Essex County Superior Court
Massachusetts trial court that reinstated Michael Walsh to the Republican primary ballot on 10 July.
Last refreshed: 17 July 2026
Timeline for Essex County Superior Court
SJC declines appeal, Walsh stays on
US Midterms 2026Court reinstates Walsh to primary ballot
US Midterms 2026Background
On Friday 10 July, the Essex County Superior Court reversed the Massachusetts Ballot Law Commission's finding and reinstated Michael Walsh to the Republican primary ballot for attorney general. The court cited "substantial evidence" of fraud in the signature-gathering process, not in a finding that Walsh's own submitted signatures were fraudulent . The Supreme Judicial Court declined the Commission's appeal three days later, leaving the reinstatement standing .
The Superior Court is Massachusetts' trial court of general jurisdiction, hearing civil and criminal matters as well as election-law challenges. Essex County is one of the counties with its own Superior Court seat, sitting separately from the state's other trial courts.
Neither this court's reversal nor the Supreme Judicial Court's declined appeal reached the merits of whether Walsh personally committed fraud. The practical effect, on a fixed primary calendar, is that he stands on the ballot.
Note: this is the Massachusetts trial court, unrelated to the English local authority Essex County Council.