Can a decision on appeal be tossed out because the presiding judge?

on appeal was the same exact judge during sentencing? my judge sentenced me while he was a trial judge. when i appealed he became an appellate judge and presided over the appeal and dismissed it. when I went before the supreme court of my state he too was seeking a seat on that court (don't know if he made it but my appeal to that court was summarily dismissed with no indication as to who specifically ruled on it. so, what's up with that? shouldn't he had recuse himself during the appeal?