In this month’s state supreme court vacancy update, Ballotpedia tracked announced retirements, nominations, appointments, confirmations, and swearing-in of justices from July 26 to September 1. Ballotpedia tracks court vacancies in all 52 state supreme courts.
Announced retirements:
In August 2024, one justice announced he would retire later this year, and two justices were sworn out of office.
Chief Justice Michael Heavican announced on August 21, 2024, that he would retire from the Nebraska Supreme Court on October 31, 2024. Gov. Jim Pillen (R) will have the opportunity to appoint his first member to the seven-member court through assisted appointment. In Nebraska, the chief justice is a specific position on the court that is appointed through the typical process. Unlike the other seats on the state’s highest court, the chief justice is a statewide district, meaning there are no geographic limitations on who can serve in the position. Heavican was appointed to the Nebraska Supreme Court by former Gov. Dave Heineman (R) in 2006 and was retained three times (in 2010, 2016, and 2022).
New Jersey Supreme Court Justice Lee A. Solomon stepped down on August 17, 2024, after reaching New Jersey’s mandatory retirement age of 70. Following Solomon’s retirement, Anne Patterson is the last remaining justice who was first nominated to the court by former Gov. Chris Christie (R). Of the remaining justices, four were originally nominated by current Gov. Phil Murphy (D), and only Chief Justice Stuart Rabner was first nominated by former Gov. Jon Corzine (D). On June 10, 2024, Murphy nominated former New Jersey Attorney General John Jay Hoffman to succeed Solomon. As of September 1, 2024, Hoffman had yet to be confirmed by the New Jersey State Senate.
Justice Roger A. Page retired from the Tennessee Supreme Court on August 31, 2024. Page was originally appointed by Bill Haslam (R) in 2016 and was retained in 2022.
Candidates nominated, appointed, and confirmed:
In August 2024, one candidate was nominated to succeed a chief justice, and a list of applicants was released to succeed another.
The Alaska Judicial Council (AJC) released a list of seven candidates who applied to fill outgoing Chief Justice Peter J. Maassen’s seat. The AJC will interview the candidates and release a list of at least two applicants the council determines qualified for the position. Gov. Mike Dunleavy (R) will then appoint Maassen’s successor, who will serve for at least three years before being able to stand for retention. All seven of the candidates who applied to fill the upcoming vacancy were women, meaning that Alaska is on course to have a majority-women court for the first time in the state’s history.
Maassen’s successor will take office after the chief justice retires and will be sworn in as an associate justice of the Alaska Supreme Court. The chief justice is elected by other justices on the court. Alaska is one of 23 states that elect their chief justice through a chamber vote. As of September 1, 2024, Maassen had not announced his official retirement date, but he will have to step down by January 2025, after he reaches Alaska’s mandatory retirement age. Maassen’s retirement marks the first state supreme court vacancy occurring in 2025 that Ballotpedia is monitoring.
Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont (D) nominated Justice Raheem Mullins on August 29, 2024, to succeed outgoing Chief Justice Richard Robinson. Mullins is an associate justice on the court. He was originally nominated by former Gov. Dan Malloy (D) in 2017. If confirmed by the Connecticut General Assembly, Mullins will serve a full eight-year term on the court as the chief justice. Given that Mullins is currently an associate justice, as his seat is vacated, Gov. Lamont will have his fifth opportunity to nominate a justice to a seat on the seven-member court.
Justices sworn in:
Five justices have been sworn in since last month’s state supreme court vacancy count. John Kittredge was sworn in on July 30, 2024, after former Chief Justice Donald Beatty retired, due to reaching South Carolina’s mandatory retirement age. At the time of his retirement, Beatty was the only Black justice on the South Carolina Supreme Court, and, alongside Ernest A. Finney Jr., is one of two Black justices to have served on the state’s highest court since Reconstruction. Kittredge was originally appointed to serve as an associate justice by the South Carolina State Legislature in 2008. In 2018, the state legislature reappointed him to another 10-year term.
Following Kittredge’s ascension as chief justice, Letitia H. Verdin was sworn in to replace him on July 31, 2024. Verdin became the only female justice currently sitting on the South Carolina Supreme Court, and the third woman in the state’s history to serve on the bench. Verdin previously served on the South Carolina Court of Appeals, the 13th Judicial Circuit Court, and the 13th Judicial Circuit Family Court. To learn more about judicial selection for the South Carolina Supreme Court, click here.
In Maryland, Peter K. Killough was sworn in on July 31, 2024, to replace former Justice Michele D. Hotten, who reached Maryland’s mandatory retirement age in April 2024. Killough will serve for at least one year before he has the opportunity to run for retention. If retained, Killough would serve a 10-year term.
In Minnesota, Theodora Gaïtas was sworn into the state’s highest court to replace former Justice Margaret Chutich on August 1, 2024. Gaïtas will have the opportunity to run for re-election to her seat in 2026 in a nonpartisan election.
In Tennessee, Mary L. Wagner was sworn into the Tennessee Supreme Court on September 1, 2024. Wagner replaces Roger A. Page, who was originally appointed in 2016. Wagner will have the opportunity to run for retention in 2026 when her unexpired term is finished. If retained, she will serve for a full eight-year term. The five-justice court has a women-majority for the first time since 2023.
Other news:
All but one candidate was disqualified for the upcoming elections for the Louisiana Supreme Court. On August 20, 2024, the state’s highest court ruled that both Leslie Chambers and Marcus Hunter were not qualified to appear on the ballot. Following the ruling, chief appellate judge John Guidry is the only candidate remaining qualified for the November election, meaning he will win the seat without appearing on the ballot. In Louisiana, state supreme court seats are only filled through special elections. To learn more about how justices are selected in Louisiana, click here. Guidry (D) will replace Scott Crichton (R), who reached the mandatory retirement age earlier this year. Crichton was originally elected by partisan election in 2014 and will continue to serve until the end of his term on December 31, 2024.
On August 24, 2024, the Michigan Democratic and Republican parties held statewide conventions to officially nominate candidates for various statewide races, including for the upcoming 2024 Michigan Supreme Court elections. In Michigan, state parties nominate candidates to appear on a nonpartisan ballot in the general election. To learn more about judicial selection for the Michigan Supreme Court, click here.
The Democratic Party nominated law professor Kimberly Thomas and incumbent Justice Kyra Harris Bolden. The Republican Party nominated Andrew Fink to run against Thomas for a full term on the state court and circuit court judge Patrick W. O’Grady to run against Bolden for an unexpired term that ends in 2029. Currently, there are four justices endorsed by the Democratic Party and three justices endorsed by the Republican Party on the Michigan Supreme Court.
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