Gov. Nathan Deal (Photo: John Disney/ALM)

The Judicial Nominating Commission announced a new development late Wednesday in the search to replace Georgia Supreme Court Chief Justice P. Harris Hines: Gov. Nathan Deal wants more nominees.

Eight are already in the running: Those remaining on the short list following the Wednesday selection of Solicitor General Sarah Warren to replace Justice Britt Grant.

But in announcing his replacement for Grant, the governor said nothing Wednesday about how he will fill the other vacancy on the state high court come Aug. 31, when the chief justice retires.

Then, later Wednesday, Judicial Nominating Commission Chair Pete Robinson released a notice to all members of the State Bar of Georgia and “all citizens of the state of Georgia” saying the governor has signed an executive order to extend the deadline for the chief's opening.

“Candidates who previously applied for this vacancy will not be required to reapply,” Robinson said. “Additional applications are currently being accepted for this position.”

The announcement invited those interested to email the commission at [email protected] or [email protected] to request an application packet; or to visit www.jnc.georgia.gov for the application packet. Completed applications should be sent to the Judicial Nominating Commission, c/o Dana McGuire, 600 Peachtree Street, N.E., Suite 3000, Atlanta, GA 30308-2216 by Friday, Aug. 31.

The commission will meet to interview applicants on Sept. 11 at the State Bar of Georgia headquarters, Robinson said. The JNC will notify applicants of the time for their interview. Robinson said the commission will select and recommend to the governor from among those deemed “qualified,” a short list of as many as five people. The new short list will be in addition to the one the governor has already received.

Stakes are high for the diversity of the bench. Not counting Warren, only two of the current nine justices are women, and they are both leaving. In addition to Grant, Justice Carol Hunstein will be gone by the end of the year. She is retiring at the end of her current term. She left her seat open for this year's election. Court of Appeals Judge John Ellington ran for that position unopposed.

Also, the court has only two members who are African-American, despite the total number of justices growing from seven to nine last year, through Deal's appointments.

The eight names already on the governor's desk for consideration are:

• J.P. Boulee, judge, Stone Mountain Judicial Circuit
• William S. Cowsert, founding partner of Cowsert & Heath and member of the Georgia State Senate
• Melanie B. Cross, judge, Tifton Judicial Circuit
• Asha F. Jackson, judge, Stone Mountain Judicial Circuit
• C. LaTain Kell Sr., judge, Cobb Judicial Circuit
• Shawn Ellen LaGrua, judge, Atlanta Judicial Circuit
• Andrew (Andy) J. Welch III, manager, Smith, Welch, Webb & White and member of the Georgia House of Representatives
• Paige Reese Whitaker, judge, Atlanta Judicial Circuit

Grant was confirmed July 31 by the U.S. Senate for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. She is already on the new job, having traveled to Washington to be sworn in by her friend, mentor and former boss, D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Brett Kavanaugh, who's hoping to secure his own promotion to the U.S. Supreme Court.