Amy Fellows Cline, a Kansas Court of Appeals judge based in Wichita, faces a retention vote on Nov. 3, 2026. Voters will decide whether to keep Cline in Position 3 on the 14-member appellate court.
Cline said in a candidate questionnaire that she enjoys helping people resolve legal disputes, noting the court handles about 1,500 cases a year. She said she tries to write opinions in a plainspoken and straightforward way so parties can understand the analysis and outcome.
Candidate information
- Office sought: Kansas Court of Appeals Judge, Position 3 (retention)
- Party: Nonpartisan (appellate judicial elections are nonpartisan)
- Hometown: Wichita; grew up in Valley Center
- Education: Valley Center High School, 1992; B.A. magna cum laude in political science, Wichita State University, 1997; J.D., University of Kansas School of Law, 2000
- Current role: Kansas Court of Appeals judge, 2021–present
- Current term: January 2023 to January 2027
- 2022 retention result: Retained with 68.8% of the vote (580,472 yes, 262,901 no)
Experience and public service
Before joining the bench, Cline practiced law in Wichita for two decades. She worked at Fleeson, Gooing, Coulson & Kitch from 2000 to 2004, then at Triplett Woolf Garretson from 2004 to 2021. She represented clients in state and federal courts and before agencies including the Kansas Corporation Commission and the Kansas Human Rights Commission.
Gov. Laura Kelly appointed Cline to the Court of Appeals on July 15, 2020, to fill a vacancy left by Judge G. Joseph Pierron Jr.'s retirement. The Kansas Senate confirmed her on Jan. 21, 2021, and she was sworn in Feb. 26, 2021.
Cline has held civic roles including president of Kansas Legal Services, president of the Kansas Bar Foundation and member of the University of Kansas School of Law Board of Governors. Her awards include the Kansas Bar Foundation's Robert K. Weary Award in 2020, the Kansas Bar Association's Outstanding Service Award in 2026 and the Kansas Women Attorneys Association's Carol Foreman Medal of Civility in 2026.
On the issues
Judging when the law feels unfair: Cline said in her questionnaire response that cases where citizens do not understand the law can be difficult. "Sometimes, we have to apply the law regardless of whether the people involved knew they were violating it," she said. She said she spends time speaking to schools and community groups to increase civics education.
Accountability and voter evaluation: Cline encouraged voters to read appellate opinions posted every Friday on kscourts.gov and to watch livestreamed oral arguments archived on the same site. She said voters should judge whether judges follow the law, issue opinions expediently and treat attorneys and parties respectfully and impartially.
Making the court faster and clearer: Cline said she works to issue opinions expediently and writes them in a straightforward way so parties without legal training can understand the analysis.
Qualifications: Cline pointed to her years representing clients across multiple areas of law statewide, which she said mirrors the variety of cases the Court of Appeals handles. She said she keeps an open mind and carries out her duties faithfully and impartially.
Retention elections: Asked how she differs from other candidates, Cline noted there are no other candidates in a retention election. There is no opposing candidate. Voters will mark "yes" or "no" on whether to retain her.
The general election ballot will include the retention question for Position 3. Voter registration information is available through the Sedgwick County Election Office.
