Arkansas judicial candidates can't declare just yet

May 17, 2011

Arkansas: Next year's election calendar has two judicial candidates in Arkansas reconfiguring dates. Yesterday, two candidates for state courts postponed press conferences to announce their official entry in the race for the 2012 election. The mix-up came as a result of unusual election dates in the state next year. Normally, the primary election is held on the third Tuesday in May, though next year, it will fall on the fourth. Judicial canon dictates that candidates may announce at most one year in the advance.

Raymond Abramson, currently a judge on the Arkansas Court of Appeals, had planned to announce for the Arkansas Supreme Court. Chip Welch, an attorney, meant to declare his candidacy for the Arkansas 6th Judicial Circuit. Both "potential" candidates have rescheduled their press conferences for next week.