West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals justices defeated for the first time since 2016

[RandySF]

Two incumbent West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals justices were defeated in nonpartisan elections on May 12, 2026.

Gov. Patrick Morrisey (R) appointed justices Tom Ewing and Gerald M. Titus III in 2025 to complete the terms of justices Beth Walker and Tim Armstead, respectively. Both incumbents ran unsuccessfully to complete those terms.

The last time a West Virginia justice lost re-election was in 2016, when Walker defeated incumbent justice Brent Benjamin. This was the only other time a justice lost re-election since the state's judicial elections became nonpartisan in 2015.

Bolts Magazine's Daniel Nichanian wrote, "The elections are ostensibly nonpartisan, but most candidates on the ballot have ties to GOP politics. "[2] Mountain State Spotlight’s Henry Culvyhouse wrote, “How the new judges will steer the state’s high court remains to be seen. Flanigan … has broken ranks with his party before … Kirkpatrick said he would fit in with the current makeup of the state Supreme Court.”



https://news.ballotpedia.org/2026/05/14/west-virginia-supreme-court-of-appeals-justices-defeated-for-the-first-time-since-2016/

[Lovie777]

1. Isn't that something...................

[Lasher]

2. I don't like the nonpartisan elections of state Justices.

It can be hard to tell which of them are Democrats and which are Republicans. But if some have been appointed by a GOP Governor, we can rest assured they are Republicans. And so, this is a good thing that these incumbents lost.