State intermediate appellate court elections, 2026

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Thirty-one states are holding intermediate appellate court elections in 2026. There are 229 seats on intermediate appellate courts up for election. The number of seats up for election may change due to resignations and appointments. More information about these elections will be added here once election dates and filing schedules are made available.

Intermediate appellate courts serve as an intermediate step between the trial courts and the courts of last resort in a state. Their jurisdiction varies from state to state.

In addition, in the U.S. Territories, two intermediate appellate court judges will be on the ballot in retention elections in 2026. Two judges on the Northern Mariana Islands Superior Court must stand for retention to remain on the bench.

Click here for information on state supreme court elections. Click here for information on local trial court elections.

For information on intermediate appellate court elections happening this year, click here.

Explore Ballotpedia's coverage of these elections:

On the ballot
A list of elections and candidates on the ballot
Read more
Selection methods
A description of the different selection methods
Read more

On the ballot

Click the tabs below to view information about the elections this year. In this section, you will find:

A list of seats up for election
A list of candidates running
Ballotpedia's Sample Ballot Lookup Tool

Seats up for election

List of candidates

What's on your ballot?

The following states are holding elections for intermediate appellate court seats in 2026. This list is subject to change if judges retire or are appointed.

2026 state intermediate appellate court elections
State	Seats up for election	Election method
Alabama	4	Partisan
Arizona	17	Retention
Arkansas	2	Nonpartisan
California	49	Retention
Colorado	6	Retention
Florida	20	Retention
Georgia	5	Nonpartisan
Idaho	1	Nonpartisan
Illinois	7	Partisan and retention
Indiana	5	Retention
Iowa	3	Retention
Kansas	7	Retention
Kentucky	1	Nonpartisan
Louisiana	3	Partisan
Maryland	1	Retention
Michigan	10	Nonpartisan
Minnesota	6	Nonpartisan
Mississippi	5	Nonpartisan
Missouri	6	Retention
Nebraska	1	Retention
New Mexico	2	Retention
North Carolina	3	Partisan
Ohio	20	Partisan
Oklahoma	2	Retention
Oregon	3	Nonpartisan
Tennessee	2	Retention
Texas	22	Partisan
Utah	6	Retention
Washington	6	Nonpartisan
West Virginia	1	Nonpartisan
Wisconsin	3	Nonpartisan

The table below contains a list of all candidates who are running for state intermediate appellate courts in 2026. The table is fully searchable by candidate, party and candidacy status. Depending on the size of your screen, you'll either see a menu to the left of the table or an arrow at the top right corner, which you can use to select a state.

Alabama Court of Appeals Candidates - 2026
candidate	party	office	status
No candidates available for this race		Alabama Court of Civil Appeals
No candidates available for this race		Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals

Arizona Court of Appeals Candidates - 2026
candidate	party	office	status
No candidates available for this race		Arizona Court of Appeals Division One (Maricopa County) (Retention election)
No candidates available for this race		Arizona Court of Appeals Division Two (Pima County) (Retention election)

Arkansas Court of Appeals Candidates - 2026
candidate	party	office	status
Bart Virden Incumbent	Nonpartisan	Arkansas Court of Appeals District 2 Position 1	Candidacy Declared General
Sarah Capp	Nonpartisan	Arkansas Court of Appeals District 3 Position 1	Candidacy Declared General

Colorado Court of Appeals Candidates - 2026
candidate	party	office	status
No candidates available for this race		Colorado Court of Appeals (Retention election)

Georgia Court of Appeals Candidates - 2026
candidate	party	office	status
No candidates available for this race		Georgia Court of Appeals

Idaho Court of Appeals Candidates - 2026
candidate	party	office	status
No candidates available for this race		Idaho Court of Appeals

Indiana Court of Appeals Candidates - 2026
candidate	party	office	status
No candidates available for this race		Indiana Court of Appeals 2nd District (Retention election)
No candidates available for this race		Indiana Court of Appeals 3rd District (Retention election)
No candidates available for this race		Indiana Court of Appeals 4th District (Retention election)
No candidates available for this race		Indiana Court of Appeals 5th District (Retention election)

