2026 Arkansas elections
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| Elections in Arkansas |
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A general election will be held in the U.S. state of Arkansas on November 3, 2026 for all executive offices, all four of the state's seats in the United States House of Representatives, and a U.S. senator. Primaries will be held on March 3, 2026, with runoff primaries on March 31.[1] While Arkansas used to be a Democratic stronghold, (with Bill Clinton winning it twice with very comfortable margins), Arkansas is now among the most red states in the country.[2] A Democrat has not won state-wide since 2010, when former governor Mike Beebe won re-election.[3]
Governor
[edit]Incumbent Republican Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders has declared her intention to run for a second term.[4] She is the daughter of former Governor Mike Huckabee and was one of President Trump's press secretary's in his first term. She easily won her first election in 2022 with 62.96% of the vote.[5]
Lieutenant Governor
[edit]Incumbent Lieutenant Governor, Leslie Rutledge, has declared her intention to run for a second term.[6] She also easily won her first election in 2022, with 64.21% of the vote.[7]
Secretary of State
[edit]Incumbent Secretary of State John Thurston resigned from his office after being elected in 2024 as State Treasurer.[8] The new appointee, Cole Jester, is unable to run for a full term, leading to an open seat in 2026.
Attorney General
[edit]Incumbent Attorney General, Tim Griffin, has declared his intentions to run for a second term.[9] He won in 2022 with 67.61% of the vote.[10]
State Treasurer
[edit]Incumbent Treasurer John Thurston has declared his intention to run for his first full term.[11] He was elected in a special election in 2024 with 65.37% of the vote after then incumbent Mark Lowery died in office.[12]
State Auditor
[edit]Incumbent Auditor Dennis Milligan is able to seek re-election, but he has not declared his intentions yet. He won in 2022 with 66.79% of the vote.[13]
Commissioner of State Lands
[edit]Incumbent Land Commissioner Tommy Land is term-limited and cannot run for re-election. The incumbent Secretary of State, Cole Jester, has announced his candidacy for this position.[14]
United States Senate
[edit]Incumbent senator Tom Cotton from Arkansas has declared his intention to run for a third-term.[15] He is the third-highest ranking Republican in the Senate. He won his last election in 2020 with 66.53% of the vote against a Libertarian.[16]
United States House of Representatives
[edit]District 1
[edit]Republican incumbent Rick Crawford has not declared his intentions to run for a 9th term yet. He won his last election in 2024 with 72.9% of the vote.
District 2
[edit]Republican incumbent French Hill has not declared his intention to run for a 7th term yet. He won his last election with 58.9% of the vote.
District 3
[edit]Republican incumbent Steve Womack has declared his intention to run for a 9th term.[17] He won his last election with 63.8% of the vote.
District 4
[edit]Republican incumbent Bruce Westerman has not declared his intention to run for a 7th term yet. He won his last election with 72.9% of the vote.
Ballot measures*
[edit]Issue 1
[edit]The, "Creation of Economic Development Districts Amendment" would "Allow the legislature to create programs, including Economic Development Districts, and make loans and grants of public money to develop the state economy".[18]
Issue 2
[edit]The "Citizenship Requirement for Voting Amendment" would "Provide that only U.S. citizens may vote in state or local elections".[19]
Issue 3
[edit]The "Natural Resources Commission Bond Measure" would "Authorize the Arkansas Natural Resources Commission to issue up to $500 million in general obligation bonds to fund water-related infrastructure projects including water treatment and transportation, waste disposal, pollution abatement, drainage, irrigation, flood control, and wetlands and aquatic resources infrastructure".[20]
Issue 4
[edit]The "Right to Keep and Bear Arms Amendment" would "Create a right to keep and bear arms without limitation on the possession and use of ammunition, firearm accessories, or firearm components".[21]
Notes
[edit]*issues in no particular order
References
[edit]- ^ "2026 State Primary Election Dates". www.ncsl.org. Retrieved July 18, 2025.
- ^ "Author: How Arkansas went from blue to red". Magnolia Reporter - Magnolia, Arkansas News. October 24, 2023. Retrieved July 18, 2025.
- ^ "UPDATE: Beebe wins 2nd term as governor | Arkansas Democrat Gazette". www.arkansasonline.com. November 2, 2010. Retrieved July 18, 2025.
- ^ "Project 2028: GOP officials jockey during Republican National Convention for future White House runs". AP News. July 18, 2024. Retrieved July 18, 2025.
- ^ "Arkansas Governor Election Results 2022: Live Map | Midterm Races by County". www.politico.com. Retrieved July 18, 2025.
- ^ "Rutledge is elected lieutenant governor, becomes 1st woman voted into state's 2nd-highest office | Arkansas Democrat Gazette". www.arkansasonline.com. November 9, 2022. Retrieved July 18, 2025.
- ^ "Arkansas Lieutenant Governor Election Results". The New York Times. November 8, 2022. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 18, 2025.
- ^ Vrbin, Tess (November 6, 2024). "Thurston will be Arkansas treasurer; new secretary of state will be appointed". Arkansas Advocate. Retrieved July 18, 2025.
- ^ "Gov. Sanders, other state candidates report campaign finances | Eldorado News". www.eldoradonews.com. April 19, 2025. Retrieved July 18, 2025.
- ^ "Arkansas Attorney General Election Results". The New York Times. November 8, 2022. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 18, 2025.
- ^ "State Treasurer John Thurston announces re-election bid". Talk Business & Politics. May 13, 2025. Retrieved July 18, 2025.
- ^ "Arkansas Attorney General Election Results". The New York Times. November 8, 2022. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 18, 2025.
- ^ "Arkansas Auditor Election Results". The New York Times. November 8, 2022. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 18, 2025.
- ^ "Secretary of State Cole Jester to run for Commissioner of State Lands". Talk Business & Politics. April 30, 2025. Retrieved July 18, 2025.
- ^ "Tom Cotton announces run for third term in US Senate". KARK. February 27, 2025. Archived from the original on April 8, 2025. Retrieved July 18, 2025.
- ^ "Arkansas U.S. Senate Election Results". The New York Times. November 3, 2020. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 18, 2025.
- ^ "Womack eyes reelection to Congress in 2026 election". 5newsonline.com. May 20, 2025. Retrieved July 18, 2025.
- ^ "Arkansas Authorize Legislature to Create Programs for Economic Development Including Economic Development Districts Amendment (2026)". Ballotpedia. Retrieved July 18, 2025.
- ^ "Arkansas Citizenship Requirement for Voting Amendment (2026)". Ballotpedia. Retrieved July 18, 2025.
- ^ "Arkansas Natural Resources Commission Bond Measure (2026)". Ballotpedia. Retrieved July 18, 2025.
- ^ "Arkansas Right to Keep and Bear Arms Amendment (2026)". Ballotpedia. Retrieved July 18, 2025.
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