State intermediate appellate court elections, 2026
| 2026 State Judicial Elections | |
|---|---|
2027 »
« 2025
| |
| Overview | |
| Supreme Courts Overview | |
| Appellate Courts Overview | |
| View judicial elections by state: | |
Thirty-one states are holding intermediate appellate court elections in 2026. There are 239 seats on intermediate appellate courts up for election. More information about these elections will be added here once election dates and filing schedules are made available.
Intermediate appellate courts serve as an intermediate step between the trial courts and the courts of last resort in a state. Their jurisdiction varies from state to state.
Of the states up for election in 2026, five use partisan elections, 11 use nonpartisan elections, and 14 use retention elections. One state, Illinois, uses partisan elections for initial selection and retention elections for re-election.
In addition, in the U.S. Territories, two intermediate appellate court judges will be on the ballot in retention elections in 2026. Two judges on the Northern Mariana Islands Superior Court must stand for retention to remain on the bench.
Click here for information on state supreme court elections. Click here for information on local trial court elections.
'
- On the ballotA list of elections and candidates on the ballotRead more
- Selection methodsA description of the different selection methodsRead more
Contents
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 elections for intermediate appellate court seats in 2026. This list is subject to change if judges retire or are appointed.
| State | Seats up for election | Election dates | Election method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 4 | November 3, 2026 | Partisan |
| Arizona | 17 | November 3, 2026 | Retention |
| Arkansas | 2 | March 3, 2026 | Nonpartisan |
| California | 49 | November 3, 2026 | Retention |
| Colorado | 6 | November 3, 2026 | Retention |
| Florida | 22 | November 3, 2026 | Retention |
| Georgia | 5 | May 19, 2026 | Nonpartisan |
| Idaho | 1 | May 19, 2026 | Nonpartisan |
| Illinois | 8 | November 3, 2026 | Partisan and retention |
| Indiana | 4 | November 3, 2026 | Retention |
| Iowa | 3 | November 3, 2026 | Retention |
| Kansas | 7 | November 3, 2026 | Retention |
| Kentucky | 2 | November 3, 2026 | Nonpartisan |
| Louisiana | 3 | December 12, 2026 | Partisan |
| Maryland | 1 | November 3, 2026 | Retention |
| Michigan | 10 | November 3, 2026 | Nonpartisan |
| Minnesota | 5 | November 3, 2026 | Nonpartisan |
| Mississippi | 5 | November 3, 2026 | Nonpartisan |
| Missouri | 7 | November 3, 2026 | Retention |
| Nebraska | 1 | November 3, 2026 | Retention |
| New Mexico | 2 | November 3, 2026 | Retention |
| North Carolina | 3 | November 3, 2026 | Partisan |
| Ohio | 21 | November 3, 2026 | Partisan |
| Oklahoma | 4 | November 3, 2026 | Retention |
| Oregon | 4 | November 3, 2026 | Nonpartisan |
| Tennessee | 2 | August 6, 2026 | Retention |
| Texas | 24 | November 3, 2026 | Partisan |
| Utah | 6 | November 3, 2026 | Retention |
| Washington | 7 | November 3, 2026 | Nonpartisan |
| West Virginia | 1 | May 12, 2026 | Nonpartisan |
| Wisconsin | 3 | April 7, 2026 | Nonpartisan |
The table below contains a list of all candidates who are running for state intermediate appellate courts in 2026. The table is fully searchable by candidate, party and candidacy status. Depending on the size of your screen, you'll either see a menu to the left of the table or an arrow at the top right corner, which you can use to select a state.
