It’s the 12 Days of Ballotpedia! Your gift powers the trusted, unbiased information voters need heading into 2026. Donate now!
Cole Jester
Cole Jester (Republican Party) is the Arkansas Secretary of State. He assumed office on January 1, 2025. His current term ends on January 12, 2027.
Jester (Republican Party) is running for election for Arkansas Commissioner of State Lands. He is on the ballot in the Republican primary on March 3, 2026.[source]
Governor of Arkansas Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R) appointed Jester as Arkansas Secretary of State on December 20, 2024, to replace John Thurston (R).[1]
Biography
Cole Jester earned a bachelor's degree from Ouachita Baptist University and a law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law. His career experience includes working as the Deputy Chief Legal Counsel for Sarah Huckabee Sanders and as an appellate clerk for Chief Judge Lavenski Smith of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.[1]
Political career
Below is a list of offices within Ballotpedia’s scope. Offices outside of that scope will not be listed. If an update is needed and the office is within our scope, please contact us.
Jester's political career includes the following offices:
- 2025-present: Arkansas Secretary of State
Elections
2026
See also: Arkansas Public Lands Commissioner election, 2026
General election
The primary will occur on March 3, 2026. The general election will occur on November 3, 2026. General election candidates will be added here following the primary.
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Arkansas Commissioner of State Lands
Cole Jester and Christian Olson are running in the Republican primary for Arkansas Commissioner of State Lands on March 3, 2026.
Candidate | ||
 | Cole Jester | |
 | Christian Olson | |
| ||||
 = 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. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Lance Restum (R)
Endorsements
Ballotpedia is gathering information about candidate endorsements. To send us an endorsement, click here.
Campaign themes
2026
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Cole Jester has not yet completed Ballotpedia's 2026 Candidate Connection survey. If you are Cole Jester, click here to fill out Ballotpedia's 2026 Candidate Connection survey.
Who fills out Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey?
Any candidate running for elected office, at any level, can complete Ballotpedia's Candidate Survey. Completing the survey will update the candidate's Ballotpedia profile, letting voters know who they are and what they stand for. More than 24,000 candidates have taken Ballotpedia's candidate survey since we launched it in 2015. Learn more about the survey here.
Help improve Ballotpedia - send us candidate contact info.
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
|
Candidate Arkansas Commissioner of State Lands |
Officeholder Arkansas Secretary of State |
Personal |
Footnotes
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by John Thurston (R) |
Arkansas Secretary of State 2025-Present |
Succeeded by - |
