Georgia Supreme Court elections, 2020

2020 State Judicial Elections
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The terms of three Georgia Supreme Court justices expired on December 31, 2020. Two seats were up for nonpartisan election on June 9, 2020.

Justice Blackwell's seat was also expected to be up for nonpartisan election on May 19, 2020. Blackwell announced in February that he was retiring on November 18, 2020. The supreme court announced that Governor Brian Kemp (R) would appoint Blackwell's replacement. The appointment was the subject of litigation. Click here for more information.

Judges with expiring terms

General election

General election for Georgia Supreme Court

Incumbent Charlie Bethel defeated Beth Beskin in the general election for Georgia Supreme Court on June 9, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Charlie Bethel (Nonpartisan)	52.2	1,098,264
		Beth Beskin (Nonpartisan)	47.8	1,006,065

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 2,104,329
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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General election

General election for Georgia Supreme Court

Incumbent Sarah Warren defeated Hal Moroz in the general election for Georgia Supreme Court on June 9, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Sarah Warren (Nonpartisan)	78.7	1,652,532
		Hal Moroz (Nonpartisan)	21.3	446,026

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 2,098,558
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Candidates and election results

Bethel's seat

General election

General election for Georgia Supreme Court

Incumbent Charlie Bethel defeated Beth Beskin in the general election for Georgia Supreme Court on June 9, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Charlie Bethel (Nonpartisan)	52.2	1,098,264
		Beth Beskin (Nonpartisan)	47.8	1,006,065

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 2,104,329
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Warren's seat

General election

General election for Georgia Supreme Court

Incumbent Sarah Warren defeated Hal Moroz in the general election for Georgia Supreme Court on June 9, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Sarah Warren (Nonpartisan)	78.7	1,652,532
		Hal Moroz (Nonpartisan)	21.3	446,026

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 2,098,558
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Benham's seat

See also: Georgia Supreme Court justice vacancy (March 2020)

Justice Robert Benham's term was set to expire on December 31, 2020. As such, his seat was one of four expected to be up for nonpartisan election on May 19, 2020.

Benham retired on March 1, 2020. His retirement allowed Gov. Kemp to appoint a successor. That successor did not need to run for election until 2022.

When Benham announced his decision to retire in December 2019, at least four candidates had declared to run for his open seat.

Blackwell's seat

Challenge to replacement process

See also: Georgia Supreme Court justice vacancy (November 2020)

March 23: Georgia Supreme Court grants an expedited review
The Georgia Supreme Court issued an order consolidating the cases Barrow and Beskin filed and ordering an expedited review. Five of the eight sitting justices recused themselves from the case. They were replaced by substitute justices. Chief Justice Harold Melton, Presiding Justice David Nahmias, and Justice Sarah Warren did not recuse themselves. Click here to read the court's order.

March 18: Barrow appeals Fulton County judge ruling
Former Congressman John Barrow (D) filed an emergency request with the Georgia Court of Appeals to review a ruling from Fulton County Superior Court Judge Emily Richardson. Richardson held on March 16 that Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (R) was not required to hold an election to select Blackwell's replacement.

The state court of appeals transferred the case to the Georgia Supreme Court. Barrow filed a motion on March 19 asking the eight supreme court justices sitting at the time to recuse themselves.

Former state Representative Beth Beskin (R) filed a separate motion appealing Judge Richardson's ruling.

March 16: Fulton County judge upholds gubernatorial appointment process
Fulton County Superior Court Judge Emily Richardson denied petitions from former Congressman John Barrow (D) and former state Representative Beth Beskin (R), challenging the process by which Justice Blackwell's successor would be chosen. Richardson said Barrow and Beskin did not show they had "a clear right" to require Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (R) to hold an election.

Richardson said Blackwell's seat became vacant the day he submitted his resignation letter and the governor accepted it. Once this happened, she said, the secretary of state was no longer "under a statutory legal duty to hold qualifications for Justice Blackwell’s seat."

March 6: Retirement announcement and lawsuit
Justice Blackwell announced in February that he was retiring on November 18, 2020. In the announcement, the supreme court said Governor Brian Kemp (R) would appoint Blackwell's replacement.

Former Congressman John Barrow (D) and former state Representative Beth Beskin (R) both planned on filing to run for Blackwell's seat. When Barrow and Beskin showed up to file in March, state officials said the election was no longer taking place. The two candidates filed separate legal challenges in Fulton County Superior Court, asking the judge to order Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (R) to put the election back on the calendar.

