If you’ve driven around Little Rock recently, you’ve seen a sea of billboards and yard signs reminding you of the election coming up on March 5. In three weeks, Arkansans vote in both party primaries and nonpartisan judicial elections.
There are so many judicial races in Central Arkansas that we had to pull up our ballot from the Pulaski County Clerk to make sure we knew exactly who was running against whom, and for what. You can look up your own ballot here, but here’s a roundup to help keep track.
If no one candidate wins an outright majority on March 5 in a given race, it goes to a two-person runoff in November. All fundraising numbers below are as of Feb. 13.
Arkansas Supreme Court, Chief Justice, Position 1
This race will fill the seat of retiring Chief Justice Dan Kemp. Three of the candidates are associate justices seeking a promotion to the top spot on the court. If one of the three wins the chief justice race, Gov. Sarah Sanders will appoint a person to fill the newly vacant associate justice seat until the 2026 election.
- Supreme Court Justice Rhonda Wood
- Supreme Court Justice Karen Baker
- Supreme Court Justice Barbara Womack Webb
- Jay Martin, former Democratic state representative from Little Rock.
Barbara Webb, elected to the Supreme Court in 2020, and is the wife of Doyle Webb, the former chair of the state Republican Party. She’s raised $112,850, including a $50,000 loan to herself, and her campaign has a balance of $128,284, according to campaign reports. Wood, who was elected to the Supreme Court in 2015, has raised $63,579 and has loaned herself $100,000. Baker’s campaign report showed no fundraising other than a $13,200 loan to herself.
Arkansas Supreme Court, Associate Justice, Position 2
This seat belonged to Associate Justice Robin Wynne, who died last year. Gov. Sanders appointed former Republican Party of Arkansas chair Cody Hiland to fill the remainder of Wynne’s term, but Hiland is prevented by state law from running for the seat.
- Supreme Court Justice Courtney Hudson
- Circuit Judge Carlton D. Jones
Hudson was elected to the high court in 2010 and re-elected in 2018, but she is now running for a different associate justice position. She has not completed her current term and will not lose her current seat if she does not win this race. As with the chief justice race, if Hudson wins, it will leave a vacant seat on the court to be filled by the governor. (Confused? Read up more on the race here.)
Hudson has raised $114,095 and reported a balance of $86,217. Jones, of Texarkana, has raised $12,861 and has a balance of $7,233.
Arkansas Court of Appeals, Associate Judge, District 6, Position 1
This seat is held by Rita Gruber, who is not running for reelection.
- Molly McNulty, Little Rock attorney
- Circuit Judge Casey Tucker
- Pam Hathaway, Little Rock attorney
McNulty has raised $108,491 and has loaned her campaign $25,000. She reported a balance of $73,028. Hathway reported contributions of $74,410, a $100,000 loan to herself and a balance of $133,566. Tucker reported no fundraising other than a $10,500 loan to herself on her November finance report.
Circuit Judge – District 6, Division 17, Subdistrict 6.2
This seat is held by Judge Mackie Pierce who is not running for reelection to the seat. (He is running for district court instead)
- Brent Eubanks, Little Rock attorney
- Robert Cortinez, Little Rock attorney
- Brooke Augusta Ware, Little Rock attorney
Cortinez leads the fundraising race with $51,005, followed by Ware with $36,676 and Eubanks with $5,550.
State District Judge, District 31, Pulaski
This seat is held by Judge Wayne Gruber who is retiring.
- Circuit Judge Morgan “Chip” Welch
- Beth Burgess, Perryville attorney
Welch has raised $36,690 while Burgess has raised $16,455.
State District Judge, District 31, Little Rock 1
This seat is held by Judge Melanie Martin, who is not running for reelection to the seat.
- Jill Kamps, deputy prosecuting attorney in Pulaski County
- Circuit Judge Mackie Pierce
Kamps leads in fundraising with $102,640 to Pierce’s $94,347.
State District Judge, District 31, Little Rock 2
This seat is held by Judge Vic Fleming, who is retiring.
- Circuit Judge Herb Wright
- Robert Tellez, North Little Rock attorney
Wright has raised $56,700, while Tellez has raised $52,510.
