Kentucky Supreme Court elections, 2024

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Pamela R. Goodwine defeated Erin Izzo in the general election for the Kentucky Supreme Court 5th District on November 5, 2024. Kentucky was one of 13 states to elect state supreme court justices in nonpartisan elections and one of four states to elect justices by district instead of statewide.

Goodwine and Izzo ran to replace retiring incumbent Chief Justice Laurance VanMeter. The winner did not replace VanMeter as chief justice, however. The court selected Justice Debra Hembree Lambert as chief justice on September 23, 2024, effective January 6, 2025.

Kentucky's seven-justice Supreme Court was officially nonpartisan. However, Democrats and Republicans both endorsed and donated to opposing candidates. Governor Andy Beshear (D) endorsed Goodwine, and former Govs. Steve Beshear (D) and Paul Patton (D) donated to her campaign. The Clark County Republican Party endorsed Izzo, and local Republican groups in Fayette and Madison counties donated to her campaign.

According to Bolts, "While Kentucky is now staunchly red, its judicial elections are nonpartisan, and the court’s politics can be difficult to decipher. ... [W]ith Chief Justice Laurance VanMeter—a Republican even if he ran for judge without a party label—retiring and leaving an open seat on the ballot … [t]he race to replace him could shift the court one step to the left."

Goodwine, a judge for the Kentucky Court of Appeals 5th Appellate District, said, "I have been a registered independent since I became a judge and I am known for continually displaying a strong work ethic along with honesty and integrity to ensure justice for all. ... I have staunch supporters from all parties and welcome and accept invitations from all parties to participate in their events." Izzo, a partner at Lexington law firm Landrum & Shouse, said she was also open to appearing before groups that lean left, right, or were neutral, and that it "'would be dangerous for Kentucky' to open up judicial races to more partisanship in the future."

According to Sabato's Crystal Ball's Louis Jacobson, Kentucky was one of five states — the other four having been Michigan, Ohio, Montana, and North Carolina — to "have competitive supreme court elections this year with results that could shift the court’s ideological balance, at least to a degree."

In an interview with the Kentucky Lantern, both candidates spoke on their experience, motivations for running, and judicial philosophy. Having served on an intermediate appellate, circuit, and district court, Goodwine said, "Upon election to the Kentucky Supreme Court, I will be the first woman and only the fifth person in history to serve at all levels of the judiciary in Kentucky. And I pledge to bring ... not only the legal expertise, work ethic, preparedness and passion for the law ... but also a commitment to approaching each case with a dedication to the rule of law and justice for all." She also said that the Supreme Court was "'the ultimate interpreter of the Constitution, laws and rulings' ... and renders rulings with binding legal precedents."

Izzo said her 19 years of work on litigation, arbitration, and mediation qualified her to serve on the Supreme Court and that "[a]s an arbitrator, we do a lot of the same things that judges do. We look at cases. We have attorneys come before us. I hear arguments. I make decisions. I hear evidence. I preside over trials." She also described herself as a constitutionalist. She said, "If there’s something there that might be better socially, or might (be) something that I disagree with, it’s not my place to change. I look at how things are, what the intention of the founding fathers were with our Constitution, and that kind of carries over to what legislative intent was when a law was adopted."

The Kentucky Supreme Court 5th District was last up for election in 2016, with VanMeter defeating Glenn Acree 74.05% to 25.95%. At the time of the election, both ran nonpartisan campaigns, but VanMeter was registered to vote as a Republican and Acree as a Democrat. The district included Franklin, Scott, Woodford, Jessamine, Fayette, Bourbon, Clark, and Madison counties.

Thirty-three states held state supreme court elections in 2024. In total, 82 of the 344 seats on state supreme courts were up for election. Of these seats: nonpartisan justices held 61, Republican justices held 15, and Democratic justices held six.

Erin Izzo (Nonpartisan) completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. To read those survey responses, click here.

Candidates and results

District 5

General election

General election for Kentucky Supreme Court 5th District

Pamela R. Goodwine defeated Erin Izzo in the general election for Kentucky Supreme Court 5th District on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Pamela R. Goodwine (Nonpartisan)	77.9	141,871
		Erin Izzo (Nonpartisan)	22.1	40,206

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	There were no incumbents in this race. Source	Total votes: 182,077
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Nonpartisan primary election

The primary election was canceled. Pamela R. Goodwine and Erin Izzo advanced from the primary for Kentucky Supreme Court 5th District.

