NEWS

PRESS RELEASE / May 7, 2025

Arkansas Senate President, Speaker of the House Endorse Jester for Arkansas Land Commissioner; Adds Full Support of Chambers’ Leadership

LITTLE ROCK – Secretary of State Cole Jester, Republican candidate for Arkansas Land Commissioner, picked up two key endorsements Wednesday as Senate President Pro Tempore Bart Hester and House Speaker Brian Evans threw their support behind his 2026 bid. 

Jester, who announced his campaign on April 30, has previously received endorsements from Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, U.S. Senator Tom Cotton, Attorney General Tim Griffin, and Lieutenant Governor Leslie Rutledge.

“Cole Jester is a good friend and a bold conservative,” said Hester. “He is a man of deep faith who loves this state. I am proud to endorse him to be Arkansas’s next Commissioner of State Lands. I look forward to seeing him protect our state lands.”

“I’m proud to announce my endorsement of Cole Jester for Land Commissioner,” said Evans. “In his time as Secretary of State, he’s led the way in our state’s tremendous progress towards safer and more secure elections. I’m confident in his ability to continue defending our conservative values in this next role.”

In addition to the support of Hester and Evans, Jester’s campaign received the unanimous backing of Republican leadership in both chambers, including: 

Senate Leadership – 

  • Senate Majority Leader Blake Johnson
  • Senate Majority Whip Breanne Davis
  • Assistant Pro Tempores: Senators Dave Wallace, Tyler Dees, and Matt Stone

House Leadership – 

  • House Majority Leader Howard Beaty
  • House Majority Whip Stetson Painter
  • Speaker Pro Tempore Carlton Wing
  • Assistant Pro Tempores: Representatives Dwight Tosh, Les Warren, and Kendra Moore

Jester is a lifelong Arkansan and constitutional lawyer, who has focused his time as Secretary of State on providing Arkansas with the most secure elections in the country. As Land Commissioner, Jester has vowed to “keep our tax dollars in state; investigate Chinese influence near state lands; and support our natural resources at every turn.”

PRESS RELEASE / APRIL 30, 2025

Secretary of State Cole Jester Announces Bid for Arkansas Land Commissioner; Picks Up Key Endorsement of Governor Sarah Sanders

LITTLE ROCK – In a video released today, Arkansas’ Secretary of State Cole Jester, a lifelong Arkansan and constitutional lawyer, announced his 2026 candidacy for the office of Arkansas Land Commissioner. Secretary Jester is a husband, a father, a Christian, and a bold conservative who, as Secretary of State, is focused on giving Arkansas the most secure elections in the country.

“After prayerful consideration, I am excited to announce my campaign for Arkansas Commissioner of State Lands,” said Secretary Jester. “Arkansas is the best state in the country, and we are going to work to make it even better. I became a constitutional lawyer to fight for conservative change, and I will continue to do that each and every day. We are going to keep our tax dollars in state; investigate Chinese influence near state lands; and support our natural resources at every turn.”

As part of today’s announcement, Secretary Jester is proud to tout the key endorsement of Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who called him “America’s best Secretary of State.” 

“Cole Jester did a fantastic job as my legal counsel, and he has been America’s best Secretary of State. He will serve and protect Arkansas well as our Land Commissioner. He has my full endorsement.”

– Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders

Prior to his tenure as Arkansas’s Secretary of State, Secretary Jester served as Legal Counsel for Governor Sanders. In that role, Secretary Jester spearheaded efforts to stop the Chinese Communist Party from buying Arkansas farmland and worked to reduce hundreds of burdensome government regulations.

About Secretary Cole Jester:

Secretary Jester is a Benton, Arkansas native who graduated valedictorian of Benton High School and summa cum laude from Ouachita Baptist University with a degree in Christian Studies as well as political science. He received his Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia School of Law. 

He has worked for the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. While attending the University of Virginia School of Law, he clerked for the firm of Friday, Eldridge, & Clark in Little Rock, worked for the United States Air Force, and argued criminal cases in Virginia district court. He also served as the Managing Editor of The Journal of Law and Politics, founded in 1983 by Justice Antonin Scalia. 

Secretary Jester is a proud husband to his wife, Elizabeth, and father to his daughter, Charlotte. He is a Christian, a Sunday School teacher, a member of the National Rifle Association, and an avid deer hunter.