The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee has voted to advance the nomination of David Clay Fowlkes to serve as a federal judge for the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Arkansas, moving his nomination one step closer to confirmation.
The committee favorably reported Fowlkes’ nomination in a bipartisan 15–7 vote, sending it to the full Senate for consideration.
Fowlkes, a Harrison native and the current U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas, was nominated by President Donald Trump to fill a vacancy on the federal bench. His nomination has drawn support from both of Arkansas’s U.S. senators.
Sen. John Boozman called Fowlkes “an experienced prosecutor and an excellent choice,” praising his commitment to public safety and the rule of law. Sen. Tom Cotton also voiced support, noting Fowlkes’ long record of helping keep “violent criminals and drugs out of our communities.”
Fowlkes graduated from Arkansas State University and the University of Arkansas School of Law before serving as a deputy prosecutor in Benton County. He later joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Fort Smith, where he has overseen the criminal, civil and administrative divisions and served as lead attorney for the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force.
The Western District of Arkansas covers 34 counties, stretching from Texarkana and El Dorado to Fort Smith and Fayetteville.
Fowlkes’ nomination now awaits a vote by the full Senate.
