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Bart Virden
2015 - Present
2026
10
Bart Virden is a judge for District 2 Position 1 of the Arkansas Court of Appeals. He assumed office in 2015. His current term ends on December 31, 2026.
Virden is running for re-election for the District 2 Position 1 judge of the Arkansas Court of Appeals. He declared candidacy for the 2026 election.[source]
Biography
Virden received his B.A. in journalism from the University of Arkansas in 1982 and his J.D. from the University of Arkansas School of Law in 1985. Virden began his legal career as a law clerk for Associate Justice David Newbern, Arkansas Supreme Court. He later served as a deputy prosecuting attorney in the 15th Judicial Circuit, Conway County, and as city attorney of Morrilton from 1990 to 2012. Before Virden was elected to the Court of Appeals, he served as Conway County District Court Judge from 2012 to 2014. Virden was also a mediator with Arkansas Mediation/Arbitration and a partner with the law firm of Gordon, Caruth & Virden, PLC in Morrilton.[1]
Awards and associations
- Arkansas Trial Lawyers Association
- Conway County Bar Association
- American Bar Association
- Association of Trial Lawyers of America[1]
Elections
2026
See also: Arkansas intermediate appellate court elections, 2026
General election
The general election will occur on November 3, 2026.
General election for Arkansas Court of Appeals District 2 Position 1
Incumbent Bart Virden is running in the general election for Arkansas Court of Appeals District 2 Position 1 on November 3, 2026.
Candidate | ||
![]() | Bart Virden (Nonpartisan) |
![]() | ||||
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Endorsements
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2018
General election
General election for Arkansas Court of Appeals District 2 Position 1
Incumbent Bart Virden defeated Johnnie Copeland in the general election for Arkansas Court of Appeals District 2 Position 1 on May 22, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
✔ | ![]() | Bart Virden (Nonpartisan) | 52.8 | 31,514 |
Johnnie Copeland (Nonpartisan) | 47.2 | 28,155 |
Total votes: 59,669 | ||||
![]() | ||||
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2014
- See also: Arkansas judicial elections, 2014
Virden ran for election to the Arkansas Court of Appeals.
General: He won without opposition in the general election on May 20, 2014.
[2]
Campaign themes
2026
Ballotpedia survey responses
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Campaign finance summary
Campaign finance information for this candidate is not yet available from OpenSecrets. That information will be published here once it is available.
See also
2026 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Cite error: Invalid
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- ↑ Arkansas Secretary of State, "2014 Arkansas Preferential Primary Elections and Nonpartisan Election," June 6, 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