District judges Rita Cornish, who sits on the bench in Bountiful, and Jennifer Valencia, who hears cases in Ogden, and four others are in the running to replace Judge Diana Hagen, who was named to the Utah Supreme Court.

Valencia has been on the Ogden bench since 2017, while Cornish was appointed two years ago.

Other candidates for the Court of Appeals vacancy are appellate attorney Sarah Carlquist; 3rd District Juvenile Court Judge Susan Eisenman; Cache County Attorney John Luthy; Debra Nelson, chief appellate officer with the Indigent Appellate Defense Division; and 3rd District Judge Amy Oliver.

The Utah Appellate Judicial Nominating Commission is seeking public comment on the nominations at judicialvacancies@utah.gov or Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice, P.O. Box 142330, Salt Lake City, UT 84114-2330. The deadline for written comments is Sept. 12 at noon. After the public comment period, the names will be sent to Gov. Spencer Cox, who will make the appointment.