Voting information

See also: Voting in Kentucky

Election information in Kentucky: Nov. 5, 2024, election.

What was the voter registration deadline?

• In-person: Oct. 7, 2024
• By mail: Postmarked by Oct. 7, 2024
• Online: Oct. 7, 2024

Was absentee/mail-in voting available to all voters?

No

What was the absentee/mail-in ballot request deadline?

• In-person: N/A
• By mail: N/A by N/A
• Online: Oct. 22, 2024

What was the absentee/mail-in ballot return deadline?

• In-person: Nov. 5, 2024
• By mail: Received by Nov. 5, 2024

Was early voting available to all voters?

Yes

What were the early voting start and end dates?

Oct. 31, 2024 to Nov. 2, 2024

Were all voters required to present ID at the polls? If so, was a photo or non-photo ID required?

N/A

When were polls open on Election Day?

6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Candidate comparison

Candidate profiles

This section includes candidate profiles that may be created in one of two ways: either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey, or Ballotpedia staff may compile a profile based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements after identifying the candidate as noteworthy. For more on how we select candidates to include, click here.

Pamela R. Goodwine

Incumbent: No

Political Office: 

• Kentucky Court of Appeals 5th Division 1 (Assumed office: 2019)
• Kentucky 22nd Circuit Court 4th Division (2003-2019)
• Kentucky District Court 22 (1999-2003)

Biography:  Goodwine received a bachelor's degree from the University of Kentucky in 1991 and a J.D. from the University of Kentucky College of Law in 1994. Before becoming a Fayette County District Court judge in 1999, Goodwine practiced law at Wyatt, Tarrant & Combs.

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Key Messages

The following key messages were curated by Ballotpedia staff. For more on how we identify key messages, click here.

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Goodwine said it was "her lifelong goal to ascend Kentucky’s judicial hierarchy – and she is the most qualified candidate to serve on the Kentucky Supreme Court, 5th Appellate District. Upon election, she would be only the fifth person in Kentucky history to serve at all four levels of the judiciary."

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Goodwine said of her judicial philosophy: "Judicial elections are nonpartisan in Kentucky and the role of judges is to interpret the law fairly and administer justice consistently providing an equitable opportunity for all while upholding the ethics and integrity of the judiciary."  

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Goodwine said she "tried more cases than any trial judge in the 5th Appellate District in a wide variety of practice areas, including more capital murder cases than any judge in Kentucky."

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Show sources

Sources: Pamela R. Goodwine 2024 campaign website, "About," accessed October 11, 2024; Pamela R. Goodwine 2024 campaign website, "Biography," accessed October 11, 2024; Kentucky Court of Justice, "Pamela R. Goodwine Judge," accessed October 11, 2024

This information was current as of the candidate's run for Kentucky Supreme Court 5th District in 2024.

Erin Izzo

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Submitted Biography:  "Erin Izzo is a native Kentuckian and Partner at Landrum & Shouse in Lexington, where she serves as an Arbitrator and Mediator. She has arbitrated and mediated cases coming from more than ninety counties across Kentucky, including state and federal cases. Izzo also served as an Assistant Fayette County Attorney in the child support enforcement division before being recruited into private practice. Izzo joined Landrum & Shouse in its Lexington office in 2011, where she continues to represent both plaintiffs and defendants in matters including civil rights, labor & employment law, workers’ compensation, and personal injury, among other areas, at both the trial and appellate levels. In 2014, she responded to the call from the Fayette District Court Judges, seeking help from the local bar to voluntarily mediate cases on their Small Claims docket, which she has continued to do every month since then. As an Arbitrator, Izzo continues to serve parties by hearing and deciding case disputes often involving nursing home/medical negligence, bad faith, elder abuse and neglect/exploitation, criminal abuse, endangering the welfare of an incompetent person, and wrongful death."

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Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.

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Kentuckians want to know that they have a court they can trust to protect their fundamental Constitutional rights. As a law and order conservative, I will be a Supreme Court Justice who applies the law equally, protects our freedoms and imposes justice fairly.

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Judges serve an important role in our judicial system, but on the Kentucky Supreme Court, we’re electing a Justice, not a judge. Judges only know what attorneys want them to know about a case. Kentuckians have insisted that their Supreme Court Justices have extensive prior litigation experience to ensure that their Justices fully understand the effect of their decisions. I am the only candidate with that experience -- 19 years of real-world experience litigating complex cases from trials through appeals -- and I am the only veteran appellate lawyer on the ballot.

