A Pulaski County Circuit Judge has dismissed Bryan Norris’ challenge to the Republican runoff election for Arkansas Secretary of State after recounts in 6 Arkansas counties showed no changes in vote totals.
Circuit Judge Timothy Davis Fox issued the ruling Monday in the case involving Norris and Republican nominee Sen. Kim Hammer following the March 31, 2026 runoff election. Hammer won the statewide runoff by just under 1,000 votes.
After the election, Norris requested recounts in Saline, Grant, Washington, White, Miller, and Baxter counties. According to the court order, every recount produced the exact same results as the original certified totals.
“The recount results in all six (6) counties were the exact same vote totals as the original runoff vote totals for such counties,” Judge Fox wrote in the order.
Norris later challenged the recount process in Saline County, alleging election law violations by the Saline County Board of Election Commissioners. However, the court found no evidence supporting the allegations.
“Plaintiff Norris failed to prove the allegations in any of the eight (8) areas,” Fox stated.
The judge went further, describing Norris’ challenge to the recount procedures and vote tally as “specious, ill-founded, and wholly without merit.”
Judge Fox also praised election officials involved in the recount process, stating the Saline County Election Commissioners performed their duties “in an exemplary fashion.”
Saline County Clerk Doug Curtis responded following the ruling.
“This ruling confirms what we have said from the very beginning,” Curtis said. “Our election officials followed the law, our poll workers did their jobs, and the results were accurate. The recount confirmed it. The evidence presented at trial confirmed it. And now the Court has confirmed it.”
The court order noted that Norris attended the bench trial but did not testify on his own behalf. Two witnesses were called by Norris, both members of the Saline County Board of Election Commissioners.
Judge Fox also emphasized that all 6 counties conducting recounts reported identical vote totals to the original election results, calling it evidence that Arkansas election procedures and training methods are “sufficient and effective to ensure proper election contest recounts.”
Arkansas Secretary of State Cole Jester also released a statement after the ruling.
“Judge Fox’s ruling reinforces what election officials and voters already knew: Arkansas’ election process works,” Jester said. “We appreciate the work of county election officials who carried out their statutory responsibilities professionally and transparently.”
Following the dismissal, Norris attorney Clint Lancaster criticized the ruling in a Facebook post, calling Judge Fox’s decision “poorly reasoned.”
The case was dismissed with prejudice, officially ending the legal challenge and leaving the certified election results unchanged. Sen. Kim Hammer will now face Democratic nominee Kelly Grappe in the November general election for Arkansas Secretary of State.
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