In this month’s state supreme court vacancy update, Ballotpedia tracked announced retirements, nominations, appointments, confirmations, and the swearings-in of justices from Oct. 3 to Oct. 31, 2026. Ballotpedia tracks court vacancies in all 52 state supreme courts.
Justices sworn into office:
In October 2026, one justice was sworn into office.
- On Oct. 30, Jason D. Scott was sworn into the Idaho Supreme Court. Gov. Brad Little (R) appointed Scott to the position in August 2026, following Chief Justice G. Richard Bevan’s announcement that he would step down at the end of October 2026. Scott received his undergraduate degree from Idaho State University and his J.D. from Duke University. He was appointed to Idaho’s 4th District Court in 2014, after a nearly 15-year stint practicing law for Hawley Troxell, an Idaho-based law firm with locations across the Pacific Northwest. Scott will serve the remainder of Bevan’s term, which is scheduled to end in 2031. To remain on the court, Scott will need to win a nonpartisan election to his seat, which is scheduled for November 2030.
Candidates nominated:
No candidates were nominated to state supreme courts in October 2026.
Candidates appointed and nominees confirmed:
No candidates were appointed, nor were any nominees confirmed, during October 2026.
Justices sworn out and upcoming judicial retirements:
In October 2026, one justice was sworn out.
- On Oct. 30, Idaho Chief Justice G. Richard Bevan was sworn out. Gov. Butch Otter (R) first appointed Bevan to the Idaho Supreme Court in 2017, and the court elected him chief justice by an internal chamber vote that same day. The Idaho Supreme Court is one of 22 state courts of last resort that select their chief justice this way. When Gov. Brad Little (R) appointed Bevan’s successor, the court elevated sitting Justice Robyn Brody to chief justice, which meant Justice Scott was sworn in as an associate justice.
Additional reading:
state-supreme-court-vacancy-count-for-october-2026
