We’re updating our 2026 Voter Guide for the November election. Some pages may not yet be fully refreshed.
Supreme Court
California Supreme Court justices are nominated or appointed by the governor, but voters get to say whether they keep the job. Once California Supreme Court justices are confirmed by the Commission on Judicial Appointments, they face a retention election every 12 years. They can’t campaign for the job, and voters don’t get to choose a replacement. This year, voters will decide whether to retain two associate justices or to demand replacements.
It’s extremely rare for voters to oust a California Supreme Court justice. That happened only once, in 1986 when voters who supported the death penalty unseated three justices over their records on capital punishment.
Justices on the ballot
Each justice appears on the ballot separately. Voters vote yes or no on whether to retain them.
Kelli M. Evans
Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed Evans, a former Alameda County Superior Court judge, to the state Supreme Court in 2022. She previously was Newsom’s chief deputy on legal affairs. She has worked as a civil rights attorney, as a public defender and as senior director at the California State Bar.
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Joshua Groban
Former Gov. Jerry Brown appointed Groban to the bench in 2018. Previously, Groban was one of Brown’s senior policy advisers. He worked in private practice earlier in his career, specializing in antitrust cases and intellectual property.
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California Supreme Court news
Catch up on our past California Supreme Court coverage.
