The race for Arkansas’ state Supreme Court chief justice is set to make history, as either Justice Karen Baker or Justice Rhonda Wood will become the first woman elected to the position. This election follows a nonpartisan runoff after neither candidate secured a majority in the initial four-person race held in March.
The current conservative majority, which stands at 4-3, is expected to expand to 5-2 regardless of the outcome, as GOP Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders is poised to appoint two new justices next year.
Wood, who has served on the court since 2014 and has endorsements from prominent Republicans, including Sanders and U.S. Senator Tom Cotton, emphasizes her independent voice on the bench.
She contends her decisions are consistently aligned with the law rather than with party agendas. In contrast, Baker, who has been on the court since 2011, criticizes Wood’s alignment with political endorsements and aims to position herself as a nonpartisan candidate.
The candidates have recently diverged in their judicial opinions, particularly regarding an abortion rights measure that sought to challenge a state ban.
Wood supported the court’s decision to reject the petitions backing the measure, while Baker strongly dissented, questioning the majority’s intent to suppress voter input.
Both candidates aim to make the court more accessible, with Wood advocating for improvements like text notifications of hearings and virtual court options.
Despite the intense competition, the outcome will not shift the court’s conservative stance, but it represents a significant moment for female representation in Arkansas’ judicial history.