The Appellate Judicial Nominating Commission has selected 12 nominees to fill two vacancies on the Utah Supreme Court, positions created by the Utah Legislature during the 2026 Legislative Session.
Governor announces list of candidates
Governor Spencer J. Cox announced the list of candidates on April 30, 2026. The nominees include Jay Jorgensen, Senior Counsel for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and Stephen Dent, an Assistant United States Attorney with the United States Attorney’s Office.
Full list of judicial nominees
Other candidates presented for the vacancies include Christopher Ballard of the Utah County Attorney’s Office, Christopher Bates of Kirton McConkie, and several district court judges including Matthew Bates, Matthew Bell, Samuel Chiara, Derek Pullan, and Eldred Rawson. The list also features William Hains of the Office of the Attorney General, Stanford Purser, Solicitor General, and Ryan Tenney of the Utah Court of Appeals.
Public comment period details
The public may submit written comments regarding the nominees to the Appellate Judicial Nominating Commission via email or mail until noon on May 10, 2026. The commission may conduct investigations following this review period.
Final appointment and confirmation process
Once the public comment period concludes, the names will be sent to Governor Cox, who has 30 days to finalize the appointments. Any appointees made by the governor are subject to confirmation by the Utah Senate.
