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Incumbents Charlie Bethel, Sarah Hawkins Warren, and Ben Land defeated challengers Miracle Ranking and Jen Jordan in the general election for Georgia Supreme Court on May 19, 2026


Incumbents Charlie Bethel, Sarah Hawkins Warren, and Ben Land defeated challengers Miracle Rankin and Jen Jordan in the general election for Georgia Supreme Court on May 19, 2026. Bethel ran against Rankin. Warren ran against Jordan. Land was unopposed.

The election was officially nonpartisan. Republican governors appointed each of the three incumbents. Both challengers ran with support from the Democratic Party of Georgia. Georgia Public Broadcasting's Sarah Kallis quoted state party chair Charlie Bailey as saying, "[i]t's the most money that the Georgia Democratic Party has spent in judicial races in 20 years."

The Georgia Recorder's Maya Homan said, "advocacy groups on both ends of the political spectrum are working to cast the election as a referendum over abortion rights." Bolts' Alex Burness said after the Supreme Court of the United States' ruling in Louisiana v. Callais that "[b]y 2028, it’s entirely possible that Georgia’s high court will already have heard important election cases. Voting rights advocates are bracing for that." The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Rosie Manins said, "[r]esearch by local litigators suggests there hasn’t been a sitting justice lose reelection in more than 100 years in [Georgia]."

Governor Nathan Deal (R) appointed Bethel to the court in 2018. Bethel served on the Georgia Court of Appeals from 2017 to 2018, in the Georgia Senate from 2011 to 2016, and on the Dalton City Council from 2006 to 2010. He earlier practiced law with the firm of Minor Bell & Neal. Bethel ran on his judicial philosophy. Bethel's campaign website said "[h]e understands that judges must set aside their personal preferences in deciding each case before them and that they must follow the law, even when the outcome may be unpopular."

Governor Deal appointed Warren to the court in 2018. Warren earlier served as Georgia's solicitor general and deputy solicitor general and practiced law with Kirkland & Ellis LLP. Like Bethel, Warren ran on her judicial philosophy. Warren's campaign website said, "I believe in interpreting the law faithfully, without fear or favor, without bias, and apart from personal opinion."

Rankin was, as of the 2026 election, an attorney in private practice specializing in personal injury cases. Rankin ran on her criticism of the incumbent justices. In a campaign ad, Rankin said, "It's important that you have justices on the Supreme Court who will interpret the laws of the state and the constitution of Georgia in a way that fairly applies them to every citizen of this state -- to the people, not just the powerful."

Jordan was, as of the 2026 election, an attorney in private practice. Jordan served in the Georgia Senate from 2017 to 2023. Like Rankin, Jordan ran on criticism of the incumbent justices. In a campaign ad, Jordan said, "I believe that there are decisions being made every day that are bad for the people of this state. I believe that there are people on that court that aren't going to stand up and protect the constitutional rights of the people of this state."

Justices on the Georgia Supreme Court serve six-year terms. If a vacancy occurs on the court, the governor appoints a new member. As of April 2026, Republican governors had appointed eight of the nine justices.

In 2020, Bethel defeated Beth Beskin 52.2%–47.8% and Warren defeated Hal Moroz 78.7%–21.3%.