Raffensperger's office said in a letter to Beskin and Barrow, "After speaking with the Attorney General’s office about the situation, our office determined that the most prudent course of action was to cancel qualifying for that seat."

Past elections

2018

See also: Georgia Supreme Court elections, 2018

General election

General election for Georgia Supreme Court

Incumbent Harold Melton won election in the general election for Georgia Supreme Court on May 22, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Harold Melton (Nonpartisan)	100.0	894,149

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 894,149
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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General election

General election for Georgia Supreme Court

John Ellington won election in the general election for Georgia Supreme Court on May 22, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		John Ellington (Nonpartisan)	100.0	898,767

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 898,767
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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General election

General election for Georgia Supreme Court

Incumbent Michael P. Boggs won election in the general election for Georgia Supreme Court on May 22, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Michael P. Boggs (Nonpartisan)	100.0	904,702

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 904,702
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

General election

General election for Georgia Supreme Court

Incumbent Nels Peterson won election in the general election for Georgia Supreme Court on May 22, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Nels Peterson (Nonpartisan)	100.0	885,265

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 885,265
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

General election

General election for Georgia Supreme Court

Incumbent Britt Grant won election in the general election for Georgia Supreme Court on May 22, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Britt Grant (Nonpartisan)	100.0	896,313

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 896,313
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Click [show] at the right to view more past election results.
2016 See also: Georgia Supreme Court elections, 2016 Georgia Supreme Court, David Nahmias' Seat, 2016 Candidate Vote % Votes David Nahmias Incumbent (unopposed) 100.00% 775,214 Total Votes (159 of 159: 100%) 775,214 Source: Georgia Secretary of State Official Results

About the Georgia Supreme Court

See also: Georgia Supreme Court

This 1983 Georgia Constitution gives the Georgia Supreme Court exclusive appellate jurisdiction over constitutional cases and election contest cases. The court also has general appellate jurisdiction over land title, will and equity cases, divorce and alimony cases, certified cases, death penalty cases, and writs of habeas corupus or certiorari. The court may also exercise jurisdiction over Georgia Court of Appeals cases found to be of great public importance.

Political composition

This was the political composition of the supreme court heading into the 2020 election.

■ John Ellington		Elected in 2018
■ Harold Melton		Appointed by Gov. Sonny Perdue (R) in 2005; elected in 2006 and 2012
■ David Nahmias		Appointed by Gov. Sonny Perdue (R) in 2009; elected in 2010 and 2016
■ Michael P. Boggs		Appointed by Gov. Nathan Deal (R) in 2016
■ Keith Blackwell		Appointed by Gov. Nathan Deal (R) in 2012; elected in 2014
■ Nels Peterson		Appointed by Gov. Nathan Deal (R) in 2016
■ Sarah Warren		Appointed by Gov. Nathan Deal (R) in 2018
■ Charlie Bethel		Appointed by Gov. Nathan Deal (R) in 2018
■ Carla W. McMillian		Appointed by Gov. Brian Kemp (R) in 2020

Selection

See also: Judicial selection in Georgia

There are nine justices on the Georgia Supreme Court, each 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.

The chief justice is selected by peer vote and serves in that capacity for four years.

Qualifications

To serve on this court, a judge must be:

• a resident of Georgia and
• admitted to practice law for at least seven years.

See also

Georgia	Judicial Selection	More Courts
Courts in Georgia Georgia Court of Appeals Georgia Supreme Court	Elections: 2025 • 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 Gubernatorial appointments Judicial selection in Georgia	Federal courts State courts Local courts

External links

• Search Google News for this topic
• Georgia Supreme Court

Footnotes

Georgia courts

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Federal courts:

Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Middle District of Georgia, Northern District of Georgia, Southern District of Georgia • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Middle District of Georgia, Northern District of Georgia, Southern District of Georgia

State courts:

Georgia Supreme Court • Georgia Court of Appeals • Georgia Superior Courts • Georgia State Courts • Georgia Business Court • Georgia Tax Court • Georgia Juvenile Courts • Georgia Probate Courts • Georgia Magistrate Courts • Georgia Municipal Courts

State resources:

Courts in Georgia • Georgia judicial elections • Judicial selection in Georgia

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