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Through my 8 years of experience as an Arbitrator, I have heard and decided complex cases involving catastrophic injury and death for Kentuckians across the Commonwealth. The people have and continue to trust my decisions, knowing that I will hear the evidence and interpret and apply the law justly and fairly.

This information was current as of the candidate's run for Kentucky Supreme Court 5th District in 2024.

Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey responses

Ballotpedia asks all federal, state, and local candidates to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. The section below shows responses from candidates in this race who completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Survey responses from candidates in this race

Click on a candidate's name to visit their Ballotpedia page.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

Expand all | Collapse all

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Erin Izzo (Nonpartisan)

Kentuckians want to know that they have a court they can trust to protect their fundamental Constitutional rights. As a law and order conservative, I will be a Supreme Court Justice who applies the law equally, protects our freedoms and imposes justice fairly.

Judges serve an important role in our judicial system, but on the Kentucky Supreme Court, we’re electing a Justice, not a judge. Judges only know what attorneys want them to know about a case. Kentuckians have insisted that their Supreme Court Justices have extensive prior litigation experience to ensure that their Justices fully understand the effect of their decisions. I am the only candidate with that experience -- 19 years of real-world experience litigating complex cases from trials through appeals -- and I am the only veteran appellate lawyer on the ballot.

Through my 8 years of experience as an Arbitrator, I have heard and decided complex cases involving catastrophic injury and death for Kentuckians across the Commonwealth. The people have and continue to trust my decisions, knowing that I will hear the evidence and interpret and apply the law justly and fairly.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Erin Izzo (Nonpartisan)

I am interested in child welfare and helping those that are survivors of domestic violence. In that capacity, I have been involved with a domestic violence shelter, Greenhouse 17, for many years. I have further assisted with foster child review boards in Fayette and Franklin Counties as well, and have served as an Assistant Fayette County Attorney in the child support enforcement division.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

Erin Izzo (Nonpartisan)

Kentuckians expect their Supreme Court Justices to decide cases based upon the law applied to the facts of the case, and to do so fairly and without political bias. It is imperative to have an independent judiciary free from partisan politics in order to maintain the public’s confidence in the judicial system.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

Erin Izzo (Nonpartisan)

I remember the Space Shuttle Challenger Explosion. My 2nd grade class watched it on television hanging up in a corner of the classroom. I remember watching the explosion, and my teacher silently walking over, turning off the television, and continuing with class.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

Erin Izzo (Nonpartisan)

I worked part-time at a business called Balloons-n-Bears back during the Beanie Baby craze before I went to college in 1996. I continued to work there part-time when I was on school breaks.

Is there a particular judge, past or present, whom you admire?

Erin Izzo (Nonpartisan)

The Late-United States Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia.

Have you ever been rated by a Bar Association? If so, what was the rating?

Erin Izzo (Nonpartisan)

I am the only candidate for the Kentucky Supreme Court that has been endorsed by her peers and judges through Martindale-Hubbell and received both an AV Judicial rating and an AV rating. In addition, I have also been named as Best Lawyers in America for 2022-2025 - Insurance.

Do you believe that Bar Association ratings are an accurate reflection of a judge’s ability?

Erin Izzo (Nonpartisan)

Selection for these ratings are done through evaluating candidates based on their legal ability and ethical standards as judged by their peers and client reviews.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Erin Izzo (Nonpartisan)

Kentucky Right to Life Victory PAC, Madison County Republican Party, Clark County Republican Party, Jessamine County Republican Party

Campaign ads

This section includes a selection of up to three campaign advertisements per candidate released in this race, as well as links to candidates' YouTube, Vimeo, and/or Facebook video pages. If you are aware of other links that should be included, please email us.

Pamela R. Goodwine

View more ads here:

• Facebook

Erin Izzo

View more ads here:

• Facebook

Election competitiveness

Polls

See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls

We provide results for polls that are included in polling aggregation from FiveThirtyEight and RealClearPolitics, when available. No polls were available for this election. To notify us of polls published in this election, please email us.

Endorsements

See also: Ballotpedia: Our approach to covering endorsements

Ballotpedia researchers did not identify any candidate websites that provide endorsement information. If you are aware of a website that should be included, please email us.

