Fourth District Court Presiding Judge Kraig Powell will appear on the Nov. 3, 2026, general election ballot for a nonpartisan retention vote, according to a October 23 report.
Voters residing in Utah, Juab, Millard, and Wasatch counties will decide whether to retain Powell on the bench.
Powell has served on the Fourth District Court since he was appointed by Governor Gary Herbert in December 2016. His jurisdiction includes Juab, Millard, Utah, and Wasatch counties.
His legal career includes serving in the Utah House of Representatives from 2009 to 2016. Prior to that, he operated a solo law practice in Park City and Heber City and served as an attorney for Midway City and Francis City. His early legal experience involved roles as a briefing attorney for the Texas Court of Appeals in 1995 and as a senior law clerk for the Illinois Supreme Court from 1996 to 2000.
In addition to his general caseload, Powell has held several leadership roles on the Fourth District Court, becoming an associate presiding judge in 2020 and presiding judge in 2024. He also serves as the statewide water law judge and has presided over the Utah County Veterans Treatment Court since 2017.
Powell has also served as a commissioner on the Utah Judicial Conduct Commission. Outside the courtroom, he has taught as adjunct faculty at Utah Valley University-Wasatch and is a past president of the Heber Valley Rotary Club and past chair of the Wasatch Community Foundation.
Powell's academic background includes a bachelor of arts in political science and English from Willamette University in 1989, a master's in political science from the University of Virginia in 1992, a juris doctor from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1995, and a doctorate in political science from the University of Virginia in 2000.
Powell is one of several Fourth District judges facing retention votes on the same ballot, which also includes Judge Jared Eldridge.
Voters can find additional judicial performance information through the Utah Judicial Performance Evaluation Commission.
