Voters will decide on four Oklahoma Supreme Court justices Nov. 8

Last Updated on November 6, 2022, 11:51 PM | Published: October 25, 2022

OKLAHOMA CITY (Free Press) — In two weeks, Oklahoma voters will see the names of four Supreme Court justices on statewide ballots to decide whether to keep them in office. 

The state justices in Oklahoma do not face an opponent, instead, voters will be asked in a yes-or-no “retention” vote on whether four of the nine members of the Supreme Court will retain their seats. 

The office of Supreme Court justice is non-partisan. According to Oklahoma’s Code of Judicial Conduct, judges are prohibited from raising campaign funds or establishing a campaign committee. 

A simple majority vote is required for a judge to be retained for a new, six-year term. If an appellate judge does not secure a majority of the votes, which has never happened in Oklahoma, then the seat would become vacant and the governor would appoint a new judge. 

The Supreme Court is the highest appellate court for all civil matters and also has jurisdiction over challenges to state law and the Oklahoma Constitution. Appeals from civil cases are decided by the Supreme Court and the Court of Civil Appeals.

Oklahoma is one of only two states, along with Texas, with two courts of last resort; which are the Oklahoma Supreme Court and the Court of Criminal Appeals. All criminal matters are exclusively heard by the Court of Criminal Appeals. 

These are the four Supreme Court judges on the ballot: 

Dustin P. Rowe, District 2: 

• Justice Rowe, appointed by Gov. Kevin Stitt in 2019, is an experienced judge, attorney, and a long-time Tishamingo resident. 
• At 18 years old, Rowe was elected for two terms as the mayor of Tishomingo. 
• Rowe practiced law in Tishomingo for 18 years as a city attorney. 
• He served as a special judge and district judge of the Chickasaw Nation District Court for several years. 
• Rowe ran, and ultimately lost, in the 2012 Republican primary to represent Oklahoma’s 2nd Congressional District.

James R. Winchester, District 5: 

• Justice Winchester was a former Chief Justice of the Oklahoma Supreme Court, attorney, and district judge for Caddo County. 
• He received his bachelor’s degree from OU and his J.D. from OCU School of law. 
• Winchester was appointed in 2000 by former Gov. Frank Keating. 
• He also became the youngest district judge in the state, at the age of 30, when he was appointed by former Gov. George Nigh in 1983. 

Dana Kuehn, District 6: 

• Justice Kuehn, the first woman to serve on both the high courts, was appointed to serve District 6 by Stitt in 2021. District 6 contains Caddo and Gray County. 
• Before her appointment, Kuehn spent 10 years as a felony prosecutor with the Tulsa County DA’s office. 
• She received her bachelor’s degree from OSU in political science and her J.D. from TU College of Law. 
• She was also elected as associate district judge of Tulsa County in 2006. In 2017, Keuhn was honored as “Judge of the Year” by the American Board of Trial Advocates. 

Douglas L. Combs, District 8: 

• Justice Combs was appointed by former Gov. Brad Henry in 2011 to serve on the Supreme Court for District 8, which contains Kay and Noble counties.
• Before his appointment, he served as chief justice, judge, and attorney. He served as a special judge for Oklahoma’s 23rd judicial district, containing Lincoln and Pottawattamie counties. 
• In 1976, He received his J.D. from the OCU School of Law. 
• Combs served as a Chief Justice of the Oklahoma Supreme Court for two years and as vice chief justice for 1 year.

Court of Civil Appeals

Five judges of the Court of Civil Appeals will also appear on the retention ballot on Nov. 8. Here are the names of those judges: 

• Stacie L. Hixon 
• Gregory C. Blackwell
• John F. Fischer 
• Barbara G. Swinton 
• Thomas E. Prince 

Voting Info 

The polls will open on Nov. 8 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Early voting runs from Nov. 2 through Nov. 5. Voters can visit the OK Voter Portal to view a sample ballot or to find their polling place.