State supreme court vacancy count for March 2025

In this month’s state supreme court vacancy update, Ballotpedia tracked announced retirements, nominations, appointments, confirmations, and the swearing-in of justices from March 1, 2025, to March 30, 2025. Ballotpedia tracks court vacancies in all 52 state supreme courts.

Announced retirements:

During March 2025, one justice announced her retirement from her seat.

Justice Evelyn Z. Wilson announced on March 24, 2025, that she would step down from the Kansas Supreme Court later this year. In her retirement letter, she cited her recent ALS diagnosis as the reason she will step down effective July 4, 2025. Wilson was initially appointed by Governor Laura Kelly (D) in 2019 and was retained by voters in 2022. Kelly will have the opportunity to choose Wilson’s successor through assisted appointment.

Candidates nominated, appointed, and confirmed:

During March 2025, a finalist list was released from two states’ judicial nominating commissions, and one state body confirmed a justice nomination.

The Oklahoma Judicial Nominating Commission released a list of three finalists for the Oklahoma Supreme Court vacancy on March 11, 2025. The finalists will be sent to Governor Kevin Stitt (R) for the final appointment, which he must make within 60 days. The vacancy was created in December 2024 when former justice Yvonne Kauger retired from the court, following an unsuccessful re-election bid. Kauger ran in a November 2024 retention election, but did not receive a majority of the vote necessary to remain on the court. She stepped down from her seat before her term ended in January 2025.
The Maine State Senate voted on March 21, 2025, to confirm Julia Lipez to the Maine Supreme Judicial Court. Lipez was appointed by Governor Janet Mills (D) to fill the vacancy left by Joseph Jabar, who retired on January 31, 2024. Mills announced Lipez’s appointment on February 28, 2025, over a year after the vacancy had been created. Lipez is Mills’ sixth nominee to the state’s highest court.
The Wyoming Judicial Nominating Commission announced finalists for the vacancy on the Wyoming Supreme Court on March 24, 2025. Governor Mark Gordon (R) will have 30 days to make the final appointment. The vacancy was created following Chief Justice Kate M. Fox‘s announcement that she would retire effective March 27, 2025.

Justices sworn in/out:

During March 2025, three justices were sworn into their respective states’ supreme courts.

William H. Bright, Jr. was confirmed and sworn into the Connecticut Supreme Court. The Connecticut General Assembly confirmed Bright’s nomination on March 6, 2025, and he was sworn in later that day. Bright was chosen by Governor Ned Lamont (D) through assisted appointment in January 2025. Bright succeeds Raheem L. Mullins, who ascended to the chief justice position in September 2024. Following Bright’s swearing-in, all seven Connecticut Supreme Court justices have been appointed by Democratic governors, five of whom were appointed by Lamont.
Cade Cole (R) was sworn into the Louisiana Supreme Court on March 10, 2025. A special election was initially scheduled for March 29, 2025, but was cancelled after only Cole had qualified to appear on the ballot. Cole replaces James Genovese (R), who retired in August 2024 after accepting an appointment to be the president of Northwestern State University of Louisiana. Following Cole’s swearing in, there were three Republicans, two Democrats, and one independent judge on the court.
Julia Lipez was sworn into the Maine Supreme Judicial Court on March 28, 2025. Lipez served on the trial-level Maine Superior Court from 2022 until her swearing in. In June 2024, former President Joe Biden (D) nominated Lipez to serve on the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. Her nomination was reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee on August 1, 2024, but was not confirmed by a full U.S. Senate vote by January 2025, when the 118th Congress adjourned. Lipez will serve a full seven-year term until 2032, when she will be eligible for reappointment.

Other news:

Michigan Supreme Court justices elected fellow Associate Justice Megan Cavanagh to succeed Elizabeth Clement as the chief justice once Clement steps down. Clement has not announced her official retirement date, but has stated that she will step down by April 30, 2025.

Additional reading: