Kansas commission opens interviews to fill Supreme Court vacancy, reiterates merit criteria

The Kansas Supreme Court Nominating Commission convened on May 21 to begin interviews for a vacancy on the state’s highest court, Chair Terry Campbell said at the opening of the meeting. "What we're here to do today is to identify 3 candidates that this commission will forward onto the governor for further interviews and selection," Campbell said, describing a process Kansas voters have used for nearly 70 years.

Campbell read the statute that guides the commission, telling members they must consider legal ability, experience, impartiality and temperament when evaluating applicants. He noted eligibility requirements in the statute — a candidate must be at least 30, have at least 10 years of legal service, and be under 75 — and explained that certain sensitive background checks would be discussed in executive session. Commissioners agreed on a schedule of 30‑minute interviews for seven applicants and confirmed they had reviewed hundreds of pages of application materials.

The opening set the meeting’s tone: commissioners emphasized procedural fairness and public transparency while reserving detailed financial and background reviews for closed session. Campbell said the commission will forward three names to the governor, who will conduct further interviews before selecting a nominee for retention by Kansas voters at a later election.