State supreme court vacancy count for September 2025

In this month’s state supreme court vacancy update, Ballotpedia tracked announced retirements, nominations, appointments, confirmations, and the swearing-in of justices from Sept. 2 to Sept. 30. Ballotpedia tracks court vacancies in all 52 state supreme courts.

Announced retirements:

During September 2025, one justice announced her future retirement from office.

Justice Holly Kirby announced on Sept. 23 that she would step down from the Tennessee Supreme Court later this year. In her official retirement statement, she said her last day on the court would be June 30, 2026. Kirby was initially appointed to her court position in 2013 by former Gov. Bill Haslam (R); she took office in 2014 and was retained by voters in 2016 and 2022. Kirby is the second state supreme court justice to confirm a retirement date in 2026. As of Sept. 30, Kirby’s successor had not yet been named.

Candidates nominated, appointed, and confirmed:

During September 2025, judicial nominating commissions announced finalists who filed to succeed one outgoing justice.

The Utah Appellate Judicial Nominating Commission on Sept. 2 released a list of seven applicants who qualified to succeed Utah Supreme Court Justice John A. Pearce. The finalists included two Appellate court judges, four district court judges, and the current Utah Solicitor General. The Commission allowed public comments on the applicants until Sept. 13, after which it sent the list of seven finalists to Gov. Spencer Cox (R). Cox has 30 days to make the final appointment to the state’s highest court. As of Sept. 30, Cox had not appointed Pearce’s successor.

Justices sworn in/out:

During September 2025, two justices were sworn into office, and one chief justice was sworn out.

In Kansas, Larkin Walsh was sworn in as the newest Kansas Supreme Court justice on Sept. 17. Gov. Laura Kelly (D) appointed her to the position in August 2025. Prior to her appointment to the court, Walsh was a lawyer with Stueve Siegel Hanson LLP, a law firm based in Kansas City, Missouri. Walsh succeeds former Justice Evelyn Z. Wilson, another Kelly appointee who retired earlier this year. Walsh joins a court consisting of five justices initially appointed by Democrats, and two justices initially appointed by Republicans.
In New Hampshire, Bryan Gould was sworn into the New Hampshire Supreme Court on Sept. 18. Prior to his appointment, Gould was a shareholder and director at Cleveland, Waters and Bass, P.A., a law firm based in Concord, New Hampshire. Gould succeeds James Bassett, who retired at the end of August 2025. Bassett was the final remaining member on the New Hampshire Supreme Court who a Democrat had initially appointed; former Republican Gov. Chris Sununu appointed the remaining four justices. Gould was appointed by Gov. Kelly Ayotte (R). New Hampshire Supreme Court justices are appointed to life positions and do not have terms.
In Hawaii, Chief Justice Mark Recktenwald resigned from the Hawaii Supreme Court on Sept. 30 after reaching the court’s mandatory retirement age of 70. Recktenwald served as chief justice since his initial appointment to the court by former Gov. Linda Lingle (R) in 2010. The Hawaii Judicial Selection Commission renewed his justiceship in 2020 for another 10-year term. At the time of his retirement, Recktenwald was the last remaining justice on the court initially appointed by a Republican governor. Recktenwald’s vacancy gives Gov. Joshua Green (D) his third opportunity to appoint a justice to the state’s highest court.

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