Arkansas Secretary of State election, 2026 (March 31 Republican primary runoff)
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| Arkansas Secretary of State |
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| Election details |
| Filing deadline: November 12, 2025 |
| Primary: March 3, 2026 Primary runoff: March 31, 2026 General: November 3, 2026 |
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| Poll times:
7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. |
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Kim Hammer (R) defeated Bryan Norris (R) in the Republican primary runoff to become the party's nominee for secretary of state on March 31, 2026. Incumbent Cole Jester (R) did not run, as he was appointed to the position and could not legally run for a full term. In the March 3 primary, Norris received 34.3% of the vote, Hammer received 33.5%, and Cathy Hardin Harrison (R) received 32.1%.
In the initial primary election, a major issue was whether the state should switch from using voting machines to paper ballots to conduct elections.[1] Norris supported using paper ballots and said that he wanted to be elected to "work with [Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders] and ... help her bring that into reality."[2] Hammer opposed switching, and said the state's election process did not need changes because of existing procedures: "We have so many audits in place right now that have been utilized, and fortunately, we have found there are no fraudulent activities in our current system."[3]
Hammer had served as a state Senator since 2019. He campaigned on his experience and said, "I’ve got 16 years’ experience ... I don’t know it all but I’ve got a pretty good working knowledge and I’ll be able to go into the office not behind the learning curve."[4] Hammer's campaign website said he would "work to implement any election laws passed by the Legislature or any executive orders put forth by Governor Sanders or President Trump."[5] Incumbent Secretary of State Cole Jester (R) and Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R) endorsed Hammer.[6]
Norris was a U.S. Army veteran. He campaigned on his military background, and in his response to Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey, he said, "I’ve learned leadership means doing what’s right especially when it’s hard. I’m running to continue that service, defending your voice, your vote, and your values."[7] Norris also said he would focus on keeping elections secure: "I will work to ensure every legal vote counts and that every Arkansan can trust the outcome without question."[7] Former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn (R) and MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell (R) endorsed Norris.[6]
This page focuses on Arkansas' Republican Party Secretary of State primary runoff. For more in-depth information on Arkansas' Democratic Secretary of State primary, Republican Secretary of State primary, and the general election, see the following pages:
- Arkansas Secretary of State election, 2026 (March 3 Democratic primary)
- Arkansas Secretary of State election, 2026 (March 3 Republican primary)
- Arkansas Secretary of State election, 2026
Candidates and election results
Republican primary runoff election
Republican primary runoff for Arkansas Secretary of State
Kim Hammer defeated Bryan Norris in the Republican primary runoff for Arkansas Secretary of State on March 31, 2026.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Kim Hammer | 50.6 | 40,920 |
 | Bryan Norris  | 49.4 | 40,002 | |
| Total votes: 80,922 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Candidate profiles
This section includes candidate profiles that may be created in one of two ways: either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey, or Ballotpedia staff may compile a profile based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements after identifying the candidate as noteworthy. For more on how we select candidates to include, click here.
Party: Republican Party
Incumbent: No
Submitted Biography: "My name is Bryan Norris. I was born and raised in Trumann, Arkansas, and grew up in a working-class family that taught me the value of faith, hard work, and integrity. I went on to serve our nation for over 20 years in the U.S. Army, including multiple combat tours, retiring at the rank of First Sergeant. During and after my military service, I earned degrees in Management Studies and Transformational Leadership from the University of Maryland and continued serving my community as Vice Chair of the Independence County Republican Party and State Committee Representative for Arkansas’s 1st Congressional District. I’m running for Secretary of State because Arkansans deserve a government that serves the people not political insiders. I believe in secure elections, transparent government, and restoring trust in the systems that uphold our democracy. My life has been about service whether in uniform or in public and I intend to bring that same sense of duty and accountability to the Secretary of State’s office."
This information was current as of the candidate's run for Arkansas Secretary of State in 2026.
Voting information
- See also: Voting in Arkansas
Election analysis
Click the tabs below to view information about demographics, past elections, and partisan control of the state.
- Presidential elections - Information about presidential elections in the state.
- Statewide elections - Information about recent U.S. Senate and gubernatorial elections in the state.
- State partisanship - The partisan makeup of the state's congressional delegation and state government.
- Demographics - Information about the state's demographics and how they compare to the country as a whole.
Cook PVI by congressional district
| District | Incumbent | PVI |
|---|---|---|
| Arkansas' 1st | Rick Crawford | R+23 |
| Arkansas' 2nd | French Hill | R+8 |
| Arkansas' 3rd | Steve Womack | R+13 |
| Arkansas' 4th | Bruce Westerman | R+20 |
2024 presidential results by 2026 congressional district lines
| District | Kamala Harris  | Donald Trump  |
|---|---|---|
| Arkansas' 1st | 26.0% | 72.0% |
| Arkansas' 2nd | 41.0% | 57.0% |
| Arkansas' 3rd | 36.0% | 61.0% |
| Arkansas' 4th | 29.0% | 69.0% |
| Source: The Downballot | ||
2016-2024
How a state's counties vote in a presidential election and the size of those counties can provide additional insights into election outcomes at other levels of government including statewide and congressional races. Below, four categories are used to describe each county's voting pattern over the 2016, 2020, and 2024 presidential elections: Solid, Trending, Battleground, and New. Click [show] on the table below for examples:
| County-level voting pattern categories | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | |||||||
| Status | 2016 | 2020 | 2024 | ||||
| Solid Democratic | D | D | D | ||||
| Trending Democratic | R | D | D | ||||
| Battleground Democratic | D | R | D | ||||
| New Democratic | R | R | D | ||||
| Republican | |||||||
| Status | 2016 | 2020 | 2024 | ||||
| Solid Republican | R | R | R | ||||
| Trending Republican | D | R | R | ||||
| Battleground Republican | R | D | R | ||||
| New Republican | D | D | R | ||||
Following the 2024 presidential election, 81.2% of Arkansans lived in one of the state's 67 Solid Republican counties, which voted for the Republican presidential candidate in every election from 2016 to 2024, and 18.4% lived in one of 7 Solid Democratic counties. Overall, Arkansas was Solid Republican, having voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016, Donald Trump (R) in 2020, and Donald Trump (R) in 2024. Use the table below to view the total number of each type of county in Arkansas following the 2024 election as well as the overall percentage of the state population located in each county type.
