Judge Ryan Harris faces Nov. 3 retention vote

Ryan M. Harris, presiding judge of the Utah Court of Appeals, is on the Tuesday, Nov. 3 ballot for a retention vote. Utah voters, including those in Draper, will decide whether to keep Harris on the bench. The statewide retention race appears on every Draper ballot.

Retention elections are nonpartisan. Voters do not choose between candidates. Instead, they answer a single question: should the judge continue serving?

Candidate information

Name: Ryan M. Harris
Office: Utah Court of Appeals (presiding judge)
Race: Retain Harris? (nonpartisan retention vote)
Election date: Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026
Ballot status: Certified for the ballot, according to BallotReady

Education:

Bachelor's degree, Brigham Young University (1995)
J.D., Stanford University (1998)

Experience and public service

Harris has built a career spanning private practice, trial courts and the appellate bench.

After earning his J.D. from Stanford in 1998, Harris clerked for Judge Stephen H. Anderson at the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, according to his Utah Courts biography. He then moved into private practice at the firm Jones, Waldo, Holbrook & McDonough, according to his Utah Courts biography.

In 2011, Harris became a small claims judge, according to his Utah Courts biography. That same year he began serving as a Third District judge, a position he held until 2017, according to BallotReady. His six years on the district court bench earned him recognition: Harris twice received the Judicial Excellence Award from the Litigation Section of the Utah State Bar while serving as a trial judge, according to his Utah Courts biography.

Harris joined the Utah Court of Appeals in 2017, according to BallotReady, and serves as its presiding judge. He is also a past chairperson of the Litigation Section of the Utah State Bar, according to his Utah Courts biography.

Outside the courtroom, Harris has taught as an adjunct professor at the University of Utah, according to BallotReady.

Editor's note: This profile will be updated if the candidate provides issue responses before the election.