Matthew Wade Kimmel announces candidacy Circuit Judge of the Eighth Judicial District-North, Division 2

Local attorney Matthew Wade Kimmel has announced his candidacy for the position of Circuit Judge of the Eighth Judicial District-North, Division 2, which serves Hempstead and Nevada Counties.

Circuit courts in Arkansas are general jurisdiction trial courts that consist of five subject matter divisions: criminal, civil, probate, domestic relations, and juvenile. Judicial candidates for circuit judge run in nonpartisan elections and are required to have been licensed attorneys in the state for a minimum of six years preceding the date of assuming office.

“An Arkansas circuit court hears very diverse types of cases. It has very broad jurisdiction,” said the candidate, who goes by Wade. “I am 54 years old, and I’ve been an attorney for almost half of my life. I believe my professional and life experiences have made me uniquely qualified to serve as circuit judge. I have developed the maturity, perspective, and demeanor necessary to sit as a circuit judge.”

Kimmel has been a licensed attorney in Arkansas for 26 years. For 19 years, he was in private practice as a partner and owner of a local law firm. He handled all aspects of a litigation-based law practice with a diverse range of civil and criminal practice areas. Kimmel tried both jury and bench trials and handled appellate matters. For the past seven years, Kimmel has been an attorney for the State of Arkansas, Office of Child Support Enforcement in its Hope regional office. In that capacity, Kimmel has handled all pending child support cases in Hempstead and Nevada Counties. Over the course of his 26-year legal career, Kimmel estimates that he has handled thousands of cases across Arkansas and Texas.

“I am running for circuit judge so that I can continue to serve the citizens of Hempstead and Nevada Counties,” Kimmel said. “I have provided legal services to clients across Arkansas in my private practice and, most recently, have served as a government attorney working exclusively in Hempstead and Nevada Counties to protect the best interests of children. I have had the experience of helping people as a private attorney and as an attorney working for the state. I believe that running for judge is a natural progression in my career.”

One of Kimmel’s priorities if elected would be to ensure that the local court retains its reputation as being a place where everyone is treated fairly and impartially. “Our courts work for the community and its citizens,” he said. “People must know that, when they enter the courtroom, they will be treated with respect and fairness. I believe that I have developed a reputation for being thoughtful, listening attentively, and treating everyone with fairness and respect.”

Kimmel has been married for 19 years to his wife, Kandice, who teaches Latin and history at St. James Day School in Texarkana. They are the parents to three children, 16-year-old twins Cooper and Olivia, and 8-year-old Finn. Cooper and Olivia attend Prescott High School, where, as Eagle Scouts, they are academic and extracurricular leaders. The candidate’s mother, Joanna, also lives with the family. They are members of the Prescott First United Methodist Church, where Wade and Kandice serve as adult leaders to the teen youth group.

Kimmel is admitted to practice law in the state courts of Arkansas (admitted in 1999) and Texas (admitted in 2000). He is also admitted to practice in the United States District Courts of the Western and Eastern Districts of Arkansas (admitted in 2000), as well as the United States District Courts of the Eastern District of Texas (admitted in 2000). Kimmel is further admitted to practice before the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals (admitted in 2010) and the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals (admitted in 2010).

Kimmel is an active member of the Arkansas Bar Association and is a tenured member of its House of Delegates, having been elected in 2002 and served through 2008. The Arkansas Bar Association House of Delegates is a governing body of elected members representing the state’s 15 Trustee Districts. It plays a crucial role in shaping the association’s policies and direction. Kimmel is also a member of the Texas Bar Association.

After earning a Bachelor of Art degree in history from Texas A&M University–Texarkana, graduating summa cum laude with a 4.0 GPA, Kimmel completed a Master of Art degree in history from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville with a 4.0 GPA. Kimmel then received a juris doctor degree from the University of Arkansas School of Law at Fayetteville, earning magna cum laude recognition and finishing as a top ten graduate in the class of 1999. While in law school, Kimmel was a published member of the prestigious Arkansas Law Review.

The Circuit Judge of the Eighth Judicial District-North, Division 2 position is currently held by the Honorable Judge Duncan Culpepper, who is retiring at the end of the current term. The election for this nonpartisan position will be held on March 3, 2026.