Little Rock, Arkansas — The Arkansas Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ request to pause two lower-court rulings that require her to set earlier special election dates for legislative vacancies in Senate District 26 and House District 70. The justices also denied Attorney General Tim Griffin’s request to consolidate the two cases into a single appeal.
The unsigned orders offered no explanation for the decisions but granted the state’s request for expedited consideration of its appeals. Associate Justice Rhonda Wood said she would have approved a faster briefing schedule, while Associate Justice Barbara Webb did not participate. Griffin, whose office represents Sanders and Secretary of State Cole Jester, said he was “disappointed” and vowed to continue defending the state’s position.
The disputes began after Sanders set both special elections for June 2026 — months after the Legislature’s April fiscal session. Voters in the affected districts, along with the Democratic Party of Arkansas, sued, arguing the late dates would leave them without representation during important debates on issues such as education and prison funding.
Arkansas law requires vacancies to be filled within 150 days unless doing so is “impracticable or unduly burdensome.” If the 150-day mark cannot be met, the election must be scheduled for the earliest practical date. Judges in both cases ruled that Sanders’ June 2026 timeline violated these requirements. One judge ordered the HD 70 election to be held on March 3, 2026; the other directed Sanders to choose the earliest feasible date for SD 26 without specifying one.
Sanders is appealing both rulings, but for now, the lower-court orders remain in effect.
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