Voters may already be focused on the race for governor and Fulton County Board of Commissioners chair ahead of the May 19 primary election, but picking which candidates for the Supreme Court of Georgia to support should also be a priority.
As members of the state’s highest court, these nine justices get the final word on most of the cases they choose to hear, though cases involving federal constitutional law can be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. The justices will review decisions made by lower trial courts, rule on death penalty appeals, handle election cases, and review petitions on decisions made by the Georgia Court of Appeals.
Unlike many of the other offices on the ballot, the May 19 Supreme Court contests are treated as a general election, not a primary. That’s because Georgia’s judicial races are nonpartisan. This year, three seats are up for grabs, and all three have an incumbent vying for another six-year term.
The only one guaranteed to retain his seat is Justice Benjamin Land, who is running unopposed.
Justices Sarah Hawkins Warren and Charlie Bethel, the other incumbents, are facing challengers who have garnered some major political endorsements.
Miracle Rankin, a DeKalb County native and trial attorney with Morgan & Morgan law firm, is challenging Bethel. Jen Jordan, a former Georgia state senator who represented District 6 as a Democrat, is challenging Warren.
Despite the nonpartisan nature of the election, endorsements by politicians and advocacy groups have made it clear how they see the candidates’ policy affiliations.
Bethel and Warren, who were appointed to the court by former Gov. Nathan Deal to fill vacant seats in 2018, have both been endorsed by Gov. Brian Kemp.
Bethel also has the backing of Deal; Jason Carter, the former Democratic state senator and grandson of Jimmy Carter; and Ashleigh Merchant, the criminal defense attorney who exposed Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’ relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade.
Rankin and Jordan have been endorsed by former President Barack Obama, former Vice President Kamala Harris, former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff and the Democratic Party of Georgia.
Local advocacy groups have also come out to support Rankin and Jordan, iuncluding Fair Fight Action, the Georgia AFL-CIO, Emily’s List, Reproductive Freedom for All (formerly NARAL), and Georgia Conservation Voters.
On Tuesday, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that Rankin and Jordan filed a lawsuit in April against the Judicial Qualifications Commission, a state body that investigates allegations of judicial misconduct. The candidates’ attorneys successfully petitioned a federal judge to seal the case, keeping the public in the dark about the suit’s details.
Capital B Atlanta has reached out to Rankin’s and Jordan’s campaigns for comment.
Key issues at stake
Abortion access has become a central focus for the election because of the Supreme Court’s 2024 decision to temporarily reinstate Georgia’s abortion ban after fetal cardiac activity can be detected, usually around six weeks. The court case to appeal the ban is still pending; however, the 2024 decsion allowed the ban to be enforced until a final ruling is made.
Bethel and Warren joined in the majority opinion to temporarily reinstate the ban.
The results of this election will also likely impact the result of a petition filed by the Fulton County Republican Party to have the court review their case to force the Board of Commissioners to appoint their two nominees to the county elections board.
The commissioners rejected both nominees based on past actions which they believe are disqualifying. Republicans in support of the nominees, however, are saying that as long as a person is a registered voter, a Fulton County resident, and not holding elected office, they are qualified for appointment. The Fulton GOP wants justices to reverse the Georgia Court of Appeals decision to overturn a trial judge’s decision to impose a daily fine on the Board of Commissioners until the nominees are approved.
Notable 2025 decisions
May 28 – The court upholds a state law barring people between 18 and 21 from carrying guns in public without military training.
June 10 – The court blocks new rules passed by the Republican-controlled State Election Board and opposed by local election officials and voting rights groups that would have required poll workers to hand count ballots on Election Day and people dropping off absentee ballots to present photo ID.
Sept.16 – The court decides not to hear Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’ appeal on a lower court’s decision to disqualify her from leading the election interference case against President Donald Trump and his associates.
Sept. 30 – The court sides with Sapelo Island’s Gullah Geechee community by ruling that a citizen’s referendum to restrict new development could be placed on the ballot.
Oct. 15 – The court rules that Kiara Burroughs, an Atlanta woman, can move forward with her lawsuit against L’Oréal and Strength of Nature. Burroughs alleges the companies’ chemical hair straighteners caused her to develop uterine fibroids.
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