Following a change to the law in 2025, Arkansas’s preferential primary elections and nonpartisan judicial elections no longer bounce between March and May depending on whether it is a presidential election year. The state’s primaries and judicial elections now occur in March of every even-numbered year, which means the candidate filing period is now in early November of each odd-numbered year.
This year, due to the deadline falling on Veterans Day, the candidate filing period for most candidates will run from noon on Nov. 3 until noon on Nov. 12. With less than a month before that period opens, we thought it would be helpful to gather all of the contested races and races for open seats in federal races, state constitutional offices, and the state Legislature in one place.
We’ve pulled together the list below from multiple sources, and will add to it as additional candidates jump in. If you know of an announced candidate we have overlooked, please let us know. If a particular race is not listed, that means the only announced candidate for the seat is the incumbent.
You can skip directly to a particular set of races by clicking one of these links: U.S. Federal Offices | State Constitutional Offices | State Senate | State House
U.S. Federal Offices
United States Senate
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Little Rock) is running for reelection. It would be Cotton’s third term in the Senate if he wins. Five Democrats have announced to challenge Cotton: Hallie Shoffner, a farmer from Newport; James Russell III, manager of a mental health clinic from Little Rock; Ethan Dunbar, mayor of Lewisville; Jonathan Pittman of Forrest City; and perpetual candidate Dan Whitfield of Bella Vista.
U.S. House of Representatives, District 1
Rep. Rick Crawford (R-Jonesboro) seeks his ninth term in the House. Samuel Goodman Baker of Jonesboro has announced his run as a Democrat in this race.
U.S. House of Representatives, District 2
Not sure what it says about Rep. French Hill (R-Little Rock) that his run for a seventh term in the House has drawn the most competition. Hill faces a primary challenge from the right from Chase McDowell, who claims to be from Arkansas but whose statement of candidacy shows a Virginia address and whose campaign committee and campaign bank account are based in Virginia.
Additionally, Hill has drawn two Democratic challengers: 2024 gubernatorial candidate Chris Jones of Little Rock and Zack Huffman, a teacher from Little Rock.
U.S. House of Representatives, District 3
If Hill’s race has the most competition, Rep. Steve Womack (R-Rogers) is a close second as he seeks his ninth term in Congress. Two Democrats have announced to run against Womack: Diana Lawrence, a Wisconsin native who recently moved to Van Buren, and Robb Ryerse, a pastor and nonprofit leader in Springdale.
Additionally, Christopher Hocevar, a Ph.D student at the University of Arkansas–Fayetteville, has announced that he is running against Womack as an independent.
State Constitutional Offices
Governor
Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced her 2026 campaign for reelection in January, and no other Republican has proven dumb enough to take on the governor and her massive war chest in the Republican primary. Democrats Fred Love, a term-limited state senator from Mabelvale, and Gary Huskey of Blytheville have announced their respective challenges to the incumbent governor.
Of note: Huskey is almost certainly ineligible to run for office in Arkansas, having pleaded guilty to two felony counts of animal cruelty in 2024 for the death of two dogs in Blytheville. He received a 24-month suspended sentence in May 2024. Arkansas law prohibits anyone who has been convicted of a felony from running for or holding elected office in the state.
Secretary of State
Current Sec. of State Cole Jester was appointed to the seat earlier this year to replace John Thurston, who was elected treasurer, and Arkansas law prohibits Jester from running for election to a position to which he was appointed. Three Republicans have announced their plans to succeed Jester in the role as the state’s top election official: Kim Hammer, a term-limited state senator from Saline County; Miller County Judge Cathy Hardison Harrison; and Bryan Norris, a veteran and Batesville businessman who brags about endorsements from some of the worst people imaginable.
Commissioner of State Lands
Because Cole Jester cannot run for secretary of state and apparently cannot be bothered to get a job outside the public sector, he’s running for commissioner of state lands to replace the term-limited (and perfectly named) Tommy Land. Jester will be challenged by Christian Olson, a real estate investor and former chairman of Nic Horton’s pretend thinktank Opportunity Arkansas.
Arkansas Supreme Court
Gov. Sanders appointed Associate Justice Cody Hiland to position 3 on the state’s high court and Associate Justice Nicholas Bronni to position 6. Neither man can run for the position to which he is currently appointed, so they are running for each other’s seat in 2026.
State Senate
District 6
Democrat Bobby Dale Jones, who supported RFK Jr. in the 2024 presidential election, takes on incumbent Sen. Matt McKee (R-Pearcy).
District 9
Sen. Reginald Murdock (D-Marianna) is term-limited. Two candidates are vying for that southeast Arkansas seat: Rep. Jessie McGruder (D-Marion) and Republican Kenny Phillips, a business owner from Crawfordsville.
District 13
Seats left open due to the retirement of term-limited legislators are drawing a lot of interest from prospective candidates. Outgoing Sen. Jane English’s North Little Rock seat is no different. Rep. Brandon Achor (R-Maumelle), a pharmacist, and Misha Martin, an attorney from Sherwood, are seeking the Republican nomination. On the Democratic side are Allison Grigsby Sweatman, a mental health professional from North Little Rock, and Jason Williams, a nurse from Sherwood.