| candidate | party | office | status |
|---|---|---|---|
Benjamin M. Bowden Incumbent | Republican | On the Ballot General | |
Matt Fridy Incumbent | Republican | On the Ballot General | |
Mary Becker Windom Incumbent | Republican | On the Ballot General | |
J. Elizabeth Kellum Incumbent | Republican | On the Ballot Primary | |
Republican | On the Ballot Primary |
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
| candidate | party | office | status |
|---|---|---|---|
No candidates available for this race | Arizona Court of Appeals Division One (Maricopa County) (Retention election) | ||
No candidates available for this race | Arizona Court of Appeals Division Two (Pima County) (Retention election) |
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
| candidate | party | office | status |
|---|---|---|---|
Bart Virden Incumbent | Nonpartisan | Won General | |
Nonpartisan | On the Ballot General | ||
Nonpartisan | On the Ballot General |
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
| candidate | party | office | status |
|---|---|---|---|
No candidates available for this race | Colorado Court of Appeals (Retention election) |
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
| candidate | party | office | status |
|---|---|---|---|
No candidates available for this race |
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
| candidate | party | office | status |
|---|---|---|---|
No candidates available for this race |
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
| candidate | party | office | status |
|---|---|---|---|
No candidates available for this race | Indiana Court of Appeals 2nd District (Retention election) | ||
No candidates available for this race | Indiana Court of Appeals 3rd District (Retention election) | ||
No candidates available for this race | Indiana Court of Appeals 4th District (Retention election) | ||
No candidates available for this race | Indiana Court of Appeals 5th District (Retention election) |
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
| candidate | party | office | status |
|---|---|---|---|
No candidates available for this race | Iowa Court of Appeals (Retention election) |
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
| candidate | party | office | status |
|---|---|---|---|
No candidates available for this race | Kansas Court of Appeals Position 1 (Retention election) | ||
No candidates available for this race | Kansas Court of Appeals Position 2 (Retention election) | ||
No candidates available for this race | Kansas Court of Appeals Position 3 (Retention election) | ||
No candidates available for this race | Kansas Court of Appeals Position 5 (Retention election) | ||
No candidates available for this race | Kansas Court of Appeals Position 7 (Retention election) | ||
No candidates available for this race | Kansas Court of Appeals Position 11 (Retention election) | ||
No candidates available for this race | Kansas Court of Appeals Position 13 (Retention election) |
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
| candidate | party | office | status |
|---|---|---|---|
No candidates available for this race | Kentucky Court of Appeals 3rd Division 2 (Special election) | ||
Will Moynahan Incumbent | Nonpartisan | Kentucky Court of Appeals 5th Division 1 (Special election) | On the Ballot General |
Nonpartisan | Kentucky Court of Appeals 5th Division 1 (Special election) | On the Ballot General |
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
| candidate | party | office | status |
|---|---|---|---|
No candidates available for this race | |||
No candidates available for this race | |||
No candidates available for this race | |||
No candidates available for this race |
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
| candidate | party | office | status |
|---|---|---|---|
No candidates available for this race | |||
No candidates available for this race | |||
No candidates available for this race | |||
No candidates available for this race | |||
No candidates available for this race |
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
| candidate | party | office | status |
|---|---|---|---|
John Weddle Incumbent | Nonpartisan | Mississippi Court of Appeals District 1 Position 1 (Special election) | On the Ballot General |
Nonpartisan | Mississippi Court of Appeals District 1 Position 1 (Special election) | On the Ballot General | |
Donna M. Barnes Incumbent | Nonpartisan | On the Ballot General | |
Deborah McDonald Incumbent | Nonpartisan | On the Ballot General | |
David McCarty Incumbent | Nonpartisan | On the Ballot General | |
Anthony Lawrence Incumbent | Nonpartisan | On the Ballot General |
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
| candidate | party | office | status |
|---|---|---|---|
No candidates available for this race | Missouri Court of Appeals Eastern District (Retention election) | ||
No candidates available for this race | Missouri Court of Appeals Southern District (Retention election) | ||
No candidates available for this race | Missouri Court of Appeals Western District (Retention election) |
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
| candidate | party | office | status |
|---|---|---|---|
No candidates available for this race | Nebraska Court of Appeals District 2 (Retention election) |
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
| candidate | party | office | status |
|---|---|---|---|
Kristopher Houghton Incumbent | Democratic | New Mexico Court of Appeals (Special election) | On the Ballot Primary |
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
| candidate | party | office | status |
|---|---|---|---|
John S. Arrowood Incumbent | Democratic | On the Ballot General | |
Republican | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Republican | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Toby Hampson Incumbent | Democratic | On the Ballot General | |