Iowa Court of Appeals Candidates - 2026
candidate	party	office	status
No candidates available for this race		Iowa Court of Appeals (Retention election)

Kansas Court of Appeals Candidates - 2026
candidate	party	office	status
No candidates available for this race		Kansas Court of Appeals Position 1 (Retention election)
No candidates available for this race		Kansas Court of Appeals Position 2 (Retention election)
No candidates available for this race		Kansas Court of Appeals Position 3 (Retention election)
No candidates available for this race		Kansas Court of Appeals Position 5 (Retention election)
No candidates available for this race		Kansas Court of Appeals Position 7 (Retention election)
No candidates available for this race		Kansas Court of Appeals Position 11 (Retention election)
No candidates available for this race		Kansas Court of Appeals Position 13 (Retention election)

Kentucky Court of Appeals Candidates - 2026
candidate	party	office	status
No candidates available for this race		Kentucky Court of Appeals 5th Division 1

Michigan Court of Appeals Candidates - 2026
candidate	party	office	status
No candidates available for this race		Michigan 1st District Court of Appeals 3 seats
No candidates available for this race		Michigan 2nd District Court of Appeals 2 seats
No candidates available for this race		Michigan 3rd District Court of Appeals
No candidates available for this race		Michigan 4th District Court of Appeals 3 seats

Minnesota Court of Appeals Candidates - 2026
candidate	party	office	status
No candidates available for this race		Minnesota Court of Appeals District 1
No candidates available for this race		Minnesota Court of Appeals District 7
No candidates available for this race		Minnesota Court of Appeals District 9
No candidates available for this race		Minnesota Court of Appeals District 13
No candidates available for this race		Minnesota Court of Appeals District 15
No candidates available for this race		Minnesota Court of Appeals District 18

Mississippi Court of Appeals Candidates - 2026
candidate	party	office	status
No candidates available for this race		Mississippi Court of Appeals District 1 Position 1 (Special election)
No candidates available for this race		Mississippi Court of Appeals District 1 Position 2
No candidates available for this race		Mississippi Court of Appeals District 2 Position 1
No candidates available for this race		Mississippi Court of Appeals District 4 Position 2
No candidates available for this race		Mississippi Court of Appeals District 5 Position 1

Missouri Court of Appeals Candidates - 2026
candidate	party	office	status
No candidates available for this race		Missouri Court of Appeals Eastern District (Retention election)
No candidates available for this race		Missouri Court of Appeals Southern District (Retention election)
No candidates available for this race		Missouri Court of Appeals Western District (Retention election)

Nebraska Court of Appeals Candidates - 2026
candidate	party	office	status
No candidates available for this race		Nebraska Court of Appeals District 2 (Retention election)

New Mexico Court of Appeals Candidates - 2026
candidate	party	office	status
No candidates available for this race		New Mexico Court of Appeals (Retention election)

North Carolina Court of Appeals Candidates - 2026
candidate	party	office	status
No candidates available for this race		North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 1
No candidates available for this race		North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 2
No candidates available for this race		North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 3

Ohio Court of Appeals Candidates - 2026
candidate	party	office	status
No candidates available for this race		Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals
No candidates available for this race		Ohio Eleventh District Court of Appeals 2 seats
No candidates available for this race		Ohio Fifth District Court of Appeals
No candidates available for this race		Ohio First District Court of Appeals
No candidates available for this race		Ohio Fourth District Court of Appeals
No candidates available for this race		Ohio Ninth District Court of Appeals
No candidates available for this race		Ohio Second District Court of Appeals
No candidates available for this race		Ohio Seventh District Court of Appeals 2 seats
No candidates available for this race		Ohio Sixth District Court of Appeals
No candidates available for this race		Ohio Tenth District Court of Appeals
No candidates available for this race		Ohio Third District Court of Appeals
No candidates available for this race		Ohio Twelfth District Court of Appeals

Oklahoma Court of Appeals Candidates - 2026
candidate	party	office	status
No candidates available for this race		Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals District 2 (Retention election)
No candidates available for this race		Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals District 3 (Retention election)
No candidates available for this race		Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals District 1 Office 2 (Retention election)
No candidates available for this race		Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals District 2 Office 1 (Retention election)

