Staff Report

In a nonpartisan runoff vote from March, current Arkansas Supreme Court justices Rhonda Wood and Karen Baker faced each other to determine who will be the court’s next Chief Justice. Baker won the race against her fellow justice.

Wood and Baker received the most votes in the March 5 nonpartisan judicial contests in a four-way race that also included Barbara Womack Webb and Jay Martin. Neither Wood nor Baker received a majority of the votes triggering the Nov. 5 runoff.

Either one was destined to make history as the first elected female chief justice of the state’s high court. Both sought to fill the post being vacated by Chief Justice Dan Kemp, who is not seeking re-election.

Baker has served on the Arkansas Supreme Court since 2011. She is a graduate of Clinton High School, Arkansas Tech University, and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock School of Law.

Wood has served on the Arkansas Supreme Court since 2015 and will continue to serve in her current role. She is a graduate of Hendrix College and the UALR Bowen School of Law.

Kay King contributed to this report.