Republican | On the Ballot General | ||
Republican | On the Ballot General | ||
Democratic | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Democratic | On the Ballot Primary |
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
| candidate | party | office | status |
|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals (Special election) | Candidacy Declared Primary | |
Anita Laster Mays Incumbent | Democratic | Candidacy Declared Primary | |
Republican | Candidacy Declared Primary | ||
Democratic | Candidacy Declared Primary | ||
Democratic | Candidacy Declared Primary | ||
Democratic | Candidacy Declared Primary | ||
Emanuella Groves Incumbent | Democratic | Candidacy Declared Primary | |
Michael John Ryan Incumbent | Democratic | Candidacy Declared Primary | |
Robert Patton Incumbent | Republican | Candidacy Declared Primary | |
Republican | Candidacy Declared Primary | ||
Republican | Candidacy Declared Primary | ||
Republican | Candidacy Declared Primary | ||
Republican | Candidacy Declared Primary | ||
Republican | Candidacy Declared Primary | ||
Ginger Bock Incumbent | Democratic | Candidacy Declared Primary | |
Peter Abele Incumbent | Republican | Candidacy Declared Primary | |
Betty Sutton Incumbent | Democratic | Candidacy Declared Primary | |
Republican | Candidacy Declared Primary | ||
Chris Epley Incumbent | Republican | Candidacy Declared Primary | |
Republican | Candidacy Declared Primary | ||
Republican | Candidacy Declared Primary | ||
Republican | Candidacy Declared Primary | ||
Republican | Candidacy Declared Primary | ||
Myron Duhart Incumbent | Democratic | Candidacy Declared Primary | |
Republican | Candidacy Declared Primary | ||
Republican | Candidacy Declared Primary | ||
Michael Mentel Incumbent | Democratic | Candidacy Declared Primary | |
Terri Jamison Incumbent | Democratic | Candidacy Declared Primary | |
Mark Miller Incumbent | Republican | Candidacy Declared Primary | |
Matthew Byrne Incumbent | Republican | Candidacy Declared Primary | |
Robert Hendrickson Incumbent | Republican | Candidacy Declared Primary |
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
| candidate | party | office | status |
|---|---|---|---|
No candidates available for this race | Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals District 2 (Retention election) | ||
No candidates available for this race | Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals District 3 (Retention election) | ||
No candidates available for this race | Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals District 1 Office 1 (Retention election) | ||
No candidates available for this race | Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals District 1 Office 2 (Retention election) | ||
No candidates available for this race | Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals District 2 Office 1 (Retention election) | ||
No candidates available for this race | Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals District 2 Office 2 (Retention election) |
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
| candidate | party | office | status |
|---|---|---|---|
No candidates available for this race | |||
No candidates available for this race | |||
No candidates available for this race | |||
No candidates available for this race |
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
| candidate | party | office | status |
|---|---|---|---|
Valerie Smith Incumbent | Nonpartisan | Tennessee Court of Appeals Western Section (Retention election) | On the Ballot General |
Steven W. Sword Incumbent | Nonpartisan | Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals Eastern Section (Retention election) | On the Ballot General |
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
| candidate | party | office | status |
|---|---|---|---|
Republican | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Republican | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Republican | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Republican | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Democratic | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Libertarian | On the Ballot Convention | ||
Kevin Patrick Yeary Incumbent | Republican | On the Ballot Primary | |
Democratic | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Republican | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Republican | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Democratic | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Maria Salas-Mendoza Incumbent | Democratic | On the Ballot Primary | |
Bruce Williams Incumbent | Republican | On the Ballot Primary | |
Scott Brister Incumbent | Republican | On the Ballot Primary | |
Democratic | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Scott Field Incumbent | Republican | On the Ballot Primary | |
Democratic | On the Ballot Primary | ||
April Farris Incumbent | Republican | On the Ballot Primary | |
Democratic | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Republican | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Democratic | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Republican | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Democratic | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Republican | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Democratic | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Democratic | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Veronica Rivas-Molloy Incumbent | Democratic | On the Ballot Primary | |
Republican | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Republican | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Republican | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Republican | On the Ballot Primary | ||
