Fourth District Court Presiding Judge Kraig Powell will appear on the general election ballot in a nonpartisan retention vote. Voters in Utah, Juab, Millard and Wasatch counties will decide whether to keep him on the bench.
Powell has served on the Fourth District Court since Governor Gary Herbert appointed him in December 2016, according to the Utah Courts judicial biography.
Candidate information
- Name: Kraig Powell
- Office: Utah District Court Judge, District 4
- Race: Retain Powell? (nonpartisan)
- Election date: Nov. 3, 2026
- Appointed: December 2016 by Governor Gary Herbert
- Jurisdiction: Juab, Millard, Utah and Wasatch counties
- Education: Bachelor of arts in political science and English, Willamette University (1989); master's in political science, University of Virginia (1992); juris doctor, University of Virginia School of Law (1995); doctorate in political science, University of Virginia (2000)
Experience and public service
Before joining the bench, Powell served in the Utah House of Representatives from 2009 to 2016, according to his BallotReady profile. He also ran a solo law practice in Heber City and Park City and served as attorney for Francis City and Midway City, according to Utah Policy and BallotReady.
Powell's early legal career included a briefing attorney position at the Texas Court of Appeals in 1995 and a senior law clerk role at the Illinois Supreme Court from 1996 to 2000, according to the Utah Courts biography.
On the Fourth District Court, Powell has held several roles beyond his general caseload. He became associate presiding judge in 2020 and presiding judge in 2024, according to the Utah Courts biography. He also serves as the statewide water law judge and has presided over the Utah County Veterans Treatment Court since 2017. He has served as a commissioner on the Utah Judicial Conduct Commission.
Outside the courtroom, Powell has taught as adjunct faculty at Utah Valley University-Wasatch, according to his BallotReady profile. He is past president of the Heber Valley Rotary Club and past chair of the Wasatch Community Foundation, according to the Utah Courts biography.
Powell is one of multiple Fourth District judges facing retention votes. The Alpine-Highland-Lehi Tribune also profiled Judge Jared Eldridge, who faces a separate retention decision on the same ballot.
The Alpine-Highland-Lehi Tribune did not receive issue responses from Judge Powell for this profile. The information above is drawn from the Utah Courts judicial biography, Utah Policy and BallotReady. Voters can find additional judicial performance information through the Utah Judicial Performance Evaluation Commission.
