Arkansas local trial court judicial elections, 2016
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Arkansas held general elections for local judicial offices on March 1, 2016. As the state is in the process of converting its city and local district courts into state district courts, these elections featured races for local district courts, state district courts, and circuit court seats.
The filing deadline for candidates who wished to run in this election was November 9, 2015. A runoff election took place on November 8, 2016, for any race where no candidate received a majority of the votes cast in the general election.
For information on 2016 state appellate court and supreme court elections in Arkansas, click here.
Elections
Circuit court
1st CircuitDivision 1: Subdistrict 1.1Division 4: Subdistrict 1.1
2nd CircuitDivision 2: At-LargeDivision 6: Subdistrict 2.14th CircuitDivision 7
5th CircuitDivision 4
6th CircuitDivision 1: Subdistrict 6.1
Division 5: Subdistrict 6.1
Division 12: Subdistrict 6.1
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10th CircuitDivision 4: Subdistrict 10.1Division 5: At-Large
11th Circuit WestDivision 1: Subdistrict 11.1Division 4: Subdistrict 11.1
12th CircuitDivision 2
Division 313th CircuitDivision 1
Division 2
16th CircuitDivision 2 |
State district court
District 1: Benton CountyDivision 1☐ Paul Bridges (i) Division 2☑ Ray Bunch (i) Division 3☑ Stephen Thomas (i) District 2: Washington CountyDivision 1☑ Jeff Harper (i) Division 2☑ Graham Nations (i) Division 3☑ Casey Jones (i) Division 4☑ William Storey (i) District 3: Carroll and Madison counties☑ Dale Ramsey (i) District 4: Boone, Newton, and Searcy counties☑ Fred Kirkpatrick (i) District 5: Crawford County6th District: Sebastian CountyFort Smith District: Division 1☐ David P. Saxon (i) - Withdrew Fort Smith District: Division 2☑ Ben Beland (i) Fort Smith District: Division 3☑ Claire L. Borengasser (i) Greenwood District☑ Michael Wagoner (i) 8th District: Pope County☑ Don Bourne (i) 9th District: Faulkner and Van Buren countiesDivision 1☑ David Reynolds (i) Division 2☑ Susan Weaver (i) 10th District: Baxter and Marion counties☑ Jason Duffy (i) 13th District: Cleburne County☑ Lance Wright (i) 14th District: Independence County☑ Chaney Taylor (i) 17th District: Greene County☑ Dan Stidham (i) 18th District: Mississippi CountyChickasawba Department☑ Shannon Langston (i) Osceola Department☑ Donald R. Betterton (i) 19th District: Craighead CountyDivision 1☐ Keith Blackman (i) Division 2☑ Thomas Fowler 20th District: Poinsett County☑ Ron Hunter (i) |
21st District: Crittenden County☑ Fred Thorne (i) 22nd District: Lee and Phillips counties☑ Durwood King (i) 23rd District: White and Prairie countiesDivision 1☑ Mark A. Pate (i) Division 2☑ Mark Derrick (i) 25th District: St. Francis County☑ Stephen Routon (i) 26th District: Ashley County☑ Reid Harrod (i) 27th District: Desha and Chicot counties☐ Laurie A. Bridewell (i) 28th District: Bradley and Drew counties☑ Bruce Anderson (i) 29th District: Jefferson and Lincoln countiesDivision 1☑ Kim Bridgforth (i) Division 2Division 331st District: Pulaski CountyJacksonville/Maumelle Department☑ Rita F. Bailey (i) Little Rock Department: Division 1☑ Alice Lightle (i) Little Rock Department: Division 2☑ Vic Fleming (i) Little Rock Department: Division 3☑ Mark D. Leverett (i) North Little Rock Department: Division 1North Little Rock Department: Division 2☑ Randy Morley (i) Pulaski Department☑ Wayne Gruber (i) Sherwood Department☑ Milas Hale III (i) 32nd District: Saline County and city of AlexanderDivision 1☑ Mike Robinson (i) Division 2☑ Stephanie Casady (i) 33rd District: Grant and Hot Spring counties☑ Sherry Burnett (i) 34th District: Calhoun, Cleveland, and Dallas counties☑ Ronnie Phillips (i) 35th District: Union County☑ Jack Barker 37th District: Lafayette and Miller counties☑ Wren Autrey (i) 38th District: Hempstead and Nevada counties☑ Tony Yocom (i) 40th District: Clark County☑ Randy Hill (i) |
Local district court
Election rules
General election
Judicial candidates compete in a nonpartisan general election. If no candidate wins a majority, the two candidates with the most votes participate in a runoff. If a runoff is required, it takes place on the same day as the general election for partisan races, and runoff candidates appear on the general election ballot.[1][2]
Judicial selection
District court
- See also: Nonpartisan elections
District courts in Arkansas are divided between local district courts and state district courts. Local district courts feature part-time judges, while state district courts feature full-time judges. Judges of the Arkansas District Courts are each elected to four-year terms. The elections for this court are nonpartisan contested elections. To serve on this court, a judge must be at least 26 years old, a registered voter of their district, and have at least three years of experience practicing law.[3]
Circuit court
- See also: Nonpartisan election of judges
There are 122 judges on the Arkansas Circuit Courts, each elected to six-year terms. They compete in nonpartisan primaries (occurring at the same time as the primary elections for other state officials) in which the candidate who receives more than 50 percent of the vote wins the seat. If no candidate garners a majority of the vote, the top two candidates compete in a runoff during the general election.[4]
The chief judge of each circuit court is chosen by supreme court appointment. He or she serves in that capacity for an indefinite period of time.[4]
Qualifications
To serve on this court, a judge must be:[4]
- at least 28 years old;
- of "good moral character;"
- learned in the law;
- a U.S. citizen;
- a state resident for at least 2 years; and
- a legal practitioner for at least 6 years.
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Arkansas judicial election. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Arkansas Secretary of State, "2014 nonpartisan elections calendar," accessed April 24, 2014
- ↑ Justia US Law, "§ 7-10-102 - Nonpartisan election of judges and justices, 2012," accessed April 30, 2014
- ↑ Arkansas Judiciary, "District Courts," accessed March 31, 2017
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Arkansas," archived October 2, 2014
Federal courts:
Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Eastern District of Arkansas, Western District of Arkansas • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Eastern District of Arkansas, Western District of Arkansas
State courts:
Arkansas Supreme Court • Arkansas Court of Appeals • Arkansas Circuit Courts • Arkansas District Courts • Arkansas City Courts
State resources:
Courts in Arkansas • Arkansas judicial elections • Judicial selection in Arkansas
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