The State Judicial Nominating Commission sent Governor Terry Branstad three nominees for the Iowa Court of Appeals yesterday. The governor has 30 days to select one of those three to replace Chief Judge Rosemary Sackett, a Branstad appointee from 1983 who became “the longest serving judge in the history of the Iowa Court of Appeals.”

While most Iowa politics-watchers were focused on the special election in Senate district 18, the State Judicial Nominating Commission members spent much of November 8 interviewing the eighteen applicants for the Appeals Court judgeship. This page contains links to a summary resume, questionnaire and writing samples from all of the applicants.

A November 8 press release disclosed the three short-listed candidates:

Thomas Nelson Bower, Cedar Falls, Age 50

District Judge (appointed 1995), Chief Judge (appointed 2010)-First Judicial District

J.D., 1987, Drake University

Susan Kay Christensen, Harlan, Age 49

District Associate Judge (appointed 2007)-Fourth Judicial District

J.D., 1991, Creighton University

Jeanie Kunkle Vaudt, West Des Moines, Age 57

Assistant Attorney General

J.D., 1991, Drake University

The governor will interview all three finalists before selecting a nominee, but my money is on Vaudt. I suspect that Branstad will choose a woman to replace Chief Judge Sackett. Women have held five of the nine positions on the Iowa Court of Appeals since Governor Chet Culver appointed Judge Mary Tabor in 2010.

In addition, Branstad made clear in February that he was disappointed the State Judicial Nominating Commission didn’t include more women on the short list for three Iowa Supreme Court vacancies. University of Iowa law professor Angela Onwuachi-Willig was the only woman among the nine finalists for the Supreme Court judgeships, and Branstad would never have appointed her for reasons Bleeding Heartland discussed here.

I wouldn’t be shocked if Branstad appointed District Associate Judge Christensen to the Court of Appeals, but Christensen was a Culver appointee at the district court level. That probably doesn’t help her cause.

Vaudt’s husband is David Vaudt, who is serving his third term as Iowa’s state auditor. He endorsed Branstad during the 2010 Republican primary for governor and was helpful during the general election campaign.

Branstad’s Appeals Court appointee will begin to serve after Sackett’s retirement officially begins on January 17, 2012.

The governor may have another vacancy to fill on the Iowa Court of Appeals soon, depending on whom President Barack Obama appoints to a federal judgeship in the Southern District of Iowa. Appeals Court Judge Tabor is on Senator Tom Harkin’s short list of three for that position.

DECEMBER UPDATE: Branstad appointed Bower to the Court of Appeals.