State supreme court vacancy count for April 2025

By

Ellie Mikus

In this month’s state supreme court vacancy update, Ballotpedia tracked announced retirements, nominations, appointments, confirmations, and the swearing-in of justices from March 31, 2025, to April 30, 2025. Ballotpedia tracks court vacancies in all 52 state supreme courts.

Announced retirements:

During April 2025, four justices announced their intent to retire later this year.

  • Vermont Supreme Court Justice Karen R. Carroll announced on April 9, 2025, that she would retire later this year, in August 2025. Carroll was initially appointed by Gov. Phil Scott (R) in March 2017. After her six-year term, she was retained by the Vermont State Legislature for another six-year term. Scott will have the chance to choose Carroll’s successor through the assisted appointment selection method. The successor, Scott’s fourth nominee to the court, will join three other justices appointed by a Republican governor, and one justice appointed by Democratic Gov. Peter Shumlin.
  • In a letter released on April 9, 2025, Texas Supreme Court Justice Jeffrey S. Boyd announced he will retire later this year. He did not specify his retirement date in his statement, and as of April 30, 2025, his retirement date had not been set. Boyd was initially appointed by former Gov. Rick Perry (R) in 2012, and was reelected in 2014 and 2020. Boyd’s replacement will be Gov. Greg Abbott’s (R) eighth appointment to the Texas Supreme Court.
  • On April 15, 2025, New Hampshire Supreme Court Justice James Bassett announced he would retire later this year. His official retirement date is August 31, 2025, a year before Bassett reaches the state’s mandatory retirement age of 70. Bassett is the lone justice on the court initially appointed by Democratic Gov. John H. Lynch. The four other justices were appointed by Gov. Chris Sununu (R), who left office in January 2025. Bassett’s vacancy will give Gov. Kelly Ayotte (R) her first opportunity to appoint a justice to the state’s highest court.
  • Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia Justice Beth Walker announced on April 21, 2025, that she will retire effective June 27, 2025. Walker joined the court through a nonpartisan election in 2016, winning a 12-year term originally scheduled to conclude in late 2028. Walker’s retirement gives Gov. Patrick Morrisey (R) his first opportunity to appoint a justice to the state’s highest court.

Candidates nominated, appointed, and confirmed:

During April 2025, three candidates were appointed to their respective state supreme courts.

  • Gov. Mark Gordon (R) appointed Attorney General Bridget Hill to the Wyoming Supreme Court on April 11, 2025. She will replace Kate M. Fox, who announced earlier this year that she would retire effective May 27, 2025. Fox was appointed by former Gov. Matt Mead (R) in 2013 and was retained in 2016 and 2024. Her vacancy will give Gordon his third opportunity to appoint a justice to the court. When Hill assumes office on May 28, 2025, the court will have two judges appointed by Mead and three judges appointed by Gordon.
  • Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) appointed Travis Jett to the Oklahoma Supreme Court on April 14, 2025. Jett is Stitt’s fourth appointment to the state’s highest court. When sworn in, Jett will join three other Stitt appointments, three justices appointed by former Gov. Brad Henry (D), and one justice appointed by former Gov. Mary Fallin (R). Jett replaces Yvonne Kauger, who was originally appointed by former Gov. George Nigh (D) in 1984. Kauger unsuccessfully ran for retention in November 2024 and resigned soon after. As of April 30, 2025, Jett’s swearing-in date had not been announced.
  • Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) appointed Noah Hood to the Michigan Supreme Court. Hood is currently an appellate judge in Michigan’s First Judicial District, a position he has held since Whitmer appointed him in 2022. Hood replaces Chief Justice Elizabeth Clement (R). As of April 30, 2025, Hood’s swearing-in date had not been announced. When sworn in, Hood will sit on a court with six Democratic justices or appointees and one Republican justice.

Justices sworn in/out:

During April 2025, two justices were sworn out of office.

  • Georgia Supreme Court Justice Michael P. Boggs retired on March 31, 2025. Boggs was originally appointed by former Gov. Nathan Deal (R) in 2016 and was reelected in 2018 and 2024. He served as chief justice of the court from July 2022 until his retirement in March 2025. Boggs’ retirement will give Gov. Brian Kemp (R) his fifth opportunity to appoint a justice to the nine-member state supreme court. As of April 30, 2025, Kemp had not announced Boggs’ successor.
  • Michigan Supreme Court Chief Justice Elizabeth Clement (R) retired on April 15, 2025. In her retirement letter, Clement stated that she was leaving the court to accept a position as the president of the National Center for State Courts. Clement was initially appointed in 2017 by former Gov. Rick Snyder (R) and won re-election to the court in 2018. Following Clement’s retirement, only one Republican remains on the court.

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