2024 Georgia judicial elections
Four seats on the Supreme Court of Georgia will be up for election to a six-year term on May 21. Of the four, only the seat currently held by Andrew Pinson is contested, with former U.S. House member John Barrow contesting the seat. Justices Michael Boggs, John Ellington and Nels Peterson are unopposed for re-election.
Seven seats on the Georgia Court of Appeals are up for election on May 21, with Jeffrey A Watkins, Ken Hodges, Ben Land, Stephen Dillard, Brian Rickman, and Amanda Mercier all running for re-election. The remaining open seat will be contested between lawyer Jeff Land and Cobb County Magistrate Judge Tabitha Ponder.
Elections for Supreme Court and Court of Appeals are at-large and non-partisan.
Background
Since 1896, justices on the Supreme Court have been directly elected in nonpartisan statewide elections.
Supreme Court (Pinson seat)
Justice Andrew Pinson, who was appointed in 2022 by Governor Brian Kemp to succeed David Nahmias, is being challenged by former Democratic member of the U.S. House John Barrow. Barrow previously campaigned in 2019 and 2020 to succeed retiring justice Robert Benham, but the election was cancelled by Kemp's appointment of Carla Wong McMillian to fill Benham's remaining term. Barrow also campaigned to succeed Keith R. Blackwell in 2020, but that election was similarly cancelled by Kemp's appointment of Shawn Ellen LaGrua, and again with the appointment of Verda Colvin to succeed retiring justice Harold Melton in 2021.[1] Finally, in 2022, Kemp cancelled a potential election by appointing Pinson to succeed Nahmias.[2][3] Barrow, along with fellow candidate Beth Beskin, sued in state court to challenge the law allowing for cancellations of judicial elections following the appointment of LaGrua.[4]
Endorsements
Results
References
- ^ Dunlap, Stanley (July 7, 2021). "Kemp Interviews Justice Candidates In Georgia Supreme Court Makeover". Georgia Public Broadcasting. Retrieved February 16, 2022.
- ^ "02/11/2022—Chief Justice Nahmias to Leave Supreme Court" (Press release). Supreme Court of Georgia. February 11, 2022. Retrieved February 16, 2022.
- ^ "Kemp names Andrew Pinson to Georgia Supreme Court". FOX 5 Atlanta. February 14, 2022. Retrieved February 16, 2022.
- ^ Nadler, Russ Bynum and Ben. "Lawsuits: Georgia illegally canceled election to high court". Online Athens. Retrieved 2024-05-16.