District 15
Sen. Fred Love is term-limited (and running for governor). Three Democrats hope to replace him: his wife, ShaRhonda Love, former executive director of the Arkansas Minority Health Commission; Rep. Tara Shepherd (D-Little Rock); and Charity Smith-Allen, an educator from Little Rock.
District 16
With term-limited Sen. Kim Hammer running for secretary of state, three candidates are vying for Hammer’s Saline County seat. Saline County Sheriff Rodney Wright and Randy Sams, an insurance agent from Benton, are seeking the Republican nomination, while security professional Josh Irby of Bryant has announced as a Democrat in the race.
District 21
This northeast Arkansas district brings a bit of interparty drama, as incumbent Sen. Blake Johnson (R-Corning) has drawn a primary challenge from Rep. Jeremy Wooldridge (R-Marmaduke), who is forgoing a reelection bid in his current seat to take on Johnson.
District 26
We have already written a lot about the election to replace the late Sen. Gary Stubblefield. Four Republicans — three of whom are actually eligible to hold the seat — have announced: Rep. Mark Berry (R-Ozark); small business owner Brad Simon of Paris; Ted Tritt, a “semi-retired businessman” also from Paris; and Logan County Justice of the Peace Brenda Brewer.
Brewer is ineligible to be elected to the seat, due to her current JP term not expiring until the end of 2026, since the special general election is scheduled for June 9 and whomever wins the special election to replace Stubblefield will take office before the start of 2027.
District 28
Sen. Bryan King (R-Green Forest) defeated then-Sen. Bob Ballinger in 2022 to take this seat. In 2026, Ballinger’s son, Bobby Ballinger, seeks to avenge his father’s defeat by challenging King in the Republican primary.
District 30
With Sen. Greg Leding term-limited, many expected multiple Democrats to jump into this Fayetteville-centric race. So far, only Rep. Denise Garner (D-Fayetteville) has announced.
State House
District 1
With Rep. Jeremy Wooldridge running for state Senate, two Republicans are vying for the nomination for this northeast Arkansas seat: firefighter and small business owner Brian Carter of Paragould and Mark Nichols, an engineer from Randolph County.
District 5
Four Republicans hope to replace Rep. Ron McNair (R-Alpena), who is not seeking reelection: realtor and former alderman Jeff Pratt of Harrison, disabled Marine veteran Truman Copeland of Harrison, pastor and realtor Mike Bishop of Harrison, and Boone County Justice of the Peace Kyle Evatt.
District 6
Rep. Harlan Breaux (R-Holiday Island) is not running for reelection. Small business owner Cody Rogers of Omaha, Carroll County Justice of the Peace Hunter Rivett of Berryville, and businessman Rodney Ballance of Berryville are competing for the Republican nomination in that race.
District 8
Rep. Austin McCollum (R-Bentonville) is leaving the Legislature. So far, the only candidate announced to replace him is Benton County Justice of the Peace Brian Armas of Pea Ridge.
District 19
Incumbent Rep. Steve Unger (R-Springdale) is being challenged by Democrat Jamie Atkinson, a business owner and entrepreneur from Fayetteville.
District 20
Rep. Denise Garner is running for Sen. Greg Leding’s seat. So far, only Democrat Max Deitchler, an attorney and small business owner from Fayetteville, has announced his candidacy for the open House seat.
District 30
In northeast Arkansas, Rep. Fran Cavenaugh (R-Walnut Ridge) is calling it quits. Craighead County Justice of the Peace Josh Longmire of Jonesboro and bail bondsman Coty Powers of Walnut Ridge, both Republicans, hope to replace her.
District 32
More action in northeast Arkansas. Rep. Jack Ladyman (R-Jonesboro) seeks his seventh term in the House, but has drawn a Democratic challenger in Josh Alfano of Jonesboro, a children’s pastor and employee of the Jonesboro Economical Transit System.
District 35
After local Republican election commissioners tried to prevent early voting in this district last time, leading to a lawsuit that forced early voting to occur, Rep. Jessie McGruder came out victorious. He’s not seeking reelection, however, running instead for the Senate seat left open by term-limited Sen. Reginald Murdock. To replace McGruder, Republican Robert Thorne Jr. of Marion, who lost to McGruder in 2024, will take on Democrat Jaylen Smith, the 21-year-old mayor of Earle, who was one of the nation’s youngest mayors when he was elected in 2022 at 18.
District 36
Rep. Johnny Rye (R-Trumann) has a challenger as he seeks a sixth term in the House. Craighead County Justice of the Peace Shamal Carter, a Democrat from Jonesboro, will try to unseat the incumbent Rye.
District 39
Pull your terrible hat down tight and cinch up your inexplicable ponytail, Rep. Wayne Long (R-Bradford), because you’ve drawn a primary challenger in 2026: Independence County Republican Party Chairman Cody Smith, who also works as manager of Vision Outdoor Media in Pleasant Plains.
