Tennessee Supreme Court elections
There are five justices on the Tennessee Supreme Court. For more information about these elections, visit the Tennessee judicial elections page.
Judicial selection
- See also: Judicial selection in Tennessee
The five justices on the Tennessee Supreme Court are selected through assisted appointment. The governor selects a nominee from a list of recommended candidates from a judicial nominating commission. The nominee must be confirmed by the Tennessee General Assembly. Justices face retention elections at the end of their terms.[1][2][3]
The appointment system was adjusted in 2014 with the passage of a state ballot measure titled Tennessee Judicial Selection, Amendment 2. The measure added the required confirmation by the Tennessee legislature. While Tennessee state law changed in 2014 to eliminate the judicial nominating commission and require legislative approval of the governor’s appointee, Gov. Bill Haslam’s Executive Order No. 54 and Gov. Bill Lee’s subsequent Executive Order No. 87 re-established the judicial nominating commission for appointments. Accordingly, Tennessee’s process is effectively assisted appointment with legislative confirmation.
Qualifications
To serve on this court, a judge must be:
- authorized to practice law in the state;
- a state resident for five years; and
- at least 35 years old.[2]
Chief justice
According to the Tennessee Constitution, the justices of the supreme court select the chief justice.[4] The chief justice serves a four-year term.
Vacancies
If a midterm vacancy occurs on the court, the governor appoints a replacement justice from a list from a judicial nominating commission. The nominee must be confirmed by both chambers of the state legislature. If filling an interim vacancy, the appointee stands for retention in the next general election at least 30 days after the vacancy occurred. The retained judge serves out the remainder of the unexpired term before again running for retention to serve a full eight-year term.[1][2] Judges are voted upon by the voters of the whole state.[5]
The map below highlights how vacancies are filled in state supreme courts across the country.
Elections
2024
- See also: Tennessee Supreme Court elections, 2024
Eastern Section
General election
General election for Tennessee Supreme Court Eastern Section
Incumbent Dwight Tarwater won election in the general election for Tennessee Supreme Court Eastern Section on August 1, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Dwight Tarwater (Nonpartisan) | 100.0 | 390,549 |
| Total votes: 390,549 | |||
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2022
- See also: Tennessee Supreme Court elections, 2022
Candidates and results
Middle Section
Bivins' seat
Tennessee Supreme Court Middle Section, Bivins' seat
Jeff Bivins was retained to the Tennessee Supreme Court Middle Section on August 4, 2022 with 71.5% of the vote.
Retention Vote |
% |
Votes |
|||
| ✔ | Yes |
71.5
|
462,036 | ||
No |
28.5
|
183,853 | |||
Total Votes |
645,889 | ||||
|
|
Campbell's seat
Tennessee Supreme Court Middle Section, Campbell's seat
Sarah Campbell was retained to the Tennessee Supreme Court Middle Section on August 4, 2022 with 72.9% of the vote.
Retention Vote |
% |
Votes |
|||
| ✔ | Yes |
72.9
|
466,860 | ||
No |
27.1
|
173,306 | |||
Total Votes |
640,166 | ||||
|
|
Eastern Section
Lee's seat
Tennessee Supreme Court Eastern Section, Sharon Lee's seat
Sharon G. Lee was retained to the Tennessee Supreme Court Eastern Section on August 4, 2022 with 73.0% of the vote.
Retention Vote |
% |
Votes |
|||
| ✔ | Yes |
73.0
|
463,799 | ||
No |
27.0
|
171,522 | |||
Total Votes |
635,321 | ||||
|
|
Western Section
Kirby's seat
Tennessee Supreme Court Western Section, Kirby's seat
Holly Kirby was retained to the Tennessee Supreme Court Western Section on August 4, 2022 with 73.8% of the vote.
Retention Vote |
% |
Votes |
|||
| ✔ | Yes |
73.8
|
468,351 | ||
No |
26.2
|
166,200 | |||
Total Votes |
634,551 | ||||
|
|
Page's seat
Tennessee Supreme Court Western Section, Roger A. Page's seat
Roger A. Page was retained to the Tennessee Supreme Court Western Section on August 4, 2022 with 72.1% of the vote.
Retention Vote |
% |
Votes |
|||
| ✔ | Yes |
72.1
|
450,681 | ||
No |
27.9
|
174,269 | |||
Total Votes |
624,950 | ||||
|
|
2016
Three justices faced retention on August 4, 2016.
Justices who faced retention
■ Jeff Bivins (Retained)
■ Holly Kirby (Retained)
■ Roger A. Page (Retained)
Election results
| Tennessee Supreme Court Retention, Jeff Bivins, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Name | Yes votes | |
 Jeff Bivins | 70.79% | |
| Source: Tennessee Secretary of State Official Results | ||
| Tennessee Supreme Court Retention, Holly Kirby, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Name | Yes votes | |
| Holly Kirby | 71.00% | |
| Source: Tennessee Secretary of State Official Results | ||
| Tennessee Supreme Court Retention, Roger A. Page, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Name | Yes votes | |
| Roger A. Page | 70.88% | |
| Source: Tennessee Secretary of State Official Results | ||
2014
Retention
| Judge | Election Vote |
|---|---|
| Gary R. Wade | 56.6%  |
| Sharon Lee | 56.0% |
| Cornelia Clark | 55.3% |
2010
- See also: 2010 State Supreme Court elections
Sharon Lee faced retention and was retained.
| Tennessee Supreme Court 2010 General election results | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | Percent | ||
| Sharon Lee
|
n/a | 68.2% | ||
2008
- See also: State Supreme Court elections, 2008
William Koch, Jr. faced retention and was retained.
| Tennessee Supreme Court 2008 General election results | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | Percent | ||
| William Koch, Jr.
|
n/a | n/a | ||
See also
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Justia Law, "Tennessee Code Annotated § 17-4-101," accessed April 16, 2025 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name "VacancyCode" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Tennessee," archived September 11, 2014
- ↑ American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Tennessee; Judicial Nominating Commissions," accessed September 30, 2021
- ↑ TNCourts.gov, "JUSTICE SHARON LEE ELECTED CHIEF JUSTICE OF THE TENNESSEE SUPREME COURT," August 14, 2014
- ↑ National Center for State Courts, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Tennessee," accessed August 5, 2016
Federal courts:
Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Eastern District of Tennessee, Middle District of Tennessee, Western District of Tennessee • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Eastern District of Tennessee, Middle District of Tennessee, Western District of Tennessee
State courts:
Tennessee Supreme Court • Tennessee Court of Appeals • Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals • Tennessee Circuit Court • Tennessee Chancery Courts • Tennessee Criminal Court • Tennessee Probate Court • Tennessee General Sessions Court • Tennessee Juvenile Court • Tennessee Municipal Court
State resources:
Courts in Tennessee • Tennessee judicial elections • Judicial selection in Tennessee
