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State Supreme Court vacancy count for August 2026

By

Ellie Mikus

In this month's state supreme court vacancy update, Ballotpedia tracked announced retirements, nominations, appointments, confirmations, and the swearings-in of justices from July 31 to Sept. 1, 2026. Ballotpedia tracks court vacancies in all 52 state supreme courts.

Justices sworn into office:

During August 2026, three justices were sworn into office.

Candidates nominated:

During August 2026, three candidates were nominated to state supreme courts in two states.

  • In Rhode Island, Gov. Daniel McKee (D) nominated Luis M. Matos to the state's highest court on Aug. 12. Matos, who has served as a superior court judge since 2012, replaces Maureen McKenna Goldberg, who retired in March 2026. Matos' nomination, if confirmed by both houses of the Rhode Island General Assembly, gives McKee an opportunity to shift the partisan makeup of a court whose justices serve lifetime terms. Following Goldberg's retirement, the ideological makeup of the court remains split, with two appointees of former Gov. Donald Carcieri (R) and two appointees of former Gov. Gina Raimondo (D). McKee's nomination of Matos comes amid a re-election campaign against challenger Helena Foulkes. As of Sept. 1, neither house of the Rhode Island General Assembly had confirmed Matos' nomination.
  • In Utah, Gov. Spencer Cox (R) nominated two candidates to the state's highest court. He nominated district court judge Matthew Bell, alongside attorney Michael Menssen, to serve on the Utah Supreme Court. Bell has served Utah's 5th Judicial District as a district court judge since his appointment by former Gov. Gary Herbert (R) in 2017. Menssen is an attorney at the Salt Lake City branch of Mayer Brown LLP, an international law firm. Both nominees are subject to confirmation from the Utah State Senate, which, as of Sept. 1, had not brought either nomination to the floor. The Aug. 28 nominations are Cox's sixth and seventh nominations to the Utah Supreme Court. The two nominees will replace former justices Diana Hagen and Matthew Durrant. Cox is tasked with naming the chief justice who will succeed Durrant, but as of Sept. 1, Cox had not yet announced his nomination.

Candidates appointed and nominees confirmed:

During August 2026, two candidates were appointed to supreme courts in two states.

  • In Mississippi, Gov. Tate Reeves (R) appointed attorney Amanda Jones Tollison to the state supreme court on Aug. 17. Prior to her appointment to the court, Tollison worked as an attorney for Butler Snow LLP. She replaced former Justice Jimmy Maxwell, who now serves as a federal district court judge. Her appointment is Reeves' second to the court. Tollison was sworn in on Sept. 1 and will have the opportunity to run in a 2027 nonpartisan election.
  • In Idaho, Gov. Brad Little (R) appointed district court judge Jason D. Scott to the Idaho Supreme Court. Scott will replace Chief Justice G. Richard Bevan when he retires on Oct. 31. In Idaho, the chief justice is a leadership position chosen by an internal chamber vote. Because of this, Scott was appointed to an associate justice position on the court. He will serve on the court for the remainder of Bevan's term, which is scheduled to end in 2031. Scott will have the opportunity to run in a 2030 nonpartisan election for a full six-year term.

Justices sworn out and upcoming judicial retirements:

During August 2026, three justices were sworn out of office.

  • On July 31, South Carolina Justice John C. Few resigned from the South Carolina Supreme Court. Few's resignation came nearly six months after he announced he would not seek re-election. His withdrawal came amid a contested legislative re-election campaign to keep his seat for another 10-year term. Few — the first incumbent justice to face a challenger for his seat in 20 years — decided to resign at the end of his term, rather than run for another term. South Carolina law states that once an incumbent justice withdraws their consideration for re-election, the selection process begins anew, and candidates who have already applied must resubmit petitions to be reconsidered for the position. On Aug. 24, the South Carolina Judicial Merit Selection Commission released a list of applicants who filed to succeed Few on the court. The list includes five judges: two appellate court judges, two circuit court judges, and an administrative law court judge. As of Sept. 1, the legislature had not elected a candidate to the state's highest court.
  • On Aug. 1, Justice Joan K. Alexander was sworn out of the Connecticut Supreme Court. Alexander was initially appointed by Gov. Ned Lamont (D) in April 2022. Alexander cited her desire to move to the position of chief administrator for the Connecticut Supreme Court as her reason for stepping down. Her successor, appellate judge Melanie Cradle, was sworn in the same day as a justice in an acting capacity.
  • Utah Chief Justice Matthew Durrant retired on Aug. 31. He was initially appointed to the court in January 2000 by former Gov. Michael Leavitt (R). He was elected chief justice through a chamber vote in 2012 and held that position until his retirement in 2026. His 14 years as head of the court make Durrant the longest-serving chief justice in Utah history. His successor, Michael Menssen, was appointed three days before Durrant’s retirement. As of Sept. 1, Menssen had not been confirmed by the Utah State Senate, nor had he been sworn in.

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