Sanders-appointed justice and lawyer in Arkansas library case face off in Supreme Court race

The nonpartisan election pits a conservative-leaning justice against a lawyer who challenged a state law on library materials

Published on Feb. 21, 2026

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The race for a seat on the Arkansas Supreme Court in the March 3 election is nonpartisan, but that hasn't prevented the two candidates from accusing each other of being too ideologically driven. The race pits John Adams, a private attorney who represented the Central Arkansas Library System in a challenge to a state law, against Justice Nicholas Bronni, who was appointed to the court by Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders in 2024.

Why it matters

The outcome of the race won't change the ideological tilt of the court, where justices linked to Republicans hold a 5-2 majority. But whoever wins will sit on a court that's expected to take up several high-profile cases winding their way through the court system, including lawsuits over abortion, school vouchers and executions.

The details

Bronni, a self-identified conservative, was endorsed by the Republican Party of Arkansas and touts his work in the attorney general's office that touches on causes championed by Republicans. He defended state laws banning gender-affirming care for minors and assisted in suing the Biden administration over changes to Title IX regulations. Adams, who represented the Central Arkansas Library System in its challenge of a state law imposing criminal penalties on librarians who provided minors with 'harmful' materials, has campaigned on being 'an independent voice holding government to account' while promoting judicial restraint.

  • The race is for the March 3, 2026 Arkansas Supreme Court election.
  • Bronni was appointed to the court by Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders in 2024.

The players

John Adams

A private attorney from Little Rock who represented the Central Arkansas Library System in its challenge of a state law imposing criminal penalties on librarians who provided minors with 'harmful' materials.

Justice Nicholas Bronni

A justice on the Arkansas Supreme Court who was previously the solicitor general in the Arkansas attorney general's office, representing the state in appeals cases.

Sarah Huckabee Sanders

The Republican governor of Arkansas who appointed Bronni to the Arkansas Supreme Court in 2024.

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What they’re saying

“(U.S. Supreme Court Justice) Clarence Thomas, I think, probably put it best once where he said there are really only two ways to interpret the Constitution. We can try as best we can, to discern what the framers intended, or we can simply make it up. I don't believe in making it up.”

— Justice Nicholas Bronni (arktimes.com)

“Protecting the First Amendment is not a left or right issue.”

— John Adams (arktimes.com)

What’s next

The outcome of the race will determine who fills the seat on the Arkansas Supreme Court, which is expected to take up several high-profile cases in the coming years.

The takeaway

This nonpartisan judicial race has become politically charged, with the two candidates accusing each other of being too ideologically driven. The race highlights the growing role of partisan politics in judicial elections across the country, even in states that have sought to keep their courts nonpartisan.