to the Georgia Supreme Court," 13WMAZ, 'Macon is my home': Judge Verda Colvin sworn into Georgia Supreme Court,"July 29, 2021
- ↑ LinkedIn, "Verda Colvin," accessed August 2, 2021
- ↑ Georgia Secretary of State, "Current and Past Election Results," accessed July 30, 2017
- ↑ The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, "Kemp appoints Colvin to fill vacancy on Georgia Supreme Court," July 20, 2021
- ↑ WTVM, "Ga. Supreme Court Chief Justice Melton announces retirement from state’s highest court," February 12, 2021
- ↑ American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Georgia; Judicial Nominating Commissions," archived October 2, 2014
- ↑ Court of Appeals of the State of Georgia, "Verda M. Colvin," accessed April 14, 2020
- ↑ The Telegraph, "New judge is a woman of high character and great integrity," March 24, 2014
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Georgia," archived October 2, 2014
- ↑ American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Georgia; Judicial Nominating Commissions," archived October 2, 2014
- ↑ Governor Brian Kemp, "Executive Order," accessed March 29, 2023
- ↑ Governor Brian Kemp, "Gov. Kemp Names 35 to Judicial Nominating Commission," October 27, 2021
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