By Katie McKellar | Senior Reporter
Just two months after Utah Gov. Spencer Cox picked two men to fill the new seats recently added to the Utah Supreme Court’s now seven-member bench, he’s got two more open positions to fill.
Justice Diana Hagen suddenly resigned in May amid controversy over previously dismissed affair allegations, and longtime Chief Justice Matthew Durrant is about to retire, set for the end of this month.
In this weekend’s Dispatch we report on the 12 candidates that made the list for Cox to choose from, and bring you our top stories of the week, including the $18 million deal the governor recently struck with the feds to help repair wildfire damage, and another deal that may bring a micro nuclear reactor to Utah.
“I don’t go into this looking at your chromosomes when I’m making an appointment. I’m trying to find the best legal minds who will represent the state of Utah. And I think that’s all that should matter.” — Gov. Spencer Cox during a June press conference when asked about the lack of women candidates being considered for the Utah Supreme Court.
The entrance to the historic Supreme Court chambers in the Capitol in Salt Lake City is pictured on Wednesday, June 17, 2026. (Photo by Spenser Heaps for Utah News Dispatch)
By Katie McKellar
The Appellate Judicial Nominating Commission has selected 12 nominees that Utah Gov. Spencer Cox may choose from when deciding how to fill two vacancies left by Hagen and Durrant.
Unlike the last list of all-male nominees for two previous open positions on the bench, this time the commission’s selected pool of candidates includes three women and nine men. After a public comment period ends Aug. 16, Cox will have 30 days to make his selections, subject to confirmation by the Utah Senate.
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