On February 4, 2026, Chief Justice Douglas Herndon announced that the Nevada Commission on Judicial Selection received two applications from individuals who wish to fill the judicial opening in Department 26 of the Eighth Judicial District Court. Department 26 is vacant through the retirement of the Honorable Gloria J. Sturman this coming Friday. The applicants in alphabetical order are as follows:
| Eighth Judicial District Department 26 | ||||
| Name | Age | City of Residence | Employer | Job Title |
| Daniel Hooge | 47 | North Las Vegas | State Bar of Nevada | Chief Bar Counsel |
| Peter Thunell | 50 | Las Vegas | Clark County District Attorney’s Office | Chief Deputy District Attorney |
Nevada attorneys with 10 years of legal experience, including two years of Nevada practice, were encouraged to apply for the opening. Interviews to fill this vacancy are scheduled for February 20, 2026, in Las Vegas. The interviews will be streamed live through the Supreme Court’s YouTube channel and are open to the public. After the interviews, the Commission will nominate finalists to Governor Joe Lombardo.
The Commission is composed of seven permanent members – the Supreme Court Chief Justice, three non-attorneys appointed by the Governor, and three attorneys appointed by the State Bar of Nevada. Neither the Governor nor the State Bar may appoint more than two permanent members from the same political party and cannot appoint two members from the same county. For District Court vacancies, two temporary members are appointed from the judicial district where the vacancy occurs – a non-attorney by the Governor and an attorney by the State Bar – bringing the Commission membership to nine.