Judge Ryan Harris faces retention vote Nov. 3

Utah Court of Appeals Presiding Judge Ryan M. Harris faces a retention vote on the Nov. 3 general election ballot. Cottonwood Heights and Holladay voters will see the nonpartisan question asking whether Harris should keep his seat on the appellate bench.

Harris has served on the Utah Court of Appeals since 2017, according to BallotReady. He serves as presiding judge, according to his biography on the Utah Courts website. He is certified for the ballot, according to BallotReady election data.

Candidate information

Office sought: Utah Court of Appeals judge (retention)
Election: Nov. 3, 2026, Utah General Election
Party: Nonpartisan
Education: Bachelor's degree from Brigham Young University (1995); J.D. from Stanford University (1998)

Experience and public service

Harris clerked for Judge Stephen H. Anderson on the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit in 1998 and practiced law at Jones, Waldo, Holbrook & McDonough, according to the Utah Courts website.

Harris became a District 3 judge at the Utah District Court in 2011, according to BallotReady. He also served as a small claims judge that year, according to the Utah Courts website. He joined the Utah Court of Appeals in 2017, according to BallotReady.

Harris twice received the Judicial Excellence Award from the Litigation Section of the Utah State Bar while serving as a trial judge, according to the Utah Courts website. He is a past chair of that section. He has also served as an adjunct professor at the University of Utah, according to BallotReady.