District 42
Rep. Stephen Meeks (R-Greenbrier) is term-limited, so Arkansans will no longer have to listen to him speaking too closely into microphones during the legislative session. To replace him, Republican primary voters will choose between Scout Stubbs, a small business owner and homeschooling mom from Greenbrier, and farmer and real estate developer Jeremy Riddle, also of Greenbrier.
District 46
Three Republicans have thrown hats in the ring to replace term-limited Rep. Jon Eubanks (R-Paris) in the western Arkansas seat that includes the site of a proposed mega prison: Tonya Fletcher, executive director of the Paris Area Chamber of Commerce and a current Paris City Council member; businessman Brian Cooper of Booneville; and Curtis Varnell, an educator from Subiaco.
District 52
Rep. Marcus Richmond (R-Harvey) is not seeking reelection, and four Republicans have expressed interest in replacing him. Republican primary voters will choose between Mike Jones, a farmer from Dardanelle; Dardanelle City Councilwoman Crystal Malloy; Yell County Justice of the Peace Brent Montgomery of Ola; and Kristain Thompson, director of NCAA Compliance at Arkansas Tech, who resides in Belleville.
District 56
Republicans have been hoping to knock off Rep. Steve Magie (D-Conway) for years. They’ll try again in 2026 with Mark Brannan, a longtime Republican apparatchik from Conway.
District 57
Rep. Cameron Cooper (R-Romance) has served four terms in the Arkansas House and hopes to earn a fifth. To do that, he’ll have to defeat Andy Pennington, the principal at Frank Mitchell Intermediate School in the Vilonia School District.
District 59
Tony Ferguson, a farmer and small business owner in Beebe, announced a primary challenge to Rep. Jim Wooten (R-Beebe). Wooten, 83, has served in the legislature since 2019.
District 70
Before resigning to take a new gig as head of Arkansas PBS, Rep. Carlton Wing (R-North Little Rock) announced he would not seek reelection. Bo Renshaw, a physical therapist from North Little Rock, is the only Republican to announce for this race so far. On the Democratic side, Cordelia Smith-Johnson, a veteran and civilian military contractor from Sherwood, and Alex Holladay, a healthcare administrator from North Little Rock, will battle for the nomination. Holladay narrowly lost the general election race to Wing in 2024.
District 71
With Rep. Brandon Achor running for Sen. Jane English’s open seat, Stephen Bright, a former Republican legislator from Maumelle, will take on retired educator Cassandra Mayes, a Democrat also from Maumelle.
District 72
Rep. Tracy Steele (D-North Little Rock) is term-limited. Democrat Angela Person West, a North Little Rock school board member, has announced her candidacy to replace him.
District 75
Hunter Sadler, a veteran and staffer for U.S. Rep. French Hill, announced in August that he would try to unseat incumbent Rep. Ashley Hudson (D-Little Rock) in this West Little Rock race.
District 77
Veteran and Pulaski County Justice of the Peace Steven Person hopes to replace outgoing, term-limited Rep. Fred Allen (D-Little Rock).
District 78
Rep. Keith Brooks (R-Little Rock) has served three terms in the Arkansas House. If he wants a fourth, he’ll have to defeat Keaton Hobby of Little Rock, a “political commentator” that you would be forgiven for assuming was an AI bot.
District 79
Little Rock School Board Member Michael Mason, a Democrat, is the only announced candidate in the race to replace Rep. Tara Shepherd, who is running for the open seat left by term-limited Sen. Fred Love.
District 80
It appeared that Rep. Denise Ennett (D-Little Rock) would have no competition in her 2026 race for reelection. Then former state Sen. Linda Chesterfield (D-Little Rock) announced she was running against Ennett. Rumor is Chesterfield is running over a disagreement with Ennett over a road construction project in town.
District 81
Sports talking head and incumbent Rep. RJ Hawk (R-Bryant) has a Democratic challenger in 2026: Gina Thomas-Littlejohn, an Alexander business owner, who Hawk defeated handily in 2024.
District 82
After two terms in the House, Rep. Tony Furman (R-Benton) has drawn a primary opponent: Steve Brown, a Benton alderman.
District 92
Rep. Julie Mayberry (R-Hensley), one of the more reasonable Republicans in the House in recent years, is not seeking reelection. Two candidates have announced to replace her: Eric Shepherd, a firefighter and realtor from Sheridan, and Dawn Creekmore, a former state representative from Hensley. Creekmore was a Democrat when she was in the Legislature from 2005-2011, but she switched to the Republican party after leaving office.
District 94
The people of District 94 will no longer be represented by term-limited Rep. Jeff Wardlaw (R-Hermitage) and his horrendous fashion sense. In his place, they will have to choose between Wardlaw’s wife, Missy Wardlaw, a clinical liaison for Southern Administrative Services, and John Kyle Day, a historian and professor at the University of Arkansas–Monticello in the Republican primary. No Democrat has announced for this race.
District 97
Rep. Matthew Shepherd (R-El Dorado) is term-limited. Former Circuit Judge Jim Andrews (R-El Dorado) is running as a Republican to replace him.
District 99