In 1979 Hendren was elected for the 6th district of the Arkansas Senate, serving until 1983.[2] In 2001, he was elected for the 1st district of the Arkansas House of Representatives, succeeding his son Jim. He was then a Republican politician.[3]
In 2003, Hendren was elected for the 9th district of the Arkansas Senate, where he served until 2013. In 2015, he was elected for the 92nd district of the Arkansas House of Representatives.[3][6] In 2019, he was succeeded by his daughter Gayla.[3]
In his career, Hendren had served as the minority leader of the Arkansas Senate.[7]