UPDATE: Arkansas Supreme Court Election Results: Judge Karen Baker Wins Election for Position 6

With 78% of the precincts reporting, the Arkansas Democrat Gazette has called the election for Position 6 on the Arkansas Supreme Court for Judge Karen Baker.  Judge Baker led by a slim margin early in the night, but took a bigger lead as the night continued.  The race in Pulaski County (Judge Fox’s home county) was close, with Judge Baker edging out Judge Fox 51% to 49%.  In Judge Baker’s home county (Van Buren County), Judge Baker defeated Judge Fox by 73% to 27%.  As of the time this post was published, Judge Fox had won or was leading in the following counties: Ashley, Perry, Polk, Prairie. and Sevier.  Several other counties had not yet reported results.

Judge Karen Baker currently serves as the Court of Appeals Judge for District 2, Position 2.  She was elected to that position in 2000 and re-elected in 2004 (Act 1812 of 2003 reapportioned the Court of Appeals districts and required a new election for this position in 2004).  Judge Baker’s eight-year term on the Court of Appeals will end in 2012.  It is expected that Governor Mike Beebe will appoint a replacement for the vacancy that will be created when Judge Baker takes office as an Associate Justice on the Arkansas Supreme Court in January, 2011.

Judge Tim Fox was elected to serve as a Pulaski County Circuit Court judge in 2002 and then re-elected to another six-year term in 2008.

UPDATE: As of 6:00 p.m. on November 3, 2010, 98% of precincts are reporting the following results in the Supreme Court Election:  Baker 388,530 (61%), Fox 252,639 (39%).

–Tasha Taylor