Voters from the twelve east Arkansas counties that make up District 1 elected Lonoke County Circuit Court Judge Phillip Whiteaker to the Arkansas Court of Appeals to fill the vacant seat for District 1, Position 2 in the general election that was held on November 6, 2012.  Judge Whiteaker defeated Jonesboro Attorney Jeannette Robertson with a margin of approximately 10% of the vote (53.83% to 43.81%).

In the May 2012 nonpartisan judicial election held during the primary on May 22nd, the field of three candidates for District 1, Position 2 was narrowed to two when Jonesboro Attorney Richard Lusby was eliminated from the race and the runoff election between Judge Whiteaker and Jeanette Robertson was set for November 6, 2012.

Arkansas Court of Appeals Position 2 for District 1 was previously filled by Judge Raymond Abramson, a Holly Grove attorney who was appointed by Governor Mike Beebe in 2010 to fill the vacancy left on the Arkansas Court of Appeals when Judge D. Price Marshall Jr. was appointed and confirmed as a federal judge to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas.  Raymond Abramson ran for the Arkansas Supreme Court in the May 2012 nonpartisan judicial election, but was defeated by Arkansas Court of Appeals Judge Josephine Hart, who will begin her first term on the Arkansas Supreme Court in January 2013.

–Tasha Taylor

UPDATE: 2012 Judicial Election Results for Arkansas Supreme Court and Arkansas Court of Appeals

Elections for seven positions on Arkansas’s appellate courts will be held during the preferential primary next month, on May 22, 2012.

One position on the Arkansas Supreme Court is open along with six positions on the Arkansas Court of Appeals.  For more information about the candidates for each position, click on the links below.

Arkansas Supreme Court

Arkansas Supreme Court Justice Position 4

• Court of Appeals Judge Jo Hart
• Raymond Abramson

Arkansas Court of Appeals

District 1 Position 2

• Circuit Judge Philip Whiteaker
• Jeannette Robertson
• Richard Lusby

District 2 Position 2

• Judge Rhonda Wood
• District Judge Mitch Cash

District 3 Position 2

• Kenneth Hixson
• Niki Cung

District 4 Position 1

• Brandon Harrison
• Circuit Judge Jake Looney

District 4 Position 2

• Court of Appeals Judge Mac Glover (Uncontested)

District 5 Position 1

• Court of Appeals Judge Robin F. Wynne (Uncontested)

–Tasha Taylor

Cabot Circuit Court Judge Philip Whiteaker announced last month that he will be a candidate for District 1, Position 2 of the Arkansas Court of Appeals.  That seat is currently held by Judge Raymond Abramson, who was appointed to that position last year by Governor Mike Bebee.

Because Judge Abramson is serving by appointment, he is unable to run for the seat in the upcoming election.   Earlier this year, Abramson announced his candidacy for the Arkansas Supreme Court seat that is currently held by Justice Jim Gunter.  Justice Gunter announced in May of this year that he will not seek re-election for that position when his term ends in 2012.

–Tasha Taylor