Arkansas 16th Judicial Circuit Court, Division 2 (runoff)

About this race

Kara Byars and Scott Davidson are on the November 3, 2026 runoff ballot for this seat on the 16th Judicial Circuit, after neither received a majority of the vote in the March 3, 2026 nonpartisan judicial primary, per the Arkansas Secretary of State's 2026 candidate list (post-primary active filings). Sitting Circuit Judge Don McSpadden did not seek reelection to this seat. Under Arkansas law, a nonpartisan judicial race that does not produce a majority winner in the March 3, 2026 primary goes to a runoff on the November 3, 2026 general election ballot. Every voter in Cleburne, Fulton, Independence, Izard, and Stone counties elects this seat, since Arkansas circuit judges are elected circuit-wide across the 16th Judicial Circuit (Cleburne, Fulton, Independence, Izard, Stone), per the Arkansas Judiciary's circuit map (cross-checked against the Arkansas Times' March 2026 primary-night judicial roundup). Arkansas circuit court races are nonpartisan.

What this office does

Trial court judge. A trial judge presides over criminal and civil cases at the first level: bail and pleas, motions, trials, sentencing and civil judgments. Judges are bound by state law and appellate precedent and are barred by judicial conduct rules from campaigning on how they would rule. Most states elect trial judges on a nonpartisan ballot; the term and the courts a judge may sit on vary by state.

This race. Nonpartisan: candidates appear without party labels.