2026 USA Fencing Referees' Commission Election Results

Published June 1, 2026 · Updated September 21, 2026

Licensed referees have elected three vice chairs to the USA Fencing Referees' Commission. All three serve four-year terms beginning Aug. 1, 2026, and the results were certified by the Referees' Commission.

The three results

Vice Chair of Domestic Assignments: Sean Shumate won with 95 votes (50%) over Jackson Huemer with 94 votes (50%). Six ballots abstained. One vote decided the office.

Vice Chair of Rules and Examinations: Matt Tucker won with 116 votes (67%) over Michael Ross with 58 votes (33%). Twenty-one ballots abstained.

Vice Chair of International Assignments and Development: Kelly Koehler won with 136 votes (74%) over Bill Becker with 48 votes (26%). Twelve ballots abstained.

Who was eligible to vote

Voting was restricted to licensed referees who officiated at least two qualifying national or international events in 2023–24, 2024–25, or 2025–26. For each office, a voter could select one candidate or abstain.

Turnout

The voting window ran May 13 through May 31, 2026, closing at 11:59 p.m. ET. Turnout was 196 of 332 eligible referees, or 59.04%. In 2024, 173 of 299 eligible referees voted, a turnout of 57.86%.

Referee turnout runs roughly three times the rate of the general membership election — a small, engaged electorate where single votes genuinely swing outcomes, as the domestic assignments race showed.

What the Referees' Commission does

The Commission handles recruitment, development, and evaluation of referees. It makes national and international referee appointments, maintains the Rules of Competition, and advises USA Fencing on referee-related concerns.

For saber in particular, that portfolio matters more than in the other weapons. Saber bouts are decided at speed on right-of-way calls, so the quality and consistency of refereeing is felt directly on the strip. The Rules and Examinations portfolio also governs how rule changes reach referees in the field — including changes like the elimination of the P-yellow card.

What this means for saber families

Two practical takeaways. First, the people setting referee standards and assignments for the next four years are now in place, so expect continuity through the 2029–30 season. Second, if your fencer has ever thought about becoming a referee, this is a small electorate with a real career pathway attached — refereeing is one of the most reliable ways for a teen or adult fencer to stay in the sport and travel.

Development at the club level starts with consistent training. Saber Nation trains saber exclusively at 4701 Sangamore Road, Suite LL2, Bethesda, MD 20816. See saber fencing classes in Bethesda, MD or contact the club.

Related coverage

For the Board of Directors election held over the same voting window, see Nona Lim and Greg Husisian elected to the USA Fencing Board.

Official source

USA Fencing, June 1, 2026: 2026 USA Fencing Referees' Commission Election Results. More coverage on our USA Fencing news hub.

Training options

Continue with More USA Fencing news or Saber fencing classes in Bethesda, MD.