David Gunn Incumbent | Republican | Texas First District Court of Appeals Place 4 (Special election) | On the Ballot Primary |
Democratic | Texas First District Court of Appeals Place 4 (Special election) | On the Ballot Primary | |
Amparo Guerra Incumbent | Democratic | On the Ballot Primary | |
Republican | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Republican | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Democratic | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Democratic | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Ken Wise Incumbent | Republican | On the Ballot Primary | |
Democratic | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Democratic | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Democratic | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Republican | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Democratic | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Democratic | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Scott Golemon Incumbent | Republican | On the Ballot Primary | |
Republican | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Brian Walker Incumbent | Republican | On the Ballot Primary | |
Republican | On the Ballot Primary | ||
L. Charles van Cleef Incumbent | Republican | On the Ballot Primary | |
Lee Harris Incumbent | Republican | On the Ballot Primary | |
Darlene Byrne Incumbent | Democratic | On the Ballot Primary | |
Republican | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Clarissa Silva Incumbent | Republican | On the Ballot Primary | |
Democratic | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Republican | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Michael Davis Incumbent | Republican | Texas Twelfth District Court of Appeals Place 3 (Special election) | On the Ballot Primary |
Democratic | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Democratic | On the Ballot Primary | ||
Democratic | On the Ballot Primary |
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
| candidate | party | office | status |
|---|---|---|---|
No candidates available for this race | Utah Court of Appeals (Retention election) |
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
| candidate | party | office | status |
|---|---|---|---|
No candidates available for this race | |||
No candidates available for this race | |||
No candidates available for this race | |||
No candidates available for this race | |||
No candidates available for this race | |||
No candidates available for this race |
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
| candidate | party | office | status |
|---|---|---|---|
Gerald M. Titus III Incumbent | Nonpartisan | Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia (Special election) | On the Ballot General |
Nonpartisan | Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia (Special election) | On the Ballot General | |
Nonpartisan | Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia (Special election) | On the Ballot General | |
Nonpartisan | Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia (Special election) | On the Ballot General | |
Nonpartisan | Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia (Special election) | On the Ballot General | |
Tom Ewing Incumbent | Nonpartisan | Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia (Special election) | On the Ballot General |
Nonpartisan | Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia (Special election) | On the Ballot General | |
Dan Greear Incumbent | Nonpartisan | On the Ballot General | |
Nonpartisan | On the Ballot General |
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
| candidate | party | office | status |
|---|---|---|---|
Martin Joseph Donald Incumbent | Nonpartisan | On the Ballot General | |
Nonpartisan | On the Ballot General | ||
Nonpartisan | Disqualified Primary | ||
Rachel Graham Incumbent | Nonpartisan | On the Ballot General |
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
Judicial selection methods
- See also: Judicial selection in the states
States use a variety of methods to elect intermediate appellate court 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 a nonpartisan election, some states require 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 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.
To learn more about judicial selection methods, click here.
Election coverage by office
U.S. SenateRead more
U.S. HouseRead more
GovernorsRead more
Secretary of stateRead more
Attorney generalRead more
Other state executivesRead more
State legislaturesRead more
State ballot measuresRead more
Local ballot measuresRead more
State judgesRead more
Local judgesRead more
Municipal governmentRead more
School boardsRead more
RecallsRead more
See also
- Judicial selection in the states
- Past state intermediate appellate court elections: 2025 • 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018
- Past state judicial elections: 2025 • 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016
- Past election analysis: 2025 • 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018
External links
Footnotes
Communications: Alison Graves, Director of Communications • Carley Allensworth • Abigail Campbell • Sarah Groat • Nathaniel Harwood • Dillon Redmond
External Relations: Geoff Pallay, Director of External Relations • Ken Carbullido, Vice President of Election Product and Technology Strategy • Ashley Fleming • Thomas Mardik • Hannah Nelson
Operations: Meghann Olshefski, Director of Operations • Amanda Herbert • Mandy Morris • Caroline Presnell • Kelly Rindfleisch
Tech: Matt Latourelle, Director of Technology Operations • Ryan Burch • Kirsten Corrao • Beth Dellea • Travis Eden • Tate Kamish • Margaret Kearney • Eric Lotto • Joseph Sanchez • Mary Susmitha
| |||||||