The Hon. Chris R. Carnahan is a judge for the Faulkner County District Court and the Van Buren County District Court in Arkansas.
Prior to his election, Carnahan was a judge for the 20th Judicial Circuit Court in Arkansas, a position to which he was appointed by Governor Asa Hutchinson in 2016. During this time, he held assignments as a special justice for the Arkansas Supreme Court. Before that, he spent time as general counsel for the Arkansas State Board of Pharmacy.
Carnahan earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and history from the University of Arkansas, Little Rock (1994) and a master’s degree in history from the University of Central Arkansas (2003). He then completed a J.D. at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, William H. Bowen School of Law in 2005.
After graduating from law school, Carnahan worked as a deputy prosecuting attorney for the 15th Judicial District and a senior deputy prosecuting attorney for the 20th Judicial District. He supplemented his service with work as a city attorney for Holland, Oppelo, and Menifee; a city prosecutor for Fairfield Bay and Marshall; and an election commissioner for Faulkner County.
His memberships have included the Gun Owners of America, the National Rifle Association, and the Arkansas Judicial Council.
Raised in Little Rock, Arkansas, Carnahan attended McClellan High School. He describes his legal philosophy as original textualism. He is registered as a Republican.