The terms of two Arkansas Supreme Court justices will expire on December 31, 2026. The two seats are up for a nonpartisan election on March 3, 2026.

The Arkansas Advocate's Ainsley Platt wrote, "The outcome of the race won’t change the ideological tilt of the court, where justices linked to Republicans hold a 5-2 majority...But whoever wins will sit on a court that’s expected to take up several high-profile cases winding their way through the court system, including lawsuits over abortion, school vouchers and executions."

Two candidates are running in the seat held by Cody Hiland: Justice Nicholas Bronni and John Adams. Hiland is running unopposed for the seat held by Bronni.

Both Bronni and Hiland were appointed by Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R). State law prohibits appointed justices from running for reelection. However, justices can run for different seats, so both justices are running for the seat held by the other. According to Bolts Magazine's Daniel Nichanian, this is the first time at any point since 2000 where two justices are running for another justice's seat, with five eligible justices, none of whom had done so.

Though the seat is nonpartisan, the Arkansas Republican Party endorsed Bronni, and Adams is a former Democratic candidate for Congress. Bronni has described himself as a conservative and an originalist, while Adams says he is a nonpartisan justice who will not make decisions based on party. Hiland is affiliated with the Republican Party.

Arkansas and Louisiana are the only states to prohibit appointed justices from succeeding themselves. Amendment 29, Section 2 of the Arkansas Constitution, prohibits officials appointed to fill a vacancy from succeeding themselves, and Article V, Section 22(B) of the Louisiana Constitution prohibits appointed justices from running in a special election.

Arkansas is one of 32 states holding an election for state supreme court in 2026. To read more about state supreme court elections in 2026, click here.