State supreme court vacancy count for August 2025

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

Announced retirements:

During August 2025, two justices announced their future retirement from office, and one justice died in office.

Justice William Cohen announced on Aug. 7 that he would retire from the Vermont Supreme Court later this year. He did not announce an official retirement date, but stated he would step down from the court in December 2025. Cohen was initially appointed by Gov. Phil Scott (R) in December 2019. Prior to his service on the Vermont Supreme Court, Cohen served as a judge on the Rutland County Superior Court from 1999 until his appointment to the state’s highest court in 2019.
In West Virginia, Justice Tim Armstead died on Aug. 26 at the age of 60. Armstead was appointed by former Gov. Jim Justice (R) in August 2018. Prior to his appointment to the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia, Armstead represented West Virginia House of Delegates District 40 from 1998 until his 2018 judicial appointment. As of Sept. 1, Gov. Patrick Morrisey (R) had yet to announce Armstead’s successor. Morrisey’s choice will be his second appointment to the five-member court.
Justice Lindsey Miller-Lerman announced her upcoming retirement from the Nebraska Supreme Court on Aug. 27. Miller-Lerman stated her final day serving on the state’s highest court would be Oct. 31. Prior to her service on the Nebraska Supreme Court, she served on the Nebraska Court of Appeals from 1992 until her supreme court appointment in 1998. Miller-Lerman was nominated by former Gov. Ben Nelson (D) in August 1998 and was the first woman to serve on the Nebraska Supreme Court. Miller-Lerman is the only justice sitting on the Nebraska Supreme Court who was initially appointed by a Democratic governor. The remaining six justices were initially appointed by Republican governors. As of Sept. 1, Gov. Jim Pillen (R) had not named Miller-Lerman’s successor, who will be his third appointment to the state’s highest court.

Candidates nominated, appointed, and confirmed:

During August 2025, three justices were appointed to three courts of last resort:

Gov. Patrick Morrisey (R) appointed Thomas Ewing to the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia on Aug. 6. Prior to his appointment to West Virginia’s court of last resort, he served as a district court judge for the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit from 2018 until his appointment in 2025. Ewing is Morrisey’s first appointment to the five-member court.
In Kansas, Gov. Laura Kelly (D) appointed Larkin Walsh to the Kansas Supreme Court on Aug. 7. Walsh is an attorney with Stueve Siegel Hanson LLP, a law firm in Kansas City. Walsh is Kelly’s fourth nominee to the state’s supreme court and will succeed Justice Evelyn Wilson, another Kelly appointee. As of Sept. 1, Larkin’s swearing-in date had not yet been announced.
In New Hampshire, Gov. Kelly Ayotte (R) appointed Bryan Gould to the New Hampshire Supreme Court on Aug. 26. Gould is a director at Cleveland Waters and Bass, P.A., a law firm headquartered in Concord, New Hampshire. He has also served on the six-member New Hampshire Judicial Selection Commission since Ayotte appointed him in May 2025, and he previously served as Ayotte’s counsel during her 2024 election campaign. Gould will succeed Justice James Bassett, who retired on Aug. 31. As of Sept. 1, Gould’s swearing-in date had not yet been announced.

Justices sworn in/out:

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

In West Virginia, Thomas Ewing was sworn into the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia, the state’s highest court. Ewing was appointed on Aug. 6 and took office the same day. Ewing replaced Justice Beth Walker, who retired on June 27. Walker was first elected to West Virginia’s highest court in a May 2016 nonpartisan election. In previous elections, Walker was registered with the Republican Party. Following Ewing’s swearing-in, the court included two justices initially elected in a nonpartisan election, two justices initially appointed by a Republican governor, and one vacancy (also to be filled by a Republican governor).
In Vermont, Justice Karen R. Carroll resigned from the state’s highest court. Carroll was initially appointed to the Vermont Supreme Court by Gov. Phil Scott (R) in March 2017. She was retained by the Vermont General Assembly in 2023 for a second six-year term. Carroll’s retirement will give Scott his fourth opportunity to appoint a state supreme court justice. As of Sept. 1, Carroll’s successor had not been announced.
In New Hampshire, Justice James Bassett stepped down on Aug. 31 from his seat on the New Hampshire Supreme Court. Bassett was appointed by former Gov. John Lynch (D) in May 2012. At the time of his retirement, Bassett was the sole Democrat-appointed justice on the court. The remaining four justices were appointed by former Gov. Chris Sununu (R), who left office in January 2025. As of Sept. 1, the court had yet to announce the swearing-in date of Bassett’s successor, Bryan Gould.
In Texas, Justice Jeffrey S. Boyd resigned from the Texas Supreme Court on Sept. 1. Boyd, a registered Republican, was initially appointed by former Gov. Rick Perry (R) to the state supreme court in November 2012. Prior to his appointment, he served as Perry’s chief of staff and general counsel. Boyd’s retirement from the court gives Gov. Greg Abbott (R) his eighth opportunity to appoint a Texas Supreme Court justice. As of Sept. 1, Boyd’s successor had not been announced.