4 candidates are on the ballot. One ballot can carry several appellate seats, and the note below sets out which contest is which. For each judge: the record, any official performance evaluation, and the arguments published for and against them.
No Indiana Supreme Court justice is on the November 3, 2026 ballot. Indiana does not hold contested elections for appellate judges at all: a nominating commission sends names to the governor, the governor appoints, and the judge then faces voters only in yes-or-no retention questions with no party label — which is why no party is listed below. A judge stands for retention at the first statewide general election after two full years on the bench, and every ten years after that; a majority of yes votes keeps them on, and a majority of no creates a vacancy filled the same way. Four appellate-level retention questions are on this ballot: Indiana Court of Appeals — Dana J. Kenworthy (Second District), Mary A. DeBoer (Fourth District) and Paul A. Felix (Fifth District); and Indiana Tax Court — Justin L. McAdam. Court of Appeals judges must live in the district they represent but stand for retention before the whole state, so every Indiana voter votes on all four questions. The Indiana Supreme Court’s Office of Judicial Administration has built a voter resource for exactly this at courts.in.gov/retention, with each judge’s biography, video of their oral arguments and links to their written opinions; the Indiana State Bar Association’s member survey on retention is published there too and had not appeared when this was researched. Roster from the Indiana Judicial Branch’s own August 27, 2026 announcement.
4 candidates · ballot order · Dana J. Kenworthy currently holds this seat
Low confidenceLow confidenceOnly one weak source, dated material, or indirect evidence. Treat specifics with caution.What would raise it: An official filing record and at least one independent report about this candidate would raise this.
What they say they stand for
Their own words. Claims, not verified facts.
Nothing documented in the sources reviewed.
What they’ve actually done
Documented record from official sources.
Judge, Indiana Court of Appeals, Second District.
Indiana has used merit selection for its appellate judges for fifty years: a nominating commission sends names to the governor, who appoints; the judge then stands for retention at the first statewide general election after two full years on the bench, and every ten years after that.
The Indiana Supreme Court’s Office of Judicial Administration publishes a retention resource at courts.in.gov/retention with each judge’s biography, video of their oral arguments and a link to their written opinions.
The Indiana State Bar Association surveys its members on retention and publishes the results on the same site.
Arguments in favor
We found none published about this candidate in the sources reviewed.
Arguments against
We found none published about this candidate in the sources reviewed.
What we couldn’t verify
The Indiana State Bar Association’s 2026 retention survey results had not been published at the time of research, so no rating of this judge for this election is available to report. Indiana has no statutory judicial performance evaluation commission; the bar survey is the nearest equivalent and is a professional body’s opinion rather than an official rating.
No organised campaign either for or against this judge’s retention was found. Searched: the Indiana Judicial Branch, The Indiana Lawyer, The Indiana Citizen, Mirror Indy, the Indianapolis Star and the Indiana Commission on Judicial Qualifications.
No analysis of this judge’s published opinions was found, though the state’s own retention site links to them.
Indiana has used merit selection for its appellate judges for fifty years: a nominating commission sends names to the governor, who appoints; the judge then stands for retention at the first statewide general election after two full years on the bench, and every ten years after that.
The Indiana Supreme Court’s Office of Judicial Administration publishes a retention resource at courts.in.gov/retention with each judge’s biography, video of their oral arguments and a link to their written opinions.
The Indiana State Bar Association surveys its members on retention and publishes the results on the same site.
Arguments in favor
We found none published about this candidate in the sources reviewed.
Arguments against
We found none published about this candidate in the sources reviewed.
What we couldn’t verify
The Indiana State Bar Association’s 2026 retention survey results had not been published at the time of research, so no rating of this judge for this election is available to report. Indiana has no statutory judicial performance evaluation commission; the bar survey is the nearest equivalent and is a professional body’s opinion rather than an official rating.
No organised campaign either for or against this judge’s retention was found. Searched: the Indiana Judicial Branch, The Indiana Lawyer, The Indiana Citizen, Mirror Indy, the Indianapolis Star and the Indiana Commission on Judicial Qualifications.
No analysis of this judge’s published opinions was found, though the state’s own retention site links to them.
Indiana has used merit selection for its appellate judges for fifty years: a nominating commission sends names to the governor, who appoints; the judge then stands for retention at the first statewide general election after two full years on the bench, and every ten years after that.
The Indiana Supreme Court’s Office of Judicial Administration publishes a retention resource at courts.in.gov/retention with each judge’s biography, video of their oral arguments and a link to their written opinions.
The Indiana State Bar Association surveys its members on retention and publishes the results on the same site.
Arguments in favor
We found none published about this candidate in the sources reviewed.
Arguments against
We found none published about this candidate in the sources reviewed.
What we couldn’t verify
The Indiana State Bar Association’s 2026 retention survey results had not been published at the time of research, so no rating of this judge for this election is available to report. Indiana has no statutory judicial performance evaluation commission; the bar survey is the nearest equivalent and is a professional body’s opinion rather than an official rating.
No organised campaign either for or against this judge’s retention was found. Searched: the Indiana Judicial Branch, The Indiana Lawyer, The Indiana Citizen, Mirror Indy, the Indianapolis Star and the Indiana Commission on Judicial Qualifications.
No analysis of this judge’s published opinions was found, though the state’s own retention site links to them.
Indiana has used merit selection for its appellate judges for fifty years: a nominating commission sends names to the governor, who appoints; the judge then stands for retention at the first statewide general election after two full years on the bench, and every ten years after that.
The Indiana Supreme Court’s Office of Judicial Administration publishes a retention resource at courts.in.gov/retention with each judge’s biography, video of their oral arguments and a link to their written opinions.
The Indiana State Bar Association surveys its members on retention and publishes the results on the same site.
Arguments in favor
We found none published about this candidate in the sources reviewed.
Arguments against
We found none published about this candidate in the sources reviewed.
What we couldn’t verify
The Indiana State Bar Association’s 2026 retention survey results had not been published at the time of research, so no rating of this judge for this election is available to report. Indiana has no statutory judicial performance evaluation commission; the bar survey is the nearest equivalent and is a professional body’s opinion rather than an official rating.
No organised campaign either for or against this judge’s retention was found. Searched: the Indiana Judicial Branch, The Indiana Lawyer, The Indiana Citizen, Mirror Indy, the Indianapolis Star and the Indiana Commission on Judicial Qualifications.
No analysis of this judge’s published opinions was found, though the state’s own retention site links to them.
Positions and criticism are quoted from the named sources, not our assessments. This is built to help you start getting informed — confirm the official candidate list with your election authority before you vote.
This is one contest on a longer ballot
A Indiana ballot also carries state legislative districts, county offices, judicial seats and often local questions — and which of them you vote on is decided by your street address, not your city or ZIP code.