| Arkansas county-level statistics, 2024 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solid Republican | 67 | 81.2% | |||||
| Solid Democratic | 7 | 18.4% | |||||
| New Republican | 1 | 0.3% | |||||
| Total voted Democratic | 7 | 18.4% | |||||
| Total voted Republican | 68 | 81.6% | |||||
Historical voting trends
Arkansas presidential election results (1900-2024)
- 20 Democratic wins
- 11 Republican wins
- 1 other win
| Year | 1900 | 1904 | 1908 | 1912 | 1916 | 1920 | 1924 | 1928 | 1932 | 1936 | 1940 | 1944 | 1948 | 1952 | 1956 | 1960 | 1964 | 1968 | 1972 | 1976 | 1980 | 1984 | 1988 | 1992 | 1996 | 2000 | 2004 | 2008 | 2012 | 2016 | 2020 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winning Party | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | AI[9] | R | D | R | R | R | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
This section details the results of the five most recent U.S. Senate and gubernatorial elections held in the state.
U.S. Senate elections
The table below details the vote in the five most recent U.S. Senate races in Arkansas.
Gubernatorial elections
- See also: Governor of Arkansas
The table below details the vote in the five most recent gubernatorial elections in Arkansas.
Congressional delegation
The table below displays the partisan composition of Arkansas' congressional delegation as of October 2025.
| Congressional Partisan Breakdown from Arkansas | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | U.S. Senate | U.S. House | Total |
| Democratic | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Republican | 2 | 4 | 6 |
| Independent | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Vacancies | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 2 | 4 | 6 |
State executive
The table below displays the officeholders in Arkansas' top four state executive offices as of October 2025.
| Office | Officeholder |
|---|---|
| Governor | Sarah Huckabee Sanders |
| Lieutenant Governor | Leslie Rutledge |
| Secretary of State | Cole Jester |
| Attorney General | Tim Griffin |
State legislature
Arkansas State Senate
| Party | As of March 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 6 | |
| Republican Party | 29 | |
| Other | 0 | |
| Vacancies | 0 | |
| Total | 35 | |
Arkansas House of Representatives
| Party | As of March 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 20 | |
| Republican Party | 80 | |
| Other | 0 | |
| Vacancies | 0 | |
| Total | 100 | |
Trifecta control
Arkansas Party Control: 1992-2025
Eleven years of Democratic trifectas • Eleven years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.
| Year | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governor | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
| Senate | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
| House | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
The table below details demographic data in Arkansas and compares it to the broader United States as of 2023.
| Demographic Data for Arkansas | ||
|---|---|---|
| Arkansas | United States | |
| Population | 3,011,524 | 331,449,281 |
| Land area (sq mi) | 51,991 | 3,531,905 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White | 70.9% | 63.4% |
| Black/African American | 14.9% | 12.4% |
| Asian | 1.6% | 5.8% |
| Native American | 0.6% | 0.9% |
| Pacific Islander | 0.1% | 0.4% |
| Other (single race) | 3% | 6.6% |
| Multiple | 8.7% | 10.7% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 8.8% | 19% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate | 88.6% | 89.4% |
| College graduation rate | 25.1% | 35% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income | $58,773 | $78,538 |
| Persons below poverty level | 16% | 12.4% |
| Source: population provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "Decennial Census" (2020). Other figures provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2018-2023). | ||
| **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. | ||
State profile
| Demographic data for Arkansas | ||
|---|---|---|
| Arkansas | U.S. | |
| Total population: | 2,977,853 | 316,515,021 |
| Land area (sq mi): | 52,035 | 3,531,905 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White: | 78% | 73.6% |
| Black/African American: | 15.5% | 12.6% |
| Asian: | 1.4% | 5.1% |
| Native American: | 0.6% | 0.8% |
| Pacific Islander: | 0.2% | 0.2% |
| Two or more: | 2.1% | 3% |
| Hispanic/Latino: | 6.9% | 17.1% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate: | 84.8% | 86.7% |
| College graduation rate: | 21.1% | 29.8% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income: | $41,371 | $53,889 |
| Persons below poverty level: | 22.9% | 11.3% |
| Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Arkansas. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. | ||
Presidential voting pattern
- See also: Presidential voting trends in Arkansas
Arkansas voted Republican in all seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.
Pivot Counties (2016)
Ballotpedia identified 206 counties that voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016 after voting for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012. Collectