Ballotpedia releases federal judicial vacancy count for August 2026

Ballotpedia's August 2026 Federal Vacancy Count report shows 25 judicial vacancies out of 870 active Article III positions. While President Donald Trump made no new nominations between July 2 and August 2, 2026, the U.S. Senate confirmed eight nominees, bringing his total confirmations to 53 since January 2025. Historically, presidents average 71 appointments by August 1 of their second year, with Barack Obama leading at 106 and George W. Bush at 51.

Federal judicial vacancy tracking

• ▪President Donald Trump announced no new Article III judicial nominations between July 2 and August 2, 2026, keeping his total nominations at 60 since taking office on January 20, 2025.
• ▪Ballotpedia's August 2026 Federal Vacancy Count reported 25 vacancies out of 870 active Article III federal judicial positions for the tracking period from July 2 to August 2, 2026.
• ▪Including the U.S. Court of Federal Claims and U.S. territorial courts, Ballotpedia reported 25 of 890 active federal judicial positions were vacant as of August 1, 2026.

Trump judicial confirmations

• ▪The U.S. Senate confirmed eight of President Donald Trump's judicial nominees between July 2 and August 2, 2026.
• ▪As of August 1, 2026, the U.S. Senate has confirmed 53 of President Donald Trump's judicial nominees since January 2025, consisting of 42 district court judges, 10 appeals court judges, and one Court of International Trade judge.
• ▪The eight judicial nominees confirmed between July 2 and August 2, 2026, included Antonio Pozos, Daniel Traynor, Benjamin Flowers, Michael Martin, Kara Westercamp, Jeffrey T. Kuntz, Matthew Schwartz, and Rob Jones.

New judicial vacancies

• ▪Judge Gregory F. Van Tatenhove retired from the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky, creating an Article III life-term judicial vacancy.
• ▪Judge Daniel Traynor was elevated to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, creating an Article III life-term judicial vacancy on his former court.

Historical appointment comparisons

• ▪U.S. presidents since 1981 have made an average of 71 judicial appointments through August 1 of their second year in office.
• ▪Through four years in office, President Bill Clinton made the most judicial appointments with 174, while President George W. Bush made the fewest with 122.
• ▪Through August 1 of their second year in office, President Barack Obama had the most judicial confirmations with 106, while President George W. Bush had the fewest with 51.

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