State supreme court vacancy count for March 2026

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 to March 31, 2026. Ballotpedia tracks court vacancies in all 52 state supreme courts.

Justices sworn into office:

During March 2026, two justices were sworn into office in two states.

On March 4, Daniel Will was sworn into the New Hampshire Supreme Court. Gov. Kelly Ayotte (R) nominated Will on Jan. 27, and the New Hampshire Executive Council confirmed him on Feb. 11; he is Ayotte's second nomination to the state's highest court. Prior to his appointment to the state supreme court, Will served as New Hampshire's first Solicitor General and as a superior court judge from 2021 until 2026. Will's term on the court ends in 2037, following his 70th birthday. In New Hampshire, once a justice is appointed, they may serve until they reach the mandatory retirement age. New Hampshire is one of three state supreme courts without a set term length for justices.
On March 9, Mark Friese was sworn into the North Dakota Supreme Court. He was appointed the same day by Gov. Kelly Armstrong (R). Friese was Armstrong's first appointee to the state's highest court. Prior to his appointment, Friese had worked in criminal defense law since earning a J.D. from the University of North Dakota School of Law in 2000. Friese also served 24 years in the National Guard and worked as a Bismarck police officer for five years. He will have the opportunity to run for re-election to his seat in a 2028 nonpartisan election. His seat will then be up for election in 2032 for a full ten-year term.

Candidates nominated:

During March 2026, one justice was nominated to a state supreme court.

Gov. Janet Mills (D) nominated Christopher Taub to the Maine Supreme Judicial Court. Taub succeeds Justice Andrew Horton, who retired in August 2025. Following the announcement of his nomination, Taub's name was sent to the Maine State Senate for confirmation. Taub is Mills' seventh appointee to the seven-member court, and, upon his swearing-in, will join a court consisting of six Mills appointees. Only one justice, Andrew Mead, was initially appointed by another governor: former Gov. John Baldacci (D). As of March 31, 2026, Taub had not yet been sworn in.

Candidates appointed and nominees confirmed:

In March 2026, two justices were confirmed, and two were appointed to state supreme courts in four states.

The Tennessee General Assembly, which includes both houses of the state's legislature, confirmed Kyle Hixson to the Tennessee Supreme Court in a joint session on March 5, 2026. Hixson has served as a judge on the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals Eastern Section since his initial appointment in 2022. Gov. Bill Lee (R) appointed Hixson to the state supreme court earlier this year—his fourth appointment to the five-member court. Hixson will take office once his predecessor, Justice Holly Kirby, leaves office on June 30, 2026.
On March 9, Gov. Kelly Armstrong (R) appointed Mark Friese to the North Dakota Supreme Court. Friese succeeds Justice Daniel Crothers, who retired on Feb. 28, 2026. Crothers was initially appointed by Gov. John Hoeven (R) in 2005. Friese took office the same day as his appointment.
In Washington, Gov. Bob Ferguson (D) appointed Theo Angelis to the Washington State Supreme Court on March 9. Angelis is Ferguson's second appointment to the state supreme court and will succeed Justice Barbara Madsen, who was initially elected to the court in 1992. Prior to his appointment to the court, Angelis worked as a partner at the Seattle location of K&L Gates, an international law firm. Madsen is scheduled to retire on April 3, with Angelis likely to take office the following day.
On March 31, the Maine State Senate confirmed Christopher Taub to the state's Supreme Judicial Court. Taub, an appointee of Gov. Janet Mills (D), has worked in the Maine Attorney General's office since 1999, most recently serving as the chief deputy attorney general. As of March 31, 2026, Taub had not yet been sworn in.

Justices sworn out and upcoming judicial retirements:

During March 2026, one justice announced his upcoming retirement, and two justices retired from their seats.

South Carolina Justice John C. Few announced he would no longer be seeking re-election to his seat. He released a statement on March 3, hours before the South Carolina State Legislature was scheduled to vote on whether to allow the justice to remain on the court for another ten-year term. In South Carolina, the state legislature holds a legislative election to determine whether a justice can sit on the court. Few's withdrawal from reconsideration for his seat means the state legislature must restart the selection process. As of March 31, the state's Judicial Merit Selection Commission had not released a list of candidates who applied to succeed Few. However, it is expected that the three other candidates who initially applied to run against Few will reapply to succeed him. To learn more about judicial selection in South Carolina, click here.
In Rhode Island, Justice Maureen McKenna Goldberg retired on March 27, 2026. Goldberg was appointed to the Rhode Island Supreme Court by former Gov. Lincoln Almond (R) in 1997. Rhode Island is the only state in the union where justices are appointed to a lifetime position and one of 17 that does not have a mandatory retirement age. Goldberg's retirement means the balance of the state supreme court is subject to change. While Goldberg was appointed by a Republican, her successor will give Gov. Daniel McKee (D) his first opportunity to appoint a justice to the five-member court. Following Goldberg's retirement, the court now consists of two appointees of former Gov. Donald Carcieri (R) and two appointees of former Gov. Gina Raimondo (D). McKee's ability to appoint a justice, which comes in the midst of a re-election campaign, gives Rhode Island Democrats a rare opportunity to shift the partisan balance of the court. The Rhode Island Supreme Court has been controlled by a Republican majority for decades. Goldberg's retirement allows Democrats to gain a majority on the court for the first time since Rhode Island adopted the assisted appointment selection method in 1994.
Kansas Justice Marla Luckert retired from the Kansas Supreme Court on March 28, 2026. Luckert was initially appointed to the court by Gov. Bill Graves (R) in November 2002. Her successor will be Gov. Laura Kelly's (D) fifth appointee to the seven-member court. The Kansas Supreme Court Nominating Commission is accepting applications for Luckert's successor until April 17, at which point it will begin the interview process. To learn more about the judicial selection process in Kansas, click here.

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