On Friday, Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders made several important appointments. She selected a top attorney for the state and a state Supreme Court justice to fill open positions, and she also named her deputy chief legal counsel as the new secretary of state.
These changes will shift the state’s Supreme Court to a more conservative majority of 5-2, which is significant because conservative groups have been pushing for this for years.
Governor Sanders appointed Justice Cody Hiland and State Solicitor General Nicholas Bronni to the court, effective January 1. Last year, Sanders appointed Hiland to a temporary position on the court, which ends this year.
“When I took office nearly two years ago, we had a liberal Supreme Court. Now, we have a solidly conservative one,” Sanders said at a ceremony.
Bronni has represented the state in major cases, including one that limited the Voting Rights Act and another related to a state law requiring contractors to pledge not to boycott Israel. He will replace Justice Karen Baker, who was elected chief justice this year.
Hiland had previously been nominated by President Trump as U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas and served in that role until 2020. He also worked as the state GOP chairman and as an adviser to Sanders’ 2020 campaign. He will take over for Justice Courtney Goodson, who moved to a different seat on the court.
“We have a special state, and it’s a blessing to continue serving in such an important role,” Hiland said.
In another move, Sanders appointed Cole Jester, her deputy chief legal counsel, as the new Secretary of State. Jester will take over from John Thurston, who will become state treasurer in January. Before working with Sanders, Jester was an appellate clerk for a U.S. Circuit Court judge.
As Secretary of State, I will work hard to keep Arkansas the best state in the country and ensure our elections are the most secure, Jester said.