A majority of states have elections for state Supreme Court in November. Here is a guide to the contested elections. The elections in Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, and Texas seem to be the most competitive.
Ballotpedia: 2020 State Supreme Court Elections
Alaska: Liberal Justice Susan Carney, on the court since 2016, faces a retention election. A conservative group is campaigning for a no vote.
Arizona: Justices Robert Brutinel, Andrew Gould, and John Lopez face a retention election.
Colorado: Justices Melissa Hart and Carlos Samour face a retention election.
Florida: Conservative Justice Carlos Muniz faces a retention vote. He was appointed to the court by Governor Ron DeSantis in 2019. There is no organized campaign against him, but several major newspapers have recommended a no vote.
Illinois:
District 3 (North central) Justice Thomas L. Kilbride (D) is an ally of corrupt Speaker Mike Madigan. He faces a retention election where he must receive 60% of the vote. If he doesn't get 60%, the other justices will choose a replacement for the next two years.
District 5 (South) Two judges of the 5th District Appellate Court are facing each other for the seat of retired Justice Lloyd A. Karmeier (R). The candidates are Judy Cates (D) and David Overstreet (R).
Indiana: Justice Christopher Goff, appointed in 2017, faces a retention election.
Iowa: Justices Susan Christensen, Edward Mansfield, Christopher McDonald, Thomas Waterman face a retention election. All are conservatives appointed by R governors.
Kansas: Liberal Justice Eric Rosen faces a retention election.
Kentucky: Samuel Wright III, the incumbent judge in district 7 (east) lost in a nonpartisan primary due to a graft scandal. The runoff candidates are liberal D state rep Chris Harris and conservative Circuit Court Judge Bob Conley.
Louisiana:
District 4 (Northeast) Justice Marcus Clark (R) retired in June. Judges Jay McCallum (2nd Circuit Court of Appeal) and Shannon Gremillion (3rd Circuit Court of Appeal) are running. Both are Rs, but McCallum has support the Louisiana Association of Business & Industry (LABI), while Gremillion has been supported by trial lawyer John Carmouche.
District 7 (New Orleans) Chief Justice Bernette Johnson (D) is retiring. The candidates to replace her are Judge Piper Griffin and 4th Circuit Court of Appeal judges Sandra Cabrina Jenkins and Terri Love. All three are black female Ds.
Maryland: Justices Brynja Booth, Jonathan Biran, and Mary Ellen Barbera face a retention election.
Michigan: There are two full-term seats up for election on the Michigan Supreme Court. They are those of Chief Justice Bridget Mary McCormack (D) and conservative Stephen Markman (R), who is age-limited. McCormack is likely safe, as she has the endorsement of the Michigan Chamber of Commerce, which usually endorses Rs. The other D nominee is Grand Rapids attorney Elizabeth Welch. Court of Appeals judge Brock Swartzle and assistant St. Clair County prosecutor Mary Kelly are the R nominees. Swartzle has the stronger resume, but Michigan loves electing Irish female judges, as former justices Marilyn Kelly and Mary Beth Kelly can attest. The second seat seems to be a tossup.
Minnesota: Justice Paul Thissen, a former D speaker of the house, faces R Michelle MacDonald.
Mississippi:
District 1 (Central) Justice Kenny Griffis, appointed by Governor Phil Bryant in 2019, faces Court of Appeals Judge Latrice Westbrooks, a black woman. The candidates have been endorsed by R and D parties, respectively.
District 3 (North) Justice Josiah Coleman faces Chancery Judge Percy Lynchard.
Missouri: Conservative Justice Patricia Breckenridge faces a retention election.
Montana: Justice Jim Shea is unopposed for reelection. R-leaning Justice Laurie McKinnon faces trial lawyer Mike Black, who has been endorsed by several D former justices. McKinnon got 53% to 29% for Black in the primary.
Nebraska: Justices Lindsey Miller-Lerman and Jeffrey Funke face retention elections.
Nevada: R-leaning justice Mark Gibbons is retiring. The candidates to replace him are D state rep Ozzie Fumo and Eighth Judicial District Court judge Douglas Herndon, who is supported by R groups. Herndon got 45% in the primary to Fumo's 36%.
New Mexico: D Justice Shannon Bacon, appointed in 2019, faces R deputy district attorney Ned Fuller.
D Justice David Thomson, appointed in 2019, faces R attorney Kerry Morris.
North Carolina:
Seat 1: Chief Justice Cheri Beasley (D) is being challenged by Justice Paul Martin Newby (R).
Seat 2: Court of Appeals judges Lucy N. Inman (D) and Phil Berger Jr. (R) are facing off.
Seat 4: Justice Mark A. Davis (D) faces former state senator Tamara Barringer (R).
Ohio: Justice Judi French (R) faces liberal D former SOS Jennifer Brunner. Justice Sharon Kennedy (R) faces Judge John O’Donnell (D).
Oklahoma: Justices John Kane, Tom Colbert and Richard Darby face a retention election.
South Dakota: Justice Steven Jensen, who has been on the court since 2017, faces a retention election.
Texas Supreme Court: There are four R incumbents up for election. Ds are aggressively challenging the incumbents.
Place 1: Nathan Hecht (R) faces 201st Judicial District Judge Amy Clark Meachum (D).
Place 6: Jane Bland (R) faces attorney Kathy Cheng (D).
Place 7: Jeffrey S. Boyd (R) faces Dallas County District Court Judge Staci Williams (D).
Place 8: Brett Busby (R) faces Texas Third Court of Appeals Judge Gisela Triana (D).
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals: There are three R incumbents up for election.
Place 3: Bert Richardson (R) faces former Dallas County Criminal District Court judge Elizabeth Davis Frizell (D).
Place 4: Kevin Patrick Yeary (R) faces Dallas County Criminal District Court judge Tina Yoo Clinton (D).
Place 9: David Newell (R) faces Texas 292nd District Court judge Brandon Birmingham (D).
Utah: Justice John A. Pearce, on the court since 2015, faces a retention election.
Washington: Justices Charles Johnson and Debra Stephens are unopposed for reelection. Justice Raquel Montoya-Lewis, appointed in January by Governor Jay Inslee, faces Federal Way Municipal Court Judge David Larson. Justice Helen Whitener, appointed in April, faces former Winlock School District Superintendent Richard Serns.
Wyoming: Justices Lynne Boomgaarden and Kari Jo Gray face retention elections.
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