More than 70 nonpartisan judges in Missouri will be up for election on the Nov. 5, 2024 general election. These judges will appear on every ballot statewide, and voters will have the opportunity to decide whether they should be retained in office.
The Missouri Bar, which represents tens of thousands of practicing attorneys in the state, has an independent committee called “The Missouri Judicial Performance Review.” This committee was established in 1944 by the Missouri Supreme Court and is responsible for evaluating the performance of nonpartisan judges seeking retention.
When judges are up for retention, the committee considers various factors, including ratings from lawyers and jurors, as well as written opinions from the judges themselves. If the committee recommends a judge for retention, that judge will appear on the next general election ballot.
In Missouri, judges do not serve for life but rather for designated terms. If a judge receives a simple majority of “yes” votes from the voters, they will continue in office for a full term.
To help voters make informed decisions, resources are available through YourMissouriJudges.org. These resources provide information about the judges up for retention in the upcoming election, including those representing the Supreme Court of Missouri, five circuit courts, and three courts of appeals districts.
Some of the judges up for retention include Kelly Broniec and Ginger K. Gooch from the Supreme Court of Missouri, as well as several judges from the Missouri Court of Appeals. Depending on the district of your polling place, you may see names like Becky Borthwick, Robert M. Clayton, and Gary Gaertner Jr. on your ballot.
In St. Louis City, voters will see circuit judges like Paula P. Bryant, Theresa Counts Burke, and Craig Higgins, as well as associate circuit judges such as Nicole Colbert-Botchway and Michael Colona. St. Louis County also has a list of circuit and associate circuit judges up for retention, while Clay County, Greene County, Jackson County, and Platte County each have their own set of judges on the ballot.
Overall, the Missouri Judicial Performance Review has found that all judges on the November ballot substantially meet the overall judicial performance standards. This information can help voters make educated decisions when casting their votes in the upcoming election.
