Help us improve in just 2 minutes—share your thoughts in our reader survey.
Louisiana Supreme Court elections, 2025
 |
Special state legislative • Supreme court • Appellate courts • State ballot measures • Local ballot measures • Municipal • How to run for office |
 |
| 2025 State Judicial Elections | |
|---|---|
2026 »
« 2024
| |
 | |
| Overview | |
| Supreme Courts Overview | |
| Appellate Courts Overview | |
| View judicial elections by state: | |
A special election was scheduled to be held in 2025 to replace James Genovese (R) on the Louisiana Supreme Court. The seat was up for partisan election on May 3, 2025. A primary was scheduled for March 29, 2025. Both elections were canceled after Cade Cole (R) was the only candidate to file and therefore won the election outright. The filing deadline was January 31, 2025.
Candidates and results
3rd District
Louisiana elections use the majority-vote system. All candidates compete in the same primary, and a candidate can win the election outright by receiving more than 50 percent of the vote. If no candidate does, the top two vote recipients from the primary advance to the general election, regardless of their partisan affiliation.
Nonpartisan primary election
The primary election was canceled. Cade Cole (R) won the election without appearing on the ballot.
About the Louisiana Supreme Court
- See also: Louisiana Supreme Court
The Louisiana Supreme Court is the highest court in Louisiana. There are seven justices on the court, each elected to ten-year terms. They compete in partisan elections.
Political composition
This was the political composition of the supreme court heading into the 2025 special election.
| ■ Scott Crichton | Elected in 2014 | |
| ■ Vacant | ||
| ■ William J. Crain | Elected in 2019 | |
| ■ Jefferson Hughes | Elected in 2012 and 2018 | |
| ■ Jay B. McCallum | Elected in 2020 | |
| ■ John L. Weimer | Elected in 2001, 2002, 2012, and 2022 | |
| ■ Piper Griffin | Elected in 2020 |
Selection
The seven justices on the Louisiana Supreme Court are selected through partisan elections. Justices are elected to 10-year terms, and must face re-election if they wish to serve again.[1]
Unlike most states, supreme court justices in Louisiana are elected to represent specific districts. The seven justices are divided evenly among seven supreme court districts (not to be confused with the 42 divisions of the district courts) and are voted into office by the residents of their respective regions.[2] Only the states of Illinois, Kentucky, and Mississippi use a similar system.
Qualifications
To serve on this court, a judge must be:
- licensed to practice law in the state for at least ten years;
- a resident of the district representing 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 term expires)[1][3]
Chief justice
The chief justice is the justice on the court with the most seniority. When he or she retires, the justice with the next most seniority becomes chief justice.[1]
Vacancies
Per Article V of the Louisiana Constitution, midterm vacancies are to be temporarily filled by the remaining members of the supreme court. Within one year of the opening, a special election (called by the governor, preferably on the date of a preexisting gubernatorial or congressional election) is to be held. If the supreme court has appointed a successor, that appointee may not run for the seat in the special election.[1][4] The justice elected at the special election will serve the remainder of the unexpired term.[5][6]
The map below highlights how vacancies are filled in state supreme courts across the country.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Louisiana; Selection of Judges," archived October 2, 2014
- ↑ Louisiana Supreme Court, "Maps of Judicial Districts," accessed May 6, 2014
- ↑ NOLA.com, "Lawmakers fail to pass amendment eliminating mandatory retirement age of judges," archived March 9, 2016
- ↑ Louisiana Supreme Court, "Henry Julien v. The Honorable W. Fox McKeithan," accessed May 6, 2014
- ↑ Louisiana Revised Statutes "RS 13:101.1," accessed July 13, 2016
- ↑ Leagle, "Marcelle v. DeCuir," September 21, 1995
Federal courts:
Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Eastern District of Louisiana, Middle District of Louisiana, Western District of Louisiana • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Eastern District of Louisiana, Middle District of Louisiana, Western District of Louisiana
State courts:
Louisiana Supreme Court • Louisiana Courts of Appeal • Louisiana District Courts • Louisiana City Courts • Louisiana Family Courts • Louisiana Justice of the Peace Courts • Louisiana Juvenile Courts • Louisiana Mayor’s Courts • Louisiana Municipal Courts • Louisiana Parish Courts • Louisiana Traffic Courts
State resources:
Courts in Louisiana • Louisiana judicial elections • Judicial selection in Louisiana
| ||||||||||
