Utah Supreme Court elections, 2026
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The terms of two Utah Supreme Court justices will expire on January 3, 2027. The two seats are up for retention election on November 3, 2026.
Judges with expiring terms
- This is a list of the justices who must stand for retention election in 2026 in order to remain on the bench. Justices may choose not to stand for election. The list is subject to change if justices retire or are appointed.
Candidates and results
Diana Hagen's seat
There are no official candidates yet for this election.
General election
The general election will occur on November 3, 2026.
Jill Pohlman's seat
There are no official candidates yet for this election.
General election
The general election will occur on November 3, 2026.
Voting information
- See also: Voting in Utah
Ballotpedia will publish the dates and deadlines related to this election as they are made available.
About the Utah Supreme Court
- See also: Utah Supreme Court
The Utah Supreme Court is the court of last resort in Utah. It was established in 1894 when Utah became a state, partly growing out of an earlier territorial supreme court that was established by an act of the U.S. Congress in 1850. The court is composed of five members—a chief justice, an associate chief justice, and three justices—who serve renewable 10-year terms.[1]
Political composition
This is the political composition of the court heading into the 2026 election.
| ■ Matthew Durrant | Appointed by Gov. Michael Leavitt (R) in 2000 | |
| ■ Diana Hagen | Appointed by Gov. Spencer Cox (R) in 2022 | |
| ■ Paige Petersen | Appointed by Gov. Gary R. Herbert (R) in 2017 | |
| ■ Jill Pohlman | Appointed by Gov. Gary R. Herbert (R) in 2016 | |
| ■ John A. Pearce | Appointed by Gov. Gary R. Herbert (R) in 2015 |
Selection
The five justices of the supreme court are selected through assisted appointment. The governor selects a nominee from a list of recommended candidates from a judicial nominating commission. The nominee then must attain approval from the Utah Senate.
New appointees serve for at least three years, after which they must run in a yes-no retention election. If retained, supreme court justices serve subsequent terms of ten years.[2]
Qualifications
To serve on the Utah Supreme Court, a judge must be:
- a citizen of the United States;
- a state resident for at least five years;
- admitted to practice law in the state;
- at least 30 years old; and
- no more than 75 years old.[2]
Chief justice
The chief justice of the supreme court is selected by peer vote. The chief justice of the supreme court serves in that capacity for four years.[2]
Vacancies
When a vacancy occurs on the court, the governor appoints a replacement from a list of seven names recommended by a nominating commission. The nominee then must attain approval from the Utah Senate. New appointees serve for at least three years, after which they must run in a yes-no retention election. If retained, supreme court justices serve subsequent terms of ten years.[2]
The map below highlights how vacancies are filled in state supreme courts across the country.
See also
External links
Footnotes
Federal courts:
Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: District of Utah • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: District of Utah
State courts:
Utah Supreme Court • Utah Court of Appeals • Utah District Courts • Utah Juvenile Courts • Utah Justice Courts
State resources:
Courts in Utah • Utah judicial elections • Judicial selection in Utah
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