Oklahoma Voters Retain Nine Appellate Judges

Voters also filled three Tulsa County district judge seats in the November 3, 2026 election.

Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Criminal Justice

Bold flat-color editorial illustration of a single centered courthouse facade silhouette above a flat plains horizon, in navy and cream with a muted red accent. — Oklahoma voters retained all nine state appellate judges, including Robert L. Hudson with 58% support, and filled three Tulsa County district judge seats on November 3. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Live Poll

Do you think voters should keep appellate judges on the bench every six years?

Oklahoma voters retained the state's nine appellate judges, including Court of Criminal Appeals judge Robert L. Hudson, who received 58% of the vote. In Tulsa County, voters filled three district judge positions, with Caroline Wall, Loretta Radford and Kevin Gray winning their races.

Why it matters

Appellate judges in Oklahoma are decided by voters every six years, and only one judge has failed retention since the state's judicial system was reformed nearly 60 years ago. The results determine who continues to serve on the state's appellate courts and in the Tulsa County district bench.

Nine appellate judges were retained on the November 3, 2026 ballot, with individual retention shares of 53% to 59% among those reported. Retention outcomes for the remaining judges and the full vote totals were not included in the extraction.

The players

Robert L. Hudson

Hudson is a judge on the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals who was retained by voters with 58% of the vote.

Caroline Wall

Wall is a Tulsa County district judge candidate who won District Office 1 with 58% of the vote over Tom Sawyer.

Tom Sawyer

Sawyer is a prosecutor from Creek County who lost the District Office 1 race to Caroline Wall.

The details

Appellate judges appear on a nonpartisan ballot and may not campaign, raise funds, or establish campaign committees. Tulsa County voters chose winners in District Office 1, Office 4 and Office 12, where Judge Daman Cantrell, who has served since 2006, did not file for re-election.

Tuesday, November 3, 2026: Oklahoma and Tulsa County voters decided the judicial races.

Criminal Justice Context

Only one judge has failed retention since Oklahoma reformed its judicial system nearly 60 years ago, placing this cycle's nine retentions within a long pattern of voter approval. The structure of nonpartisan appellate retention elections remains the framework voters continue to use every six years.

Oklahoma residents will see the retained appellate judges continue to serve on the state's appellate courts, and Tulsa County residents will have the three newly filled district judges presiding over their cases. The results shape who hears criminal and civil matters in those courts.

The takeaway

Voter decisions on appellate retention and district judge seats directly shape which judges hear cases in Oklahoma courts. Reviewing candidate records before each judicial election helps voters understand who will be deciding cases.