PHOENIX — Strictly speaking, it’s not a race. But whatever you want to call the competition to become the next Arizona Supreme Court justice, it just got a little tighter.
Eight of the 17 applicants to replace retiring Justice Robert Brutinel will advance to the next round, the Commission on Appellate Court Appointments decided Friday.
The commissioners will conduct interviews on Dec. 9 and decide which names they’ll send to Gov. Katie Hobbs, who gets the ultimate pick.
The commission could decide to send Hobbs the names of all eight. But commissioners also have the option to send the governor as few as three, the legal minimum allowed under the Arizona Constitution.
The same constitutional provision will ensure Hobbs gets at least one political independent on the list.
The Arizona Supreme Court.
That’s because the panel is precluded from submitting a final list of nominees from only one political party. No Republicans even submitted an application asking to be appointed by the Democratic governor.
The commission is now asking anyone who wants to comment about applicants on the list to either come to the Supreme Court building in Phoenix for the Dec. 9 meeting or submit comments in writing. Only those willing to identify themselves will have their views considered.
Applicants advancing to the interview stage of the process are:
- Maria Elena Cruz, Democrat, a judge on the Arizona Court of Appeals.
- Nicole Davis, political independent, the deputy director and general counsel of the Arizona Department of Economic Security. She is a political independent.
- Andrew Gaona, Democrat, an attorney in private practice. He represented Hobbs in some legal battles after the 2022 election and also in more recent court fights with the head of the Arizona Republican Party and with Senate Republicans over confirmation of her agency directors.
- Andrew Jacobs, Democrat, a judge on the state Court of Appeals.
- Doreen McPaul, Democrat, assistant legislative attorney for the Tohono O’odham Nation.
- Regina Nassen, principal assistant attorney for the city of Tucson. Initially a political independent, she registered as a Democrat for 14 years before becoming an independent again in 2014.
- Alexander Samuels, Democrat, an assistant state attorney general.
- Amy Sells, Democrat, an attorney working for a Phoenix law firm.
