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Missouri intermediate appellate court elections, 2026
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The terms of six Missouri intermediate appellate court judges will expire on December 31, 2026. The six seats are up for retention election on November 3, 2026.
Judges with expiring terms
- This is a list of the judges who must stand for retention election in 2026 in order to remain on the bench. Judges may choose not to stand for election. The list is subject to change if judges retire or are appointed.
Missouri Court of Appeals Western District
■ Anthony Rex Gabbert
■ Lisa White Hardwick
Missouri Court of Appeals Southern District
Missouri Court of Appeals Eastern District
■ Virginia W. Lay
■ Angela T. Quigless
Voting information
- See also: Voting in Missouri
Ballotpedia will publish the dates and deadlines related to this election as they are made available.
Selection
The judges of the Missouri Court of Appeals are chosen through assisted appointment in which the governor selects a nominee from a list provided by a nominating commission. When a vacancy occurs, a list of potential candidates is compiled by the Missouri Appellate Judicial Commission and narrowed to three choices. From those three candidates, the governor appoints a new judge. After the newly appointed judge serves for at least one year, they must stand for retention in the next general election. If retained, they serve twelve-year terms.[1]
Qualifications
To serve on the appeals court, a judge must be:
- a U.S. citizen for at least 15 years;
- a district resident;
- a qualified state voter for at least nine years;
- licensed to practice law in the state;
- over the age of 30; and
- under the age of 70 (retirement at 70 is mandatory).[1]
Chief judge
The chief judge of each appeals court district serves a one-year term and is elected by a peer vote.[1]
Vacancies
When a vacancy occurs, a list of potential candidates is compiled by the Missouri Appellate Judicial Commission and narrowed to three choices. From those three candidates, the governor appoints a new judge. After the newly appointed judge serves for at least one year, they must stand for retention in the next general election. If retained, they serve twelve-year terms.[1]
See also
External links
Footnotes
Federal courts:
Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Eastern District of Missouri, Western District of Missouri • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Eastern District of Missouri, Western District of Missouri
State courts:
Missouri Supreme Court • Missouri Court of Appeals • Missouri Circuit Courts • Missouri Municipal Courts
State resources:
Courts in Missouri • Missouri judicial elections • Judicial selection in Missouri
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