He supports letting voters pick the judges through direct elections, which ensures transparency and accountability, and gives the people more say in who sits on the bench.
Let South Carolinians elect judges directly.
Occurrences
Evidence
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The campaign issues page says Ralph Norman supports "letting voters pick the judges through direct elections" and frames that as letting South Carolinians vote on judges.
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The South Carolina Judicial Branch explains that Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, circuit court, and family court judges are elected by a joint public vote of the General Assembly, with candidates screened by the Judicial Merit Selection Commission.
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The campaign issues page says Ralph Norman supports "letting voters pick the judges through direct elections" and says South Carolina should "let WE THE PEOPLE decide."
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The bill was passed by the General Assembly on May 6, 2026, and the text still provides that circuit court and family court judges are "elected by the General Assembly".
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The judicial branch explains that Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, circuit court, and family court judges are elected by a joint public vote of the General Assembly after screening by the Judicial Merit Selection Commission.
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AP reported that Pamela Evette and Alan Wilson advanced to the South Carolina governor runoff, while U.S. Reps. Nancy Mace and Ralph Norman did not make the cut in the primary.
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The campaign site's post-election thank-you note says the election did not end as hoped and that Norman will keep serving in Congress until January.
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Article V says Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, and Circuit Court judges are elected by a joint public vote of the General Assembly, and circuit judges are elected the same way.
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Act 95, signed by the governor on February 5, 2026, amended Section 2-19-90 to provide that the General Assembly meets in joint session for the election of judges, with election requiring a majority vote of members voting in joint session.
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H. 3526 is listed as currently residing in the House; its latest action was adding a sponsor on April 29, 2026. The resolution would replace General Assembly election of Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, and circuit judges with appointment by the governor with General Assembly advice and consent, not direct popular election.
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"Circuit Court judges are elected by a joint public vote of the General Assembly for a term of six years."
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"The General Assembly shall meet in joint session for the election of judges on the first Wednesday of March"
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"The General Assembly then shall elect these judges from the nominees of the commission"
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"Currently residing in the House"
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"The General Assembly shall meet in joint session for the election of judges."
Assessments
South Carolina still elects major judges through the General Assembly, not by direct popular vote. Norman campaigned on changing this while running for governor, but he did not win the office, and the cited 2026 judicial-selection measures preserved legislative election or proposed different reforms rather than direct voter election. The evidence does not show that Norman sponsored, wrote, or materially advanced a successful direct-election reform, nor a serious legislative or executive attempt that reached the promised outcome.
South Carolina still does not let voters directly elect its major judges: the state constitution and judiciary materials say Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, circuit, and family court judges are elected by the General Assembly. In federal-office context, Norman as a U.S. representative had no direct power to change that system, and the evidence does not show he sponsored or materially advanced a successful state constitutional or statutory change. He also did not win the 2026 governor’s race, so the state-level path he campaigned on never materialized. That makes the promise unfulfilled rather than partially delivered.
South Carolina judges still are selected by the General Assembly rather than by direct popular election, so the promised change has not been delivered. The evidence shows Norman continued to campaign for direct judicial elections in 2026, but there is no indication that he successfully advanced or enacted the reform; as a federal representative, he also lacked direct state-level control over the system.
South Carolina judges are still selected through legislative election by the General Assembly after judicial screening, not direct popular election by South Carolinians. The cited 2026 state bill also retained General Assembly election language. There is no evidence that Ralph Norman, as a federal U.S. Representative and current gubernatorial candidate, delivered this state-level appointment reform or made a serious official legislative or executive attempt that achieved or nearly achieved the promised outcome.
The promise is a 2026 gubernatorial campaign commitment to change South Carolina judicial selection to direct voter elections. The provided evidence shows South Carolina judges are still selected by the General Assembly after Judicial Merit Selection Commission screening, so the promised outcome has not occurred. However, because this appears to be a campaign promise for a future governorship and there is no evidence Norman has yet held that office or had a governing term in which to deliver it, the fulfillment status should remain unresolved rather than never.