How Judges Are Chosen in Connecticut

Connecticut Supreme Court justices are appointed by the governor from a list drawn up by a nominating commission and confirmed by the General Assembly, and must be reappointed to serve another 8-year term.

• Seats: 7 justices on the Connecticut Supreme Court.
• Term: 8 years.
• Confirmation: appointees must be approved by the General Assembly.
• To serve again: Reappointment.
• Age rule: Must retire at 70.
• Other courts: All courts are appointed the same way except probate courts, which use partisan elections.

To serve another term a justice must be renominated by the governor and reapproved by the legislature.

Compare every state on the judicial selection table.

No. Connecticut voters do not vote on the Connecticut Supreme Court: its justices are appointed, and they must be reappointed to serve another term.

Other judges can still be on your ballot. All courts are appointed the same way except probate courts, which use partisan elections. Check your sample ballot for every judicial race where you live.

• Your sample ballot: Connecticut’s official election site shows every judicial race on your ballot, including local courts.
• Deadlines and voting options: How to vote in Connecticut — registration, early voting, mail ballots and poll hours.
• Candidate details: Ballotpedia tracks each candidate’s background, endorsements and spending; local news and the state bar often publish candidate surveys.

Judicial ethics rules bar candidates from promising how they will rule, so a judge’s record and experience usually say more than campaign ads. This site does not endorse or rate candidates.

Connecticut’s senators: Christopher Murphy (Democratic) and Richard Blumenthal (Democratic).

• District of Connecticut: seat of Jeffrey Alker Meyer (deceased, Jan 12, 2025) — no nominee yet.