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Judicial Elections
How Judges Are Chosen in Delaware
Delaware Supreme Court justices are appointed by the governor from a list drawn up by a nominating commission and confirmed by the State Senate, and must be reappointed to serve another 12-year term.
Rules as of October 15, 2026 · source Ballotpedia
Are judges elected in Delaware?
- Highest court
- Delaware Supreme Court — 5 justices
- How chosen
- Commission + appointment
- Voters
- Voters have no direct say
- Term
- 12 years
- To serve again
- Reappointment
- 2026 ballot
- No Delaware Supreme Court seats in 2026
How Delaware chooses its judges
Delaware Supreme Court justices are appointed by the governor from a list drawn up by a nominating commission and confirmed by the State Senate, and must be reappointed to serve another 12-year term.
- Seats: 5 justices on the Delaware Supreme Court.
- Term: 12 years.
- Confirmation: appointees must be approved by the State Senate.
- To serve again: Reappointment.
- Other courts: Nearly all courts are appointed the same way.
The state constitution requires partisan balance: no more than a bare majority of the court may belong to one party.
Compare every state on the judicial selection table.
Is the Delaware Supreme Court on the 2026 ballot?
No — and no other judge is either. Delaware fills every court by appointment, so judges never appear on the ballot.
Following judicial appointments in Delaware
With no judicial elections, the public’s say runs through the officials who choose judges: the governor who appoints them and the State Senate, which must approve each appointment. Full details, including how vacancies are filled, are on Ballotpedia’s Delaware judicial selection page.
For everything else on your ballot, see how to vote in Delaware.
Federal judges in Delaware
Federal judges are never on a ballot: the President nominates them and the U.S. Senate confirms them for life. Delaware’s two senators vote on every nominee and are traditionally consulted on district court nominees from the state.
Delaware’s senators: Christopher Coons (Democratic) and Lisa Blunt Rochester (Democratic).
Confirmed by recorded vote in 2026
No federal judge for a court in Delaware has been confirmed by roll-call vote in 2026.
District judges for courts in Delaware and circuit judges from the state. Judges confirmed by voice vote leave no roll call; the Senate’s list of confirmed nominations has them. Roll calls from the snapshot refreshed Oct 1, 2026.
Open federal judgeships
The U.S. Courts list no vacant district judgeship in Delaware as of October 15, 2026.
Source: uscourts.gov current judicial vacancies. Every vacancy nationwide is on the judicial elections hub.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are judges elected in Delaware?
Delaware Supreme Court justices are appointed by the governor from a list drawn up by a nominating commission and confirmed by the State Senate, and must be reappointed to serve another 12-year term. Nearly all courts are appointed the same way.
How long is a term on the Delaware Supreme Court?
12 years. At the end of a term, they must be reappointed to serve another term.
Is the Delaware Supreme Court on the 2026 ballot?
No. Delaware voters do not vote on the Delaware Supreme Court: its justices are appointed, and they must be reappointed to serve another term.
Are any judges on the Delaware ballot?
No. Delaware fills every court by appointment, so no judge appears on the ballot.
Who appoints federal judges in Delaware?
The President nominates and the U.S. Senate confirms them; they serve for life. Delaware's senators, Christopher Coons and Lisa Blunt Rochester, vote on every nomination and are traditionally consulted on district court nominees from the state.
Related
Judicial Elections in Every State
How all 50 states choose judges, every 2026 supreme court race, and federal confirmations.
How to Vote in Delaware
Registration, early voting, mail ballots and poll hours.
Delaware Senators & Representatives
Your delegation in Congress and when each term ends.
What Can Congress Do?
Can Congress declare war, override a veto, impeach a cabinet member, remove a senator, overrule the Supreme Court, or invoke the 25th Amendment? Question by question, with live vote math.