November 3, 2026 · the bottom of your ballot
The 13 judges on your ballot
They are not running against anyone. Each is a yes-or-no question, and the state publishes an evaluation of every one of them. Here they all are.
Last verified October 9, 2026. We re-check every Monday through the election.
The short version: 13 judges, and the citizen commissions found that all 13 meet performance standards. The state's 2026 full evaluation list shows 123 Colorado judges standing for retention. Citizen commissions found two of them do not meet performance standards. Neither is on a Douglas County ballot.
What you're actually voting on
Judges do not run against anyone. Each is a yes-or-no question: keep them or not. Before the vote, a citizen commission interviews the judge, watches them in court, reads opinions they wrote, and surveys the attorneys and non-attorneys who appeared before them, then rules on six statutory standards — integrity, legal knowledge, communication skills, judicial temperament, administrative performance, and service to the profession and the public.
A yes keeps the judge for another term. A no leaves the seat vacant, and it gets filled through Colorado's judicial appointment process rather than by a runner-up, because in a retention vote there is no runner-up.
Every judge on your ballot
Local judges first. Each name links to that judge's full state evaluation.
23rd Judicial District Court
These are our district judges, covering Douglas, Elbert and Lincoln counties.
- Andrew BaumMeets performance standards
Domestic relations and the criminal Problem Solving Courts (Sobriety, Recovery, Wellness, and Veterans Treatment and Support) in Douglas County; led the effort to establish the district's newly mandated competency courts. Appointed August 2017.
Commission vote: 7-0, unanimous. 75% of 23 attorneys and 82% of 18 non-attorneys said he meets standards.
- Victoria E. KlingensmithMeets performance standards
Civil and criminal matters in Douglas County District Court. Appointed September 2023.
Commission vote: 6-1. 25% of 4 attorneys and 82% of 11 non-attorneys said she meets standards.
- Theresa SladeMeets performance standards
A mixed docket in Elbert County; during her current term she has served in Douglas, Arapahoe and Elbert counties across criminal, civil, domestic relations, juvenile, mental health and probate matters. Appointed August 2012.
Commission vote: Unanimous. 82% of 12 attorneys and 60% of 10 non-attorneys said she meets standards.
- Daniel W. WarholaMeets performance standards
A full-time criminal docket since October 2025, after a domestic relations docket. Appointed August 2024.
Commission vote: 6-0, with one commissioner recusing. 82% of 14 attorneys and 67% of 15 non-attorneys said he meets standards.
Douglas County Court
Per their state evaluations, Douglas County Court judges hear civil, misdemeanor and traffic cases.
- Lawrence BowlingMeets performance standards
A docket in Douglas County including civil, criminal, misdemeanor and traffic cases. Appointed January 2011.
Commission vote: 7-0, unanimous. 92% of responding attorneys and 86% of responding non-attorneys said he meets standards, out of 60 people who responded in total.
- Kolony L. FieldsMeets performance standards
A docket in Douglas County including civil, misdemeanor and traffic cases. Appointed December 2019.
Commission vote: 7-0, unanimous. 89% of responding attorneys and 86% of responding non-attorneys said she meets standards, out of 26 people who responded in total.
Colorado Supreme Court
On every Colorado ballot, not just ours.
- William W. Hood, IIIMeets performance standards
Colorado Court of Appeals
Also on every Colorado ballot.
- Rebecca Rankin FreyreMeets performance standards
- Elizabeth L. HarrisMeets performance standards
- Katharine E. LumMeets performance standards
- Pax MoultrieMeets performance standards
- Karl L. SchockMeets performance standards
- Grant SullivanMeets performance standards
A note on those survey numbers
The number of people who answered each judge's survey varies from judge to judge, so every percentage on this page is printed with its respondent count. The state evaluations also describe the commission's interview, courtroom observation and review of each judge's written opinions.
Every recommendation, vote and survey figure on this page is taken from the judge's own evaluation published by the Colorado Office of Judicial Performance Evaluation. Verified October 9, 2026.
Frequently asked
Judges are not running against anyone. Each name is a separate yes-or-no question: should this judge stay on the bench. A yes keeps them for another term. If a judge loses a retention vote, the seat becomes vacant and is filled through Colorado’s appointment process rather than by whoever came second, because there is no second.
Thirteen. One Colorado Supreme Court justice and six Court of Appeals judges, which appear on every ballot in the state, plus four district judges from the 23rd Judicial District and two Douglas County Court judges. All thirteen were found to meet performance standards.
A citizen commission, not the courts. For our judges it is the 23rd Judicial District Commission on Judicial Performance. The commission interviews the judge, watches them in court, reads opinions they wrote, and surveys the attorneys and non-attorneys who appeared before them, then rules against six standards set in state law: integrity, legal knowledge, communication skills, judicial temperament, administrative performance, and service to the profession and the public.
No. All thirteen were found to meet performance standards. Statewide, the state’s 2026 list shows 123 judges standing for retention, and commissions found two do not meet standards; neither is on a Douglas County ballot. Each local judge’s commission vote is listed on this page.
Douglas, Elbert and Lincoln counties. Douglas County moved from the 18th Judicial District to the newly created 23rd in January 2025.
Yes, a blank simply is not counted for that question and does not invalidate the rest of your ballot. Every judge on this page links to their full state evaluation, including the survey results and the commission’s reasoning.
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