J. Harvie Wilkinson
Reagan-appointed judge on the US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit since 1984.
Last refreshed: 17 October 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
Why did a veteran Fourth Circuit judge refuse to rush the FCC?
Timeline for J. Harvie Wilkinson
Mentioned in: Supreme Court keeps parties' ad discount
US Midterms 2026Background
J. Harvie Wilkinson III is a judge of the US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, appointed by President Ronald Reagan and commissioned in August 1984. He served as the Court's chief judge from 1996 to 2003. Before the bench he clerked for Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr., taught at the University of Virginia School of Law and edited the Virginian-Pilot's editorial page.
In October 2026 he dissented when a 2-1 panel ordered the FCC to rule quickly on a challenge to its guidance on party committees' airtime rates. That guidance followed the Supreme Court's June ruling in NRSC v. FEC, which struck caps on coordinated party spending.
the Supreme Court later stayed the panel's order, leaving the guidance in place through the election.
Who is Judge J. Harvie Wilkinson?
What did Judge Wilkinson say in the FCC ad rate case?
Written with AI from Lowdown's published reporting. Not individually reviewed by an editor. Updated 17 October 2026. Editorial standards.