Inside The Statehouse

Five Seats on the Alabama Supreme Court Up for Election in 2024

By Steve Flowers

Next year is a big year nationally. It is a Presidential year. However, it is a down or off year for Alabama. We, like several other southern states, have our big election year in non-presidential years. We elected our Governor and other constitutional offices and our entire legislature last year in 2022.

However, since we have staggered six year terms for our State Judges, we have an inordinate number of seats on our Supreme Court up for election next year. We have nine members of our State Supreme Court. All nine are Republicans.

Even though our Supreme Court is elected, we have a surprisingly wise and very qualified state high tribunal. All nine are well-qualified and well-rounded, yet very Republican and very conservative. We are a very Republican and very conservative sate. Therefore, these nine judges are reflective of the Heart of Dixie.

Even though there are five seats up for election, there is only one opening, Chief Justice Tom Parker is precluded from running for a six-year term. He is 72 and our state laws mandate that someone cannot run for a judgeship after they reach the