The Iowa State Bar Association has published its 2026 judicial performance review, providing information for voters ahead of the November election.
The review includes evaluations of Iowa trial court and appellate judges based on feedback from attorneys who have worked with them and observed court proceedings.
Attorney Guy Cook oversees the review process. He says attorneys evaluate judges in several categories, including knowledge of the law, courtroom demeanor and overall performance. Attorneys assign numerical ratings on a scale of one to five and indicate whether they believe each judge should be retained.
The results are compiled into individual summaries for each judge, allowing voters to review the evaluations before casting their ballots.
Iowa uses judicial retention elections rather than traditional contested elections for judges. Cook says the process is intended to evaluate whether judges continue to meet the professional standards and qualifications required for their positions, rather than whether voters agree with individual rulings.
According to Cook, the 2026 review shows that a majority of attorneys participating in the evaluation process support retaining each judge included in the results, although individual ratings vary.
Iowa adopted its judicial retention system following a constitutional change in 1962. The Iowa State Bar Association has conducted judicial performance reviews as part of that process.
Voters can review the 2026 judicial evaluations on the Iowa State Bar Association’s website at iowabar.org.
Source: Information provided from remarks by attorney Guy Cook and the Iowa State Bar Association’s 2026 judicial performance review.
