State supreme court vacancy count for May 2025

In this month's state supreme court vacancy update, Ballotpedia tracked announced retirements, nominations, appointments, confirmations, and the swearing-in of justices from May 1, 2025, to May 31, 2025. Ballotpedia tracks court vacancies in all 52 state supreme courts.

Justice retirements:

One justice announced his retirement, and two justices were sworn out of office in May 2025.

Justice Jay Mitchell (R) resigned from the Alabama Supreme Court on May 19, 2025. Mitchell is running for Alabama Attorney General, which will be on the ballot in 2026. He initially won an open seat on the court in a 2018 election and was re-elected in 2024 after running unopposed.
Chief Justice Kate M. Fox retired on May 27, 2025, due to reaching the mandatory retirement age in Wyoming. Fox was first appointed to the Wyoming Supreme Court by former Gov. Matt Mead (R) in 2013 and took office in January 2014. Fox won retention in 2016 and 2024.
And Justice John A. Pearce announced in a May 30, 2025, letter that he would retire later this year. His retirement from the Utah Supreme Court would give Governor Spencer Cox (R) his third opportunity to appoint a justice to the court. Pearce’s official retirement date is December 1, 2025.

Candidates nominated, appointed, and confirmed:

In May 2025, applicants for a vacancy were announced, finalists were chosen for another vacancy, and one candidate was appointed to their state's supreme court.

On May 12, 2025, the Kansas Supreme Court Nominating Commission released a list of the applicants who filed to succeed Evelyn Z. Wilson on the Kansas Supreme Court. The list of applicants included eight attorneys and seven Kansas District Court judges. The Commission will interview candidates in June 2025 before sending a list of finalists to Gov. Laura Kelly (D) to make the final appointment. Wilson announced earlier this year that she would be stepping down from her position in July 2025.
On May 15, 2025, the Georgia Judicial Nominating Commission announced four finalists who will be sent to Gov. Brian Kemp (R) to make the final appointment to fill the vacancy caused by the retirement of Chief Justice Michael P. Boggs. The shortlist included U.S. Magistrate Judge Brian K. Epps, Georgia Court of Appeals judges Ben Land and John Pipkin III, and Atlanta Superior Court Judge Paige Whitaker. As of May 31, 2025, Kemp has not yet named his final appointment.
On May 20, 2025, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey (R) appointed Bill Lewis (R) to the Alabama Supreme Court. Prior to his appointment, Lewis had served on the Alabama Court of Civil Appeals since February 2024. Lewis will succeed Justice Jay Mitchell (R), who resigned on May 19, 2025.

Justices sworn in:

Three justices were sworn into office in May 2025.

Bill Lewis was sworn into the Alabama Supreme Court on May 20, 2025. Lewis, a Republican, joins a court comprised solely of Republicans. The court has not had a Democrat sit on the court since Sue Bell Cobb retired in 2011.
Noah Hood was sworn into the Michigan Supreme Court on May 21, 2025. Hood replaces former Chief Justice Elizabeth Clement, who retired on April 15, 2025. In her retirement announcement, Clement announced she would leave the court to become the president of the National Center for State Courts. Upon Clements’ retirement, only one Republican justice remains on the seven-member court. Prior to his appointment, Hood served on the Michigan Court of Appeals from 2022 until 2025.
Bridget Hill was sworn into the Wyoming Supreme Court on May 28, 2025. Hill was appointed in April 2025, but she did not take office until her predecessor, Chief Justice Kate M. Fox, left office. Hill previously served as the state Attorney General from 2019 until her appointment to the Wyoming Supreme Court. She will have the option to stand for retention in 2026 for a full eight-year term.

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