Iowa Judges Appear Set for Retention
Unofficial results Tuesday evening showed all Iowa judges up for retention on track to receive new terms.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Criminal Justice
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All Iowa judges up for retention, including three Iowa Court of Appeals judges, appeared on track to receive new terms based on unofficial results Tuesday evening. Early results posted by the Iowa Secretary of State showed district and associate judges with wide leads.
Why it matters
Iowa judges are appointed by the governor and then face periodic retention votes, meaning voters in the state decide whether they continue serving. The outcome determines whether sitting judges keep their seats on the state's appellate and trial benches.
Three Iowa Court of Appeals judges, John Sandy, Julie Schumacher and Sharon Soorholtz Greer, appeared on track to be retained by more than two-to-one margins based on unofficial results. Official certification of the results had not been completed as of Tuesday evening.
The players
Iowa State Bar Association
The state's professional association for attorneys, which publishes performance reviews of judges based on surveys of its member attorneys.
John Sandy
An Iowa Court of Appeals judge who has served on the court since 2024 and topped this year's judicial ballot.
Julie Schumacher
An Iowa Court of Appeals judge who has served on the court since 2019 and was up for retention this year.
Sharon Soorholtz Greer
An Iowa Court of Appeals judge who has served on the court since 2019 and was up for retention this year.
The details
Iowa State Bar Association performance reviews, based on surveys of member attorneys, found the appellate judges generally well-regarded. The Court of Appeals has nine judges who usually sit in panels of three, and no Iowa Supreme Court justices were up for retention in 2026.
Timeline
2010: Three Iowa Supreme Court justices lost retention elections following a same-sex marriage ruling.
2019: Schumacher and Soorholtz Greer joined the Iowa Court of Appeals.
2024: Sandy joined the Iowa Court of Appeals.
Tuesday, November 3, 2026: Unofficial retention results showed judges appearing on track to be retained.
Legal Context
Unlike the 2010 Iowa retention elections, in which three Iowa Supreme Court justices lost their seats after the same-sex marriage ruling, the judges on this year's ballot appeared on track to be retained. No Iowa Supreme Court justices were up for retention in 2026, so the current results concern the Court of Appeals and trial-level judges.
Voters across Iowa cast ballots on appellate judges, while district judges appear on ballots in their respective districts. Retention outcomes determine whether sitting judges remain on the bench for their next terms.
The takeaway
Voters evaluating judicial retention can review published attorney surveys, such as those from the Iowa State Bar Association, alongside official Secretary of State results. Checking both before election day gives a fuller picture of each judge's record.
Further reading
Explore more on Criminal Justice coverage in Iowa.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Des Moines Register.
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