Update: The Supreme Court chief justice race is headed to a November runoff between Justice Karen Baker (27.2%) and Justice Rhonda Wood (26.3%). Justice Barbara Webb came in less than 2,000 votes behind Wood (25.9%).
In the Pulaski County District 6 circuit judge race, Robert Cortinez (41.3%) and Brent Eubanks (31%) will face off in November. Brooke Augusta Ware came in third at 27.8%.
The Court of Appeals race will head to a runoff between Molly McNulty (36.5%) and Casey Tucker (33.8%). Pam Hathaway took 29.8%.
We’ll have more details on other judicial races later today.
***
It’s election night, and results from Arkansas’s primary and judicial races are rolling in. We won’t have final statewide tallies tonight, but here’s where things stand as of about midnight, according to the Associated Press and unofficial results from state and county officials.
Third District Congressman Steve Womack has staved off a long shot primary challenge from state Sen. Clint Penzo, according to the AP. Penzo smelled vulnerability when Womack helped torpedo the speakership of hard-right darling Rep. Jim Jordan back during last fall’s internal brawl among House Republicans, but Womack — now in his seventh term — has solid institutional support.
Surprise, surprise: Joe Biden and Donald Trump have won their respective primaries. On the Republican side, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley looks to be at around 20% of the vote — a decent showing in Trump-loving Arkansas, but miles behind the former president. Though former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson is long gone from the presidential race, he’s still capturing about 3% of the Republican vote.
Biden’s vote share in the Democratic primary is 89% as of now; the next highest candidate is Marianne Williamson, at around 5%.
AP has called the Position 2 Arkansas Supreme Court race for Justice Courtney Hudson, who already sits on the court in Position 3. She’s beaten Circuit Judge Carlton Jones of Texarkana. Hudson’s victory will allow Gov. Sarah Sanders to fill her newly vacant seat with an appointee until the 2026 election.
The race for chief justice, meanwhile, appears headed for a runoff. Of the four candidates, three are sitting justices — Rhonda Wood, Barbara Webb and Karen Baker. As of now, the secretary of state’s website shows the three virtually even with one another. (The fourth candidate, Jay Martin, is further behind.) If no candidate surpasses 50%, the top two face each other in November.
A three-way race for the Court of Appeals also appears headed for a runoff, with Casey Tucker, Pam Hathaway and Molly McNulty splitting the vote fairly closely. And expect another runoff in a race for Pulaski County circuit court: The county’s unofficial results (last updated as of 10:30) showed Robert Cortinez with 36% of the vote, trailed by Brent Eubanks at 26% and Brooke Augusta Ware at 24%
Three circuit judges in Pulaski County sought to move down to district court instead this election, Herb Wright, Chip Welch and Mackie Pierce. The unofficial results show Welch has beat Beth Burgess by a healthy margin, while Pierce has lost to attorney Jill Kamps by a similar margin. Wright looks to have beaten Robert Tellez, though the race is close.
Incumbent state Rep. Joy Springer has again beaten challenger Ryan Davis in the Democratic primary for House District 76. Rep. Fred Allen trounced primary challenger Grant Smith, and Rep. Denise Ennett easily fended off a repeat challenge from Roosevelte Williams.
For the latest results, here’s the Arkansas secretary of state’s page and here’s Pulaski County’s.
