Wendell Griffen (Pulaski County County Judge, Arkansas, candidate 2026)

Wendell Griffen

Democratic Party

Candidate, Pulaski County County Judge

Elections and appointments

Next election

March 3, 2026

Education

Bachelor's

University of Arkansas, 1973

Law

University of Arkansas School of Law, 1979

Military

Service / branch

U.S. Army

Years of service

1973 - 1976

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Personal LinkedIn

Wendell Griffen (Democratic Party) is running for election to the Pulaski County County Judge in Arkansas. Griffen is on the ballot in the Democratic primary on March 3, 2026.^[source]

Griffen completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2026. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Wendell Griffen provided the following biographical information via Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey on January 21, 2026:

• High school: Delight high School and Simmons High School
• Bachelor's: University of Arkansas, 1973
• J.D.: University of Arkansas School of Law, 1979
• Military service: United States Army, 1973-1976
• Profession: Attorney / Judge
• Incumbent officeholder: No
• Campaign website
• Campaign Facebook
• LinkedIn

Elections

Democratic primary

Democratic primary for Pulaski County County Judge

Incumbent Barry Hyde (D) and Wendell Griffen (D) are running in the Democratic primary for Pulaski County County Judge on March 3, 2026.

		Candidate
	Submit photo	Barry Hyde
	Submit photo	Wendell Griffen

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	Incumbency information for this race was not available.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Republican primary

Republican primary for Pulaski County County Judge

Michael Rushin (R) is running in the Republican primary for Pulaski County County Judge on March 3, 2026.

		Candidate
	Submit photo	Michael Rushin

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	Incumbency information for this race was not available.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Endorsements

Ballotpedia is gathering information about candidate endorsements. To send us an endorsement, click here.

Campaign themes

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Wendell Griffen completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2026. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Griffen's responses.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am an Arkansas native from Delight (Pike County), U.S. Army veteran, licensed Arkansas attorney, and former law professor (Univerisity of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law) who served on the Arkansas Court of Appeals and as a Circuit Judge before retiring in 2022 after 25 years of judicial service. I also am a consultant in cultural competency and inclusion, a pastor, and have published author of two books and numerous articles about liberation theology and the intersection of faith and public policy.

I hold two degrees from the University of Arkansas (Juris Doctor, 1979, and Bachelor of Arts, Political Science, 1973).

My wife and I have two sons, two daughters-in-love, three grandchildren, and are affectionately greeted by our younger son's energetic dog "Campy," who joined our family during the early weeks of the Covid pandemic.

I have devoted my adulthood to serving others, upholding democracy, and advocating for justice, liberty, the inherent dignity of each person, and respect for the air, water, and other creatures that share life with us.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• I am dedicated to inclusive public policy.
• Public services should be accessible
• Public policies and services should focus on making life affordable and sustainable for everyone.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Public administration, justice, and sustainable development

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

See also

2026 Elections

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Candidate

Pulaski County County Judge

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