Casady concedes to Wood in Arkansas Court of Appeals race

Wendy Wood is shown in this April 30, 2022 file photo. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Cary Jenkins)
Wendy Wood is shown in this April 30, 2022 file photo. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Cary Jenkins)


A longtime Arkansas Court of Appeals clerk will replace the judge she has worked for since 2006 after her opponent conceded the race early Wednesday.

Wendy Wood, a clerk for retiring judge Larry Vaught, defeated Saline County District Judge Stephanie Casady in a closely contested race Tuesday night.

The District 6, Position 2 seat represents Perry, Pulaski and Saline counties.

"Early this morning, Judge Casady called me and graciously conceded what was a hard fought and close race," Wood said in a Twitter post Wednesday morning. "I would like to thank the voters of Pulaski, Saline and Perry Counties. ... I am honored, humbled and looking forward to serving the people of Arkansas as your next Court of Appeals Judge."

The race was too close to call Tuesday night with the votes leader changing several times.

Unofficial returns as of late Wednesday were:

Wood 38,008

Casady 37,882

Kevin Niehaus, director of government affairs for the Arkansas secretary of state's office, said not many votes remained but votes in Perry and Marion counties were still being tabulated.

"The delay has nothing to do with the election machines and is a result of changes that were made to their ballots after early voting began," he said. "I believe both accidentally left a JP race off their ballots and corrected the issue."

Casady in a Facebook post early Wednesday said she was conceding the race.

"I appreciate everyone that supported me and helped me," Casady told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. "I appreciate my husband and son for their unconditional love and support. I will continue to proudly serve the citizens of Saline County as a District Judge."

Casady said despite the narrow margin as of early Wednesday morning, she decided it was best to concede.

"I conceded because I do not believe the final numbers can change the outcome," she said. "As soon as I came to that conclusion, I reached out to my opponent to congratulate her and wish her well."

Wood, 52, has been a lawyer for 25 years. She was an attorney with the Barber Law Firm from 1996 until 2006, when she became a law clerk in the Court of Appeals.

Casady, 46, is the second-longest-serving district judge in Saline County and the first female state court judge elected in the county's history. She began her career in 2000 with the Office of Chief Counsel for the Arkansas Department of Human Services and later served as Saline County's deputy prosecuting attorney. In 2006, she entered private practice while serving as a court-appointed attorney for abused and neglected children.

Three other judges also ran unopposed for seats on the Arkansas Court of Appeals.

Judge Ray Abramson was reelected in District 1, Position 1. He was first elected in 2014.

Judge Kenneth Hixson was reelected in District 3, Position 2, which he has held since 2015.

Judge Cindy Thyer was elected without opposition to the District 1, Position 2 seat. It will be Thyer's first term on the state Court of Appeals. She currently serves as a circuit judge in the Second Judicial District, which covers Craighead, Clay, Crittenden, Greene, Mississippi and Poinsett counties.

The 12-member Court of Appeals comprises judges from seven districts in the state, and they serve eight-year terms.


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