Oregon Court of Appeals Candidates - 2026
candidate	party	office	status
No candidates available for this race		Oregon Court of Appeals Position 9
No candidates available for this race		Oregon Court of Appeals Position 12
No candidates available for this race		Oregon Court of Appeals Position 13

Tennessee Court of Appeals Candidates - 2026
candidate	party	office	status
No candidates available for this race		Tennessee Court of Appeals Western Section (Retention election)
No candidates available for this race		Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals Eastern Section (Retention election)

Texas Court of Appeals Candidates - 2026
candidate	party	office	status
No candidates available for this race		Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 3
No candidates available for this race		Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 4
No candidates available for this race		Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 9
No candidates available for this race		Texas Eleventh District Court of Appeals Place 2
No candidates available for this race		Texas Fifteenth District Court of Appeals Place 1
No candidates available for this race		Texas Fifteenth District Court of Appeals Place 2
No candidates available for this race		Texas Fifteenth District Court of Appeals Place 3
No candidates available for this race		Texas Fifth District Court of Appeals Place 3
No candidates available for this race		Texas Fifth District Court of Appeals Place 6
No candidates available for this race		Texas Fifth District Court of Appeals Place 8
No candidates available for this race		Texas First District Court of Appeals Place 3
No candidates available for this race		Texas First District Court of Appeals Place 4
No candidates available for this race		Texas First District Court of Appeals Place 5
No candidates available for this race		Texas Fourteenth District Court of Appeals Chief Justice
No candidates available for this race		Texas Fourteenth District Court of Appeals Place 7
No candidates available for this race		Texas Fourth District Court of Appeals Chief Justice
No candidates available for this race		Texas Ninth District Court of Appeals Chief Justice
No candidates available for this race		Texas Second District Court of Appeals Place 2
No candidates available for this race		Texas Second District Court of Appeals Place 7
No candidates available for this race		Texas Seventh District Court of Appeals Chief Justice
No candidates available for this race		Texas Sixth District Court of Appeals Place 3
No candidates available for this race		Texas Tenth District Court of Appeals Place 2
No candidates available for this race		Texas Third District Court of Appeals Chief Justice
No candidates available for this race		Texas Thirteenth District Court of Appeals Place 6
No candidates available for this race		Texas Twelfth District Court of Appeals Chief Justice

Utah Court of Appeals Candidates - 2026
candidate	party	office	status
No candidates available for this race		Utah Court of Appeals (Retention election)

Washington Court of Appeals Candidates - 2026
candidate	party	office	status
No candidates available for this race		Washington Court of Appeals Division I District 1
No candidates available for this race		Washington Court of Appeals Division I District 2
No candidates available for this race		Washington Court of Appeals Division II District 1
No candidates available for this race		Washington Court of Appeals Division II District 2
No candidates available for this race		Washington Court of Appeals Division III District 1

West Virginia Court of Appeals Candidates - 2026
candidate	party	office	status
No candidates available for this race		Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia (Special election)
Dan Greear Incumbent	Nonpartisan	West Virginia Intermediate Court of Appeals Division 2	Candidacy Declared General

Wisconsin Court of Appeals Candidates - 2026
candidate	party	office	status
No candidates available for this race		Wisconsin Court of Appeals District I
No candidates available for this race		Wisconsin Court of Appeals District II
No candidates available for this race		Wisconsin Court of Appeals District IV

Judicial selection methods

See also: Judicial selection in the states

States use a variety of methods to elect intermediate appellate court judges.

In a partisan election, candidates may be nominated by political parties or declare their party affiliations upon filing to stand in the election. Primaries are typically held to narrow down the candidates to one per party before the general election; some states hold primaries in which candidates of all parties compete with each other and the top vote-getters advance regardless of party.
In a nonpartisan election, some states require candidates to declare their party affiliations, while some states prohibit them from doing so. If primaries are held, they do not narrow the candidates to one per party; instead, they typically narrow the candidates to two for each seat regardless of party.
In a retention election, an incumbent judge does not face an opponent. A question is placed on the ballot asking whether each judge shall be retained for another term, and voters choose "yes" or "no." Judges must receive majority "yes" votes in order to remain in their seats.

To learn more about judicial selection methods, click here.