Chris McCool
2025 - Present
2031
0
Chris McCool (Republican Party) is a judge of the Alabama Supreme Court. He assumed office on January 20, 2025. His current term ends on January 20, 2031.
McCool (Republican Party) ran for election for judge of the Alabama Supreme Court. He won in the general election on November 5, 2024.
McCool was appointed to the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals by Gov. Kay Ivey (R).[1]
Biography
Chris McCool was born in Gordo, Alabama. His career experience includes working as a judge, adjunct professor, and pastor. McCool has served with the Executive Committee of the Alabama District Attorneys Association as president, vice president, and treasurer, with the Alabama Supreme Court's Standing Committee on the Alabama Rules of Evidence as a member, and the Northern District U.S. Attorney's Law Enforcement Coordinating Committee as a member.
McCool has received the following awards:[2]
- 2007: “Prosecutor of the Year” by Victims of Crime and Leniency
- 2007: “District Attorney of the Year” by the Alabama District Attorneys Association
- 2012: “Prosecutor of the Year” by the Alabama Forest Owners Association
Elections
2024
See also: Alabama Supreme Court elections, 2024
General election
General election for Alabama Supreme Court
Chris McCool won election in the general election for Alabama Supreme Court on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Chris McCool (R) | 97.6 | 1,564,832 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 2.4 | 38,088 | ||
| Total votes: 1,602,920 | ||||
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Republican primary election
The Republican primary election was canceled. Chris McCool advanced from the Republican primary for Alabama Supreme Court.
Campaign finance
Endorsements
Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for McCool in this election.
2018
General election
General election for Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals
Chris McCool won election in the general election for Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Chris McCool (R) | 97.1 | 1,079,559 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 2.9 | 32,504 | ||
| Total votes: 1,112,063 (100.00% precincts reporting) | ||||
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Republican primary runoff election
Republican primary runoff for Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals
Chris McCool defeated Rich Anderson in the Republican primary runoff for Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals on July 17, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Chris McCool | 55.6 | 153,773 | |
| Rich Anderson | 44.4 | 122,958 | ||
| Total votes: 276,731 | ||||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals
Chris McCool and Rich Anderson advanced to a runoff. They defeated Dennis O'Dell in the Republican primary for Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals on June 5, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Chris McCool | 42.6 | 172,773 | |
| ✔ | Rich Anderson | 34.8 | 141,166 | |
| Dennis O'Dell | 22.7 | 92,019 | ||
| Total votes: 405,958 | ||||
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Selection method
- See also: Partisan election of judges
All judges on the Alabama Court of Civil Appeals and Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals are elected for six-year terms in partisan elections.[3]
There are five judges on the Alabama Court of Civil Appeals and five on the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals. Vacancies, which can occur when a judge dies, resigns, retires or is removed from office, are filled through appointments by the governor of Alabama. Any judge appointed in this fashion must then stand for election in the next general election occurring at least one year after taking office.[4]
Qualifications
To be considered a candidate for either court, the person must:
- Be licensed to practice law in Alabama.
- Have lived in Alabama for at least one year.
- Be 70 years of age or younger at the time of candidacy.[5]
Selection of the chief judge
In the civil appeals court, the chief is chosen by seniority; in the criminal appeals court, the chief is chosen by peer vote. Both courts maintain their chief judges for indefinite terms.[4]
Campaign themes
2024
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Chris McCool did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.
Campaign website
McCool’s campaign website stated the following:
| “ |
Judge McCool respects the rule of law, and has a conservative judicial philosophy. He does not believe in judicial activism. The people of Alabama can count on Judge McCool to uphold the rule of law, and never to legislate from the bench. Throughout his quarter-century legal career, he has enforced the rule of law in a fair and impartial manner. “I have always been a conservative. As a Republican, I do NOT believe in judicial activism. Judges should apply the law, and not create the law. Public policy should be set by the Legislature, and our court system should enforce it, not make it! I firmly believe that judges should not be legislators in black robes.”[6] |
” |
| —Chris McCool’s campaign website (2024)[7] | ||
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
State supreme court judicial selection in Alabama
- See also: Judicial selection in Alabama
The nine justices on the Alabama Supreme Court are selected through partisan elections for six-year terms. They appear on partisan election ballots statewide and face re-election if they wish to serve again.[8] For more information about these elections, visit the Alabama judicial elections page.
Qualifications
To serve on this court, a judge must be:
- licensed to practice law for at least 10 years;
- a state resident for at least one year;
- under the age of 70 at the time of election (judges who turn 70 in office may serve until their terms expire).[9][10]
Chief justice
The chief justice of the court is selected by popular vote, serving in that office for his or her full six-year term.[8][11]
Vacancies
Should a vacancy occur between regularly scheduled elections, which take place in November of even-numbered years, an interim justice is appointed by the governor. Any justice appointed in this fashion must then stand for election in the next general election occurring at least one year after taking office.[8][12]
The map below highlights how vacancies are filled in state supreme courts across the country.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Tuscaloosa News, "Longtime district attorney Chris McCool becomes judge, swears in his successor, Andy Hamlin," November 10, 2018
- ↑ ALABAMA JUDICIAL SYSTEM, "Judge McCool," accessed December 14, 2023
- ↑ Alabama Unified Judicial System, "Qualifications of Judges," accessed July 30, 2014
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Alabama," archived October 2, 2014
- ↑ Alabama Unified Judicial System, "Alabama Appellate Courts," accessed July 30, 2014
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ [https://mccoolforsupremecourt.com/policy/ Chris McCool for Supreme Court, “ Conservative Judicial Policy,” accessed December 14, 2023]
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Alabama Judicial System, "Qualification of Judges," accessed March 23, 2023
- ↑ Judicial Retirement Laws, "Alabama: Mandatory Retirement Provisions Applicable Generally," accessed August 10, 2021
- ↑ Alabama Secretary of State, "Minimum Qualifications for Public Office," accessed March 23, 2023
- ↑ Justia, "Article VI, Alabama Constitution - Section 152," accessed March 23, 2023
- ↑ Brennan Center for Justice, "Judicial Selection: An Interactive Map," accessed March 23, 2023
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Sarah Stewart (R) |
Alabama Supreme Court 2025-Present |
Succeeded by - |
| Preceded by Liles Burke |
Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals 2018-2025 |
Succeeded by Rich Anderson (R) |
Federal courts:
Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Northern District of Alabama, Middle District of Alabama, Southern District of Alabama • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Northern District of Alabama, Middle District of Alabama, Southern District of Alabama
State courts:
Alabama Supreme Court • Alabama Court of Civil Appeals • Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals • Alabama Circuit Courts • Alabama District Courts • Alabama Juvenile Courts • Alabama Municipal Courts • Alabama Probate Courts • Alabama Small Claims Courts
State resources:
Courts in Alabama • Alabama judicial elections • Judicial selection in Alabama
| |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Court of Civil Appeals Judges |
Terry A. Moore • Matt Fridy • Bill Lewis • Christy Olinger Edwards • Chad Hanson • | ||
| Court of Criminal Appeals Judges | Mary Windom • J. Elizabeth Kellum • J. William Cole • Richard Minor • | ||
| Former |
Sue Bell Cobb • Glenn Murdock • Greg Shaw • Kelli Wise • Pamela Willis Baschab • Bucky McMillan • Tommy Bryan • Scott Donaldson (Alabama) • James Allen Main • | ||
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 |
State of Alabama Montgomery (capital) |
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