6 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.
Oklahoma does not hold contested elections for appellate judges. They are appointed by the governor from a Judicial Nominating Commission list and then face voters only in yes-or-no retention questions, printed near the end of the ballot with no party label and no opponent — which is why no party is listed below. The terms are six years and are staggered, so some appellate judges are on the ballot every even-numbered year, and all of these questions are voted on by the whole state. Six appellate retention questions could be confirmed for November 3, 2026. Oklahoma Supreme Court, the state’s highest civil court — Richard Darby, appointed by Governor Mary Fallin, and John Kane, Dana Kuehn and Travis Jett, all appointed by Governor Kevin Stitt. Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals, the separate highest criminal court — Robert Hudson and Gary Lumpkin. Judges of the Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals also stand for retention on the same six-year cycle and some of them are likely to be on this ballot, but the 2026 list had not been published by the Oklahoma State Election Board when this was researched, so those names are not given here. One piece of context worth knowing: in 2024 an Oklahoma Supreme Court justice lost a retention vote for the first time in state history, after allies of the governor and charter school advocates organised a campaign against her. An Oklahoma retention question is therefore not a formality.
6 candidates · ballot order · Richard Darby 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.
Justice, Oklahoma Supreme Court.
Oklahoma appellate judges are appointed by the governor from a Judicial Nominating Commission list and then face a yes-or-no retention vote every six years. There is no opponent and no party label on the ballot.
In 2024 an Oklahoma Supreme Court justice lost a retention election for the first time in the state’s history, after allies of the governor and charter school advocates organised against her retention. That makes an Oklahoma retention question a live one rather than a formality.
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
No organised campaign either for or against this judge’s retention in 2026 was found, although a campaign of that kind succeeded in Oklahoma in 2024. Searched: NonDoc, Oklahoma Voice, The Oklahoman, the Tulsa World, the Oklahoma Policy Institute, the Oklahoma Bar Association and the Oklahoma Council on Judicial Complaints.
Oklahoma has no statutory judicial performance evaluation commission and no Oklahoma Bar Association rating of 2026 retention candidates was found, so there is no professional assessment to report.
No analysis of this judge’s published opinions was found.
Oklahoma appellate judges are appointed by the governor from a Judicial Nominating Commission list and then face a yes-or-no retention vote every six years. There is no opponent and no party label on the ballot.
In 2024 an Oklahoma Supreme Court justice lost a retention election for the first time in the state’s history, after allies of the governor and charter school advocates organised against her retention. That makes an Oklahoma retention question a live one rather than a formality.
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
No organised campaign either for or against this judge’s retention in 2026 was found, although a campaign of that kind succeeded in Oklahoma in 2024. Searched: NonDoc, Oklahoma Voice, The Oklahoman, the Tulsa World, the Oklahoma Policy Institute, the Oklahoma Bar Association and the Oklahoma Council on Judicial Complaints.
Oklahoma has no statutory judicial performance evaluation commission and no Oklahoma Bar Association rating of 2026 retention candidates was found, so there is no professional assessment to report.
No analysis of this judge’s published opinions was found.
Oklahoma appellate judges are appointed by the governor from a Judicial Nominating Commission list and then face a yes-or-no retention vote every six years. There is no opponent and no party label on the ballot.
In 2024 an Oklahoma Supreme Court justice lost a retention election for the first time in the state’s history, after allies of the governor and charter school advocates organised against her retention. That makes an Oklahoma retention question a live one rather than a formality.
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
No organised campaign either for or against this judge’s retention in 2026 was found, although a campaign of that kind succeeded in Oklahoma in 2024. Searched: NonDoc, Oklahoma Voice, The Oklahoman, the Tulsa World, the Oklahoma Policy Institute, the Oklahoma Bar Association and the Oklahoma Council on Judicial Complaints.
Oklahoma has no statutory judicial performance evaluation commission and no Oklahoma Bar Association rating of 2026 retention candidates was found, so there is no professional assessment to report.
No analysis of this judge’s published opinions was found.
Oklahoma appellate judges are appointed by the governor from a Judicial Nominating Commission list and then face a yes-or-no retention vote every six years. There is no opponent and no party label on the ballot.
In 2024 an Oklahoma Supreme Court justice lost a retention election for the first time in the state’s history, after allies of the governor and charter school advocates organised against her retention. That makes an Oklahoma retention question a live one rather than a formality.
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
No organised campaign either for or against this judge’s retention in 2026 was found, although a campaign of that kind succeeded in Oklahoma in 2024. Searched: NonDoc, Oklahoma Voice, The Oklahoman, the Tulsa World, the Oklahoma Policy Institute, the Oklahoma Bar Association and the Oklahoma Council on Judicial Complaints.
Oklahoma has no statutory judicial performance evaluation commission and no Oklahoma Bar Association rating of 2026 retention candidates was found, so there is no professional assessment to report.
No analysis of this judge’s published opinions was found.
Oklahoma appellate judges are appointed by the governor from a Judicial Nominating Commission list and then face a yes-or-no retention vote every six years. There is no opponent and no party label on the ballot.
In 2024 an Oklahoma Supreme Court justice lost a retention election for the first time in the state’s history, after allies of the governor and charter school advocates organised against her retention. That makes an Oklahoma retention question a live one rather than a formality.
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
No organised campaign either for or against this judge’s retention in 2026 was found, although a campaign of that kind succeeded in Oklahoma in 2024. Searched: NonDoc, Oklahoma Voice, The Oklahoman, the Tulsa World, the Oklahoma Policy Institute, the Oklahoma Bar Association and the Oklahoma Council on Judicial Complaints.
Oklahoma has no statutory judicial performance evaluation commission and no Oklahoma Bar Association rating of 2026 retention candidates was found, so there is no professional assessment to report.
No analysis of this judge’s published opinions was found.
Oklahoma appellate judges are appointed by the governor from a Judicial Nominating Commission list and then face a yes-or-no retention vote every six years. There is no opponent and no party label on the ballot.
In 2024 an Oklahoma Supreme Court justice lost a retention election for the first time in the state’s history, after allies of the governor and charter school advocates organised against her retention. That makes an Oklahoma retention question a live one rather than a formality.
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
No organised campaign either for or against this judge’s retention in 2026 was found, although a campaign of that kind succeeded in Oklahoma in 2024. Searched: NonDoc, Oklahoma Voice, The Oklahoman, the Tulsa World, the Oklahoma Policy Institute, the Oklahoma Bar Association and the Oklahoma Council on Judicial Complaints.
Oklahoma has no statutory judicial performance evaluation commission and no Oklahoma Bar Association rating of 2026 retention candidates was found, so there is no professional assessment to report.
No analysis of this judge’s published opinions was found.
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 Oklahoma 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.
Your ballot is determined by your election authority, not by us. Verify your registration, precinct, and sample ballot at Oklahoma State Election Board.