Cody Hiland
Cody Hiland is a judge for Position 3 of the Arkansas Supreme Court. He assumed office on January 1, 2025. His current term ends on December 31, 2026.
Hiland is running for re-election for the Position 6 judge of the Arkansas Supreme Court. He is on the ballot in the general election on March 3, 2026.[source]
On December 20, 2024, Governor of Arkansas Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R) appointed Hiland to the Arkansas Supreme Court Position 3 to replace Courtney Rae Hudson (nonpartisan).[1] To learn more about this appointment, click here.
Hiland first became a member of the Arkansas Supreme Court through an appointment. Governor of Arkansas Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R) first appointed him to the court in 2023 to the Position 2 seat vacated by Robin Wynne (nonpartisan). To learn more about this appointment, click here.[2]
On December 3, 2022, Hiland was elected to serve as the chairman of the Republican Party of Arkansas.[3]
Hiland was a 2016 candidate for a seat on the Arkansas Court of Appeals vacated by retiring judge Cliff Hoofman.[4] He was defeated by Mike Murphy.
Biography
Cody Hiland was born in Bee Branch, Arkansas, and lives in Little Rock, Arkansas. Hiland earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Central Arkansas and a juris doctor from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. His career experience includes working as a prosecuting attorney, a state attorney, and an aide to former Governor Mike Huckabee.[5]
Elections
2026
See also: Arkansas Supreme Court elections, 2026
General election
The general election will occur on March 3, 2026.
General election for Arkansas Supreme Court Position 6
Incumbent Cody Hiland (Nonpartisan) is running in the general election for Arkansas Supreme Court Position 6 on March 3, 2026.
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Endorsements
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2016
- See also: Arkansas judicial elections, 2016
Hiland ran for the Arkansas Court of Appeals, District 2, in 2016. He was defeated by circuit judge Mike Murphy in an election on March 1.[4]
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.
Appointments
2024
As an appointee to the second position seat on the court, Cody Hiland was ineligible to file to run for re-election to Position 2.[6]
On December 20, 2024, Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R) appointed Cody Hiland to the Arkansas Supreme Court. Hiland replaced Justice Courtney Rae Hudson, who was elected to another seat on the court on November 5, 2024. She took office for the second position associate justiceship on January 1, 2025, leaving her previous third position seat vacant. Hiland was Governor Sanders' second nominee to the seven-member supreme court. Hiland was previously appointed to replace previous justice Robin Wynne, who died on June 21, 2023.
In Arkansas, state supreme court justices are elected in nonpartisan elections. There are 13 states that use this selection method. To read more about the nonpartisan election of judges, click here.
In the event of a midterm vacancy, an interim judge is selected by the governor to fill the empty seat. If the open seat would have been filled at the next general election if the vacancy did not occur, the appointed justice will serve the remainder of the unexpired term. If the open seat would not have been regularly filled at the next general election, the appointee will serve until the next general election if the vacancy occurred more than four months prior to the election. If the vacancy occurs less than four months prior to the next general election, then the justice will serve until the second succeeding general election. A justice appointed by the governor to serve an unexpired term is ineligible to run for re-election to their seat.[7]
2023
Arkansas governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R) appointed Cody Hiland to the Arkansas Supreme Court. Hiland replaced Justice Robin Wynne, who died on June 21, 2023. Wynne's replacement was Governor Sanders' (R) first nominee to the seven-member supreme court.
In Arkansas, state supreme court justices are elected in nonpartisan elections. There are 13 states that use this selection method. To read more about the nonpartisan election of judges, click here.
If a vacancy occurs during a Justice's term, the Arkansas governor, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, appoints an interim candidate that will serve until the swearing in of an elected successor. Wynne's successor was up for election on March 5, 2024.
State supreme court judicial selection in Arkansas
- See also: Judicial selection in Arkansas
The seven justices on the Arkansas Supreme Court are selected through nonpartisan elections. They compete in nonpartisan general elections—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 November general election.[7]
The winners are elected to eight-year terms.[7]
Qualifications
To serve on this court, a justice must be:[8]
- licensed to practice law in Arkansas for at least eight years;
- a qualified elector within the geographic area from which chosen.
Chief justice
The court's chief justice is selected by voters at large and serves in that capacity for a full eight-year term.[9]
Vacancies
In the event of a midterm vacancy, an interim judge is selected by the governor to fill the empty seat. If the open seat would have been filled at the next general election if the vacancy did not occur, the appointed justice will serve the remainder of the unexpired term. If the open seat would not have been regularly filled at the next general election, the appointee will serve until the next general election if the vacancy occurred more than four months prior to the election. If the vacancy occurs less than four months prior to the next general election, then the justice will serve until the second succeeding general election. A justice appointed by the governor to serve an unexpired term is ineligible to run for re-election to their seat.[7]
The map below highlights how vacancies are filled in state supreme courts across the country.
See also
2026 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Governor SHS, “Governor Sanders Appoints Jester as Secretary of State, Hiland and Bronni to the Supreme Court" accessed January 1, 2025
- ↑ AP, "Arkansas governor names state GOP chairman, former federal prosecutor to Supreme Court seat," accessed July 12, 2023
- ↑ Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, "State Republicans choose Cody Hiland as new chair," December 4, 2022
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Arkansas Secretary of State, "Candidate Information: 2016 Preferential Primary and Nonpartisan General Election," accessed December 29, 2015
- ↑ Arkansas Governor, "Governor Sanders Announces Cody Hiland as Newest Arkansas Supreme Court Justice," accessed August 1, 2023
- ↑ Arkansas Judiciary, "Arkansas Supreme Court," accessed November 16, 2023
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Arkansas Judiciary, "Arkansas Supreme Court," accessed April 15, 2025 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name "ssc" defined multiple times with different content Cite error: Invalid<ref>tag; name "ssc" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ Arkansas Bureau of Legislative Services, "Ark. Const. Amendment 80, §16," accessed April 15, 2025
- ↑ Justia, "Arkansas Constitution - Amendment 80 - Qualifications of justices and judges.," accessed March 27, 2023
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Courtney Rae Hudson |
Arkansas Supreme Court Position 3 2025-Present |
Succeeded by - |
| Preceded by - |
Arkansas Supreme Court Position 2 2023-2024 |
Succeeded by Courtney Rae Hudson |
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
State resources:
Courts in Arkansas • Arkansas judicial elections • Judicial selection in Arkansas
 |
State of Arkansas Little Rock (capital) |
|---|---|
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