Boozman, Cotton Oppose Rudofsky Appeals Court Nomination
Arkansas's two Republican senators back a different candidate for the 8th Circuit seat as Trump presses the Senate to confirm judges before January.
Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in People
Sens. John Boozman and Tom Cotton are opposing Lee Rudofsky's nomination to the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, favoring Arkansas Supreme Court Justice Cody Hiland instead. The dispute comes as President Donald Trump urged the Senate on Monday to confirm 161 pending nominations, including 25 federal judges.
Why it matters
The fight over a single appeals court seat highlights the Senate's limited window to confirm judges before Republicans lose their majority in January. For Arkansas, it puts its two senators at odds with a nominee the state's federal courts already know, since Trump appointed him to the Eastern District of Arkansas in 2019.
Trump has announced 22 judicial nominees who remain pending, with three more prospective nominees submitting Senate Judiciary paperwork without formal announcements. Trump appointed three Supreme Court justices and 54 federal appeals court judges in his first term, compared with one Supreme Court justice and 45 appeals court judges appointed by Biden.
The players
John Boozman
Republican U.S. senator from Arkansas and a member of the Senate, who is opposing Rudofsky's nomination and favors Cody Hiland for the seat.
Tom Cotton
Republican U.S. senator from Arkansas who, alongside Boozman, is opposing Rudofsky's nomination and backing Arkansas Supreme Court Justice Cody Hiland.
Lee Rudofsky
Arkansas federal judge nominated to the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, whom Trump appointed to the Eastern District of Arkansas in 2019.
Donald Trump
Current President of the United States, who urged the Senate to confirm 161 pending nominations, including 25 federal judges, before Republicans lose their majority in January.
The details
Rudofsky and three other judicial nominees were held over under committee rules, delaying their votes to a later meeting. Hiland was offered a district court seat, which he declined, after expecting the appeals court nomination; neither Arkansas senator introduced Rudofsky at his September confirmation hearing.
Timeline
September: Rudofsky's confirmation hearing took place without his home-state senators introducing him.
2019: Trump appointed Rudofsky to the Eastern District of Arkansas.
August: Hiland said he expected the appeals court nomination but declined a district seat.
Monday evening (Nov. 9, 2026): Trump posted on Truth Social urging confirmation of 161 nominations.
January: Republicans lose the Senate majority, and Sen. Mike Lee becomes the top Republican on the Judiciary Committee.
Market Landscape
Trump's first-term record of three Supreme Court justices and 54 appeals court judges set a benchmark that his current push to confirm 25 federal judges is meant to extend before Republicans lose the Senate majority in January. The fight over the 8th Circuit seat reflects the same pattern, with Arkansas's senators weighing in on which candidates will shape the appeals bench.
For Arkansas residents, the outcome determines which judge fills a seat on the court that hears federal appeals from the state, shaping how those cases are decided for years. The nomination fight also signals whether the state's two senators will coordinate with the White House on the judicial picks that take effect in the coming Congress.
The takeaway
The contest over one appeals court seat shows how quickly judicial confirmations can narrow before a change in Senate control. Readers following federal courts in Arkansas should watch the Judiciary Committee vote next week as an early signal of whether the nomination advances.
What happens next
Rudofsky's committee vote is expected next week, and Republican defections could prevent his nomination from advancing before the Senate majority changes in January.
Further reading
Explore more on People to see how judicial nominations and the senators behind them shape Arkansas's federal courts.
