There are over 1,000 open judge seats this year
This includes many state trial court judges who overall manage 99% of casework in America.
Introduction
While most attention will be focused on the open state supreme court seats in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, there are hundreds of other judges on the ballot in 2025 that merit investment.
According to our research, the 2025 cycle will bring a wide array of judicial seats up for election including:
State Appellate Court Justices
State Trial Judges
County Court Judges
Local Court Judges
Many of these judicial seats (including those at the county and local level) preside over districts with millions of residents, and handle the vast majority of casework relevant to daily lives including criminal, family, property, housing and tax law.
In this preview, take an early look at where these elections are taking place based entirely on BallotReady research.
This data is just the tip of the iceberg – not only do we offer up to date information on upcoming races, but we also cover current judicial officeholders, filing requirements for open seats, and research on the candidates running for them. Sign up today to learn more.
Over 100 state trial court judges are on the ballot, including districts presiding over Baltimore, Philadelphia and Milwaukee.
The format for electing judges varies by state.
According to Democracy Docket, there are 5 key ways in which state court judges are elected:
In partisan elections, judicial candidates are affiliated with political parties and chosen through primaries and general elections like most other positions on the ballot. States like North Carolina hold partisan judicial elections up to State Supreme Court.
Many states hold nonpartisan elections that operate similarly but exclude party labels on ballots. Parties can and still do endorse candidates.
Legislative elections allow state legislatures to appoint judges without input. This includes all judges in Virginia.
Gubernatorial appointments mirror the federal process, with governors nominating judges who are confirmed by a council or legislature. In California, the Governor is responsible for appointing all state supreme court judges.
Finally, in the merit selection process, governors pick judges based on a list of recommendations from a nonpartisan commission. Shortly thereafter, these choices are subject to retention elections decided by voters. Pennsylvania has over 100 retention elections on the ballot this year.
The Brennan Center provides an interactive map where you can study the judicial selection process in all 50 states.
There are over 700 county and local court judge seats on the ballot who oversee casework for millions of Americans.
No, we didn’t forget about Wisconsin and Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania and Wisconsin are the only two states holding state supreme court elections in 2025. Both are critical not only for the policy direction of the state, but for activating voters in key states ahead of future election cycles.
In Pennsylvania, the terms of three Democratic justices—Christine Donohue, Kevin Dougherty, and David Wecht—are set to expire. Voters will have the opportunity to decide whether these justices will serve another 10-year term. If any of the justices choose not to run or if voters do not re-elect them, their seats will remain vacant until the 2027 election. In the interim, Governor Josh Shapiro could appoint temporary replacements, but such appointments require approval by a two-thirds vote in the Republican-controlled state Senate.
In Wisconsin, the race to replace retiring Justice Ann Walsh Bradley, a liberal justice, will again draw significant attention. Justice Bradley’s departure creates an open seat on a court where partisan spending and endorsements have shaped recent elections despite their officially nonpartisan designation. The court’s current liberal majority, established after the record-breaking 2023 election of Justice Janet Protasiewicz, faces another test as control of the court hangs in the balance. Two candidates—Dane County Circuit Judge Susan Crawford and former Republican Attorney General Brad Schimel—have already announced campaigns, setting the stage for another high-stakes contest that could once again draw substantial national interest and campaign spending.
So, what’s next?
Due to the limited scope of the open judge seats on the ballot in 2025 relative to other election cycles, this year offers an unique opportunity for organizations to focus their investments and use these races as vehicles to activate candidates and voters for future cycles.
In 2023, a significant majority of of open judge seats went uncontested, featuring only one candidate. On top of that, odd year elections typically feature less than 25% voter turnout.
That’s why so many partners are using BallotReady research to strategize around upcoming races, sort through filing requirements and recruit more candidates to run for these positions. More candidates means more campaigns and a higher activation of voters.
Learn more about our Data Solutions and set up time to meet with our team today.