Louisiana Supreme Court elections
There are seven justices on the Louisiana Supreme Court. For more information about these elections, visit the Louisiana judicial elections page.
Judicial selection
- See also: Judicial selection in Louisiana
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.
Elections
2025
- See also: Louisiana Supreme Court elections, 2025
3rd District
There are no official candidates yet for this election.
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.
General election
The general election will occur on May 3, 2025.
2024
- See also: Louisiana Supreme Court elections, 2024
2nd 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. John Guidry (D) won the election without appearing on the ballot.
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Marcus Hunter (D)
- Leslie Chambers (D)
2022
- See also: Louisiana Supreme Court elections, 2022
6th 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. John L. Weimer (Independent) won the election without appearing on the ballot.
2020
- See also: Louisiana Supreme Court elections, 2020
Regular election
See also: Louisiana Supreme Court elections, 2020
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.
General election
The general election was canceled. Piper Griffin won election in the general election for Louisiana Supreme Court 7th District.
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Terri Love (D)
Nonpartisan primary election
Nonpartisan primary for Louisiana Supreme Court 7th District
Piper Griffin and Terri Love defeated Sandra Cabrina Jenkins in the primary for Louisiana Supreme Court 7th District on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Piper Griffin (D)  | 43.9 | 78,603 |
| ✔ |  | Terri Love (D) | 31.5 | 56,387 |
 | Sandra Cabrina Jenkins (D) | 24.6 | 43,949 | |
| Total votes: 178,939 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Special election
See also: Louisiana Supreme Court elections, 2020
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
Special nonpartisan primary for Louisiana Supreme Court 4th District
Jay B. McCallum won election outright against Shannon J. Gremillion in the special primary for Louisiana Supreme Court 4th District on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Jay B. McCallum (R) | 56.7 | 122,458 |
 | Shannon J. Gremillion (R) | 43.3 | 93,569 | |
| Total votes: 216,027 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2019
See also: Louisiana Supreme Court special elections, 2019
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.
General election
Special general election for Louisiana Supreme Court 1st District
William J. Crain defeated Hans J. Liljeberg in the special general election for Louisiana Supreme Court 1st District on November 16, 2019.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | William J. Crain (R) | 57.3 | 127,211 |
 | Hans J. Liljeberg (R) | 42.7 | 94,875 | |
| Total votes: 222,086 (100.00% precincts reporting) | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Nonpartisan primary election
Special nonpartisan primary for Louisiana Supreme Court 1st District
William J. Crain and Hans J. Liljeberg defeated Scott Schlegel and Richard Ducote in the special primary for Louisiana Supreme Court 1st District on October 12, 2019.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | William J. Crain (R) | 38.6 | 73,534 |
| ✔ | | Hans J. Liljeberg (R) | 32.5 | 61,859 |
 | Scott Schlegel (R) | 17.5 | 33,242 | |
 | Richard Ducote (R) | 11.5 | 21,810 | |
| Total votes: 190,445 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2018
- See also: Louisiana Supreme Court elections, 2018
District 1
Primary candidates
- Greg Guidry (Incumbent) (Republican Party) ✔
Did not make the ballot:
District 5
Primary candidates
- Jefferson Hughes (Incumbent) (Republican Party) ✔
2016
Candidates
Third District
■ James Genovese (R) |
Fourth District■ Marcus Clark (R) |
Election results
November 8 primary election
| Louisiana Supreme Court 2016, Third District, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican |  James Genovese |
50.91% | 133,389 | |
| Republican | Marilyn Castle | 49.09% | 128,598 | |
| Total Votes (538 of 538 reporting: 100%) | 261,987 | |||
| Source: Louisiana Secretary of State Official Results | ||||
| Louisiana Supreme Court 2016, Fourth District, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | |
| Republican | Marcus Clark Incumbent (unopposed) | |
| Source: Louisiana Secretary of State Official Results | ||
2014
| Unopposed | Scott Crichton (Associate justice 2nd District) |
|---|
2009
A vacancy on the Louisiana Supreme Court was created with the 2009 retirement of Justice Chet Traylor. 4th District Judge Marcus Clark defeated former executive counsel to Governor Bobby Jindal, Jimmy Faircloth, on October 17, 2009. [7]
| Candidate | Incumbent | Seat | Election votes | Election % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Marcus Clark  |
No | 4th District | 28,521 | 52.8% |
| Jimmy Faircloth | No | 4th District | 25,495 | 47.2% |
Election results are from the Louisiana Secretary of State at this link.
2008
Elections for two seats were held in 2008, in the First and Fifth Districts. Chief Justice Pascal Calogero retired from the court, leaving a vacancy in the First District. With the election of Greg Guidry, a Republican would represent the district on the court for the first time in thirty-six years.
Fifth District Justice Catherine Kimball was challenged in her re-election bid and won, making her the most senior justice on the court and the new chief justice. Kimball became the first female to serve in this position on the Louisiana Supreme Court; she had also been the first female justice on the court.[8]
| Candidate | Incumbent | Seat | Party | Primary votes | Primary % | Election votes | Election % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greg Guidry |
No | 1st District | Republican | 45,354 | 41.4% | 160,893 | 59.7% |
| Jimmy Kuhn | No | 1st District | Republican | 32,890 | 30% | 108,541 | 40.2% |
| Roland Belsome | No | 1st District | Democratic | 31,107 | 28.4% |
| Candidate | Incumbent | Seat | Party | Election votes | Election % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Catherine Kimball |
Yes | 5th District | Democratic | 113,939 | 64.6% |
| Jeff Hughes | No | 5th District | 62,269 | 35.3% |
Election results are from the Louisiana Secretary of State from October 4, 2008 and November 4, 2008.
2004
2004
| Candidate | Incumbent | Seat | Party | Election votes | Election % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jeffrey Victory |
Yes | 2nd District | Republican | 74,320 | 60.8% |
| Stephen B. Beasley | No | 2nd District | Democratic | 47,799 | 39.1% |
Election results are from the Louisiana Secretary of State from September 18, 2008.
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
- ↑ The Town Talk, "District 4 Supreme Court race far from dull -- or positive," September 27, 2009
- ↑ The Pointe Coupee Banner, "Supreme Court Chief Justice 'Kitty' Kimball retires" accessed 2/13/2014
