In this month's state supreme court vacancy update, Ballotpedia tracked announced retirements, nominations, appointments, confirmations, and the swearings-in of justices from April 1 to April 30, 2026. Ballotpedia tracks court vacancies in all 52 state supreme courts.
Justices sworn into office:
During April 2026, one justice was sworn into office.
- On April 4, Theo Angelis was sworn into the Washington State Supreme Court. He was appointed by Gov. Bob Ferguson (D) in March 2026 and replaced Barbara Madsen, who retired on April 3. Angelis is Ferguson's second nominee to the nine-member supreme court. Prior to his appointment, Angelis worked as a partner at the Seattle location of K&L Gates, an international law firm. Angelis is the first justice of Middle Eastern descent to serve on the Washington State Supreme Court.
Candidates nominated:
During April 2026, one justice was nominated to a state supreme court.
- On April 2, Hawaii Gov. Joshua Green (D) nominated Justice Vladimir P. Devens to the chief justice position on the state's supreme court. In Hawaii, as in 21 other states, the chief justice position is a separate position on the court. If an existing associate justice ascends to the chief justice position, their previous seat on the court is vacated. Devens was initially appointed to the Hawaii Supreme Court by Green in 2023. Prior to his appointment to the court, he worked as an attorney at multiple law offices. He is also a former corporal in the Honolulu Police Department.
Candidates appointed and nominees confirmed:
During April 2026, one candidate was confirmed to a state supreme court position.
- On April 30, Vladimir P. Devens was confirmed as chief justice of the Hawaii Supreme Court. The Hawaii State Senate confirmed him in a 20-5 vote. Devens replaced Chief Justice Mark Recktenwald, who retired in September 2025 after reaching the mandatory retirement age of 70. Devens is expected to take office on May 4.
Justices sworn out and upcoming judicial retirements:
During April 2026, one justice was sworn out of office, and two more announced their upcoming retirements.
- On April 3, Justice Barbara Madsen retired from the Washington State Supreme Court. Madsen first won her seat in a 1992 nonpartisan election and was the first woman to do so in the state. Prior to her service on the Washington State Supreme Court, she served on the Seattle Municipal Court and as a special prosecutor at the Seattle City Attorney's Office. Her successor, Theo Angelis, was sworn in on April 4.
- On April 6, Chief Justice Natalie Hudson announced her upcoming retirement from the Minnesota Supreme Court. Hudson was first appointed to the state supreme court by Gov. Mark Dayton (D) in 2015. She was then nominated to ascend to the chief justice position by Gov. Tim Walz (D) in 2023. Minnesota is one of 21 states that has a unique chief justice position, meaning that Walz will appoint the next chief justice of the court, his second opportunity in fewer than three years. As of April 30, Walz had not appointed her successor.
- On April 13, Chief Justice G. Richard Bevan announced that he will retire from the Idaho Supreme Court in October 2026. Bevan was initially appointed by Gov. Butch Otter (R) in 2017. Idaho, along with 23 other states, selects its chief justice through a chamber vote. Because of this, Gov. Brad Little (R) will appoint an associate justice to succeed Bevan, leaving the remainder of the Idaho Supreme Court to elect his successor as chief justice. As of April 30, the Idaho Judicial Council had not released a list of candidates who have applied for this vacancy.
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