KBA Releases 2026 Judicial Survey Results - Articles

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Posted by: Azya Thornton on Jul 14, 2026

The Knoxville Bar Association (KBA) has released the results of its 2026 member survey evaluating appellate judges standing for retention in Tennessee's Aug. 6 general election. According to a press release, a majority of respondents recommended retention for each candidate. Conducted electronically from June 18 to July 2, the survey drew responses from 335 KBA members and included two Tennessee Supreme Court justices and three Eastern Section appellate judges. According to the results, Justice Kyle A. Hixson received 93.41% support for retention, Justice Mary L. Wagner received 91%, Court of Appeals Judge William E. Phillips II received 90.45%, and Court of Criminal Appeals Judge Stacy L. Street received 93.26% while Judge Steven W. Sword received 95.85%. Early voting begins July 17 and runs through Aug. 1. The KBA said the survey is intended to help inform voters about judicial retention candidates. It has additional election resources and candidate information on its website.