BATESVILLE, Ark. — Independence County District Judge Chaney Taylor, a Batesville native with more than 20 years on the bench, is seeking election as Circuit Judge for Division 1 in the 16th Judicial District in the March 3, 2026, nonpartisan election.
Taylor, who has presided over upwards of 50,000 cases since his election as District Judge in 2004, is challenging incumbent Circuit Judge Holly Meyer. Division 1 covers Cleburne, Fulton, Independence, Izard and Stone counties and primarily handles civil, probate and other non-juvenile matters.
A 1974 Batesville High School graduate, Taylor earned a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in 1981 and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Arkansas School of Law in 1992. Before entering the judiciary, he practiced pharmacy and served in the Arkansas House of Representatives from 1999 to 2004, representing Independence, Stone and Van Buren counties during part of his tenure.
During his judicial career, Taylor established Arkansas’ first Sobriety Court program in 2009, aimed at helping repeat impaired drivers enter treatment, secure employment and reduce recidivism. The program has graduated more than 100 participants, reuniting families and easing burdens on local jails and county budgets. He also presides over Adult Drug Courts in Independence, Izard and Fulton counties.
Taylor’s work in specialty courts earned him the 2024 “Force for Good” Award from the Arkansas Impaired Driving Prevention Task Force and the 2024 “Specialty Court Judge of the Year” from the Arkansas Drug Court Professionals Association. In 2025, readers of the Batesville Guard voted him “Best Judge of Independence County.” He has also received the “Hands of Empowerment” Award from Family Violence Prevention for his handling of order-of-protection cases in Independence County.
Taylor and his wife, Leah, have been married for 28 years and have four children: Madison, Sophie, Ty and Trey. The family is active in the First United Methodist Church of Batesville. Taylor is a lifetime member of the National Rifle Association and the Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary, and holds lifetime Arkansas Game & Fish licenses and boating certification. He enjoys spending time on Greers Ferry Lake and fishing on the White River.
“It has been the honor of my life to serve as District Judge in the community where I was born and raised,” Taylor stated in his campaign announcement. “I am ready to bring my two decades of experience and deep understanding of the law to the circuit court level. I respectfully ask for your vote on March 3, 2026.”
For more information, visit judgechaneytaylor.com or follow his campaign on social media. Voters in the five-county district will decide the race on March 3. All candidates are presumed qualified unless otherwise noted by election authorities.