Election spending

Campaign finance

Candidates in this election submitted campaign finance reports to the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance. Click here to access those reports.

Satellite spending

See also: Satellite spending

Satellite spending describes political spending not controlled by candidates or their campaigns; that is, any political expenditures made by groups or individuals that are not directly affiliated with a candidate. This includes spending by political party committees, super PACs, trade associations, and 501(c)(4) nonprofit groups.

If available, this section includes links to online resources tracking satellite spending in this election. To notify us of a resource to add, email us.

Election context

Kentucky Supreme Court 5th District election history

2016

Laurance VanMeter defeated Glenn Acree in the general election for Mary Noble's seat on the Kentucky Supreme Court.

Kentucky Supreme Court 2016 General Election, Mary Noble's Seat, 2016
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Laurance VanMeter	74.05%	178,720
Glenn Acree	25.95%	62,624
Total Votes (100% reporting)		241,344
Source: Kentucky Secretary of State Official Results

2008

See also: State Supreme Court elections, 2008

Incumbents Lisabeth Tabor Hughes and Mary C. Noble were both re-elected during the 2008 races.

Kentucky Supreme Court 2008 General election results
Candidates		Votes	Percent
Lisabeth Tabor Hughes		n/a	55%
Mary C. Noble		n/a	45%

Kentucky Supreme Court 2008 General election results
Candidates		Votes	Percent
Mary C. Noble		n/a	n/a

About the Kentucky Supreme Court

See also: Kentucky Supreme Court

The Kentucky Supreme Court is composed of seven justices who are elected in nonpartisan elections by voters. A full term on the court is eight years. Kentucky's nonpartisan judicial elections take place during its general elections. These are usually held in even-numbered years but can be held in odd-numbered years.

Political composition

This was the political composition of the supreme court heading into the 2024 election. Justices in Kentucky are elected by voters; for a midterm vacancy, the governor appoints a judge, who then must stand for election by voters in a forthcoming general election.

■ Christopher Nickell		Elected in 2019 and 2022
■ Angela McCormick Bisig		Elected in 2022
■ Michelle Keller		Appointed by Gov. Steve Beshear (D) in 2013; elected in 2014 and 2022
■ Debra Hembree Lambert		Elected in 2018
■ Kelly Thompson		Elected in 2022
■ Laurance VanMeter		Elected in 2016
■ Robert Conley		Elected in 2020

Selection

See also: Judicial selection in Kentucky

Justices are elected for eight-year terms in nonpartisan elections. If a midterm vacancy occurs, the governor appoints a successor from a list of three names provided by the Kentucky Judicial Nominating Commission. If the term the appointee will fill expires at the next election, the appointment is for the remainder of the term. If the term does not expire at the next election and that election is more than three months away, the appointee must stand for election, and the election is for the remainder of the unexpired term. If the term does not expire at the next election, but the election is less than three months away, the appointee must stand for election in the election following the next. The election is for the remainder of the unexpired term, if any; if none of the term is left, the election is for a full term.

Qualifications

For the position of supreme court justice, the candidate must be a citizen of the United States and a resident of both the Commonwealth and of the district from which he or she is elected for at least two years immediately prior to taking office. He or she must be licensed to practice law in the courts of the Commonwealth for at least eight years before becoming eligible to serve on the court.

2024 battleground elections

See also: Battlegrounds

This was a battleground election. Other 2024 battleground elections included:

• California's 16th Congressional District election, 2024
• United States Senate election in Wisconsin, 2024
• Washington's 5th Congressional District election, 2024 (August 6 top-two primary)

See also

Kentucky	Judicial Selection	More Courts
Courts in Kentucky Kentucky Court of Appeals Kentucky Supreme Court	Elections: 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 Gubernatorial appointments Judicial selection in Kentucky	Federal courts State courts Local courts

External links

• Search Google News for this topic
• Kentucky Supreme Court

Footnotes

Kentucky courts

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Federal courts:

Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Eastern District of Kentucky, Western District of Kentucky • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Eastern District of Kentucky, Western District of Kentucky

State courts:

Kentucky Supreme Court • Kentucky Court of Appeals • Kentucky Circuit Courts • Kentucky District Courts • Kentucky Family Court

State resources:

Courts in Kentucky • Kentucky judicial elections • Judicial selection in Kentucky