Summit County Sheriff Justin Martinez has been confirmed as the U.S. Marshal of Utah by the U.S. Senate on Wednesday evening.

Martinez, a veteran of the U.S. Coast Guard, was nominated by the Biden administration in October after U.S. Sens. Mitt Romney and Mike Lee submitted several names for consideration. Martinez has said he plans to vacate his post early to accept the role.

The sheriff’s post is currently held by a Democrat, which means the Summit County Democratic Party will start a selection process once Martinez takes over as the marshal. Martinez ran unopposed for a third term last fall.

---

---

The selected person would be the sheriff until a midterm election in 2024. At that time, a candidate from either party could launch a campaign. Whoever wins that election would serve in the role until 2026, when another contest would be held for the regular four-year term as sheriff.

Before moving to Summit County, Martinez worked as a police officer with the Draper City Police Department and Sandy City Police Department and as a sergeant in the Utah Transit Authority Police Department. He also served as a corrections officer in Salt Lake County from 1999 to 2001.

---

---

Romney praised Martinez for his career in law enforcement, and his dedication to keeping communities in Utah safe. Lee similarly applauded the sheriff.

“Justin Martinez is a proven leader and will serve us well as the U.S. Marshal for Utah. I trust that he will execute his duties with the same proficiency and professionalism he demonstrated during his 26 years of law enforcement service for Summit County and the State of Utah,” Lee said when the nomination was announced.

Martinez in October said he was humbled by the opportunity. He looked forward to translating his experience working in law enforcement for Summit County to the federal level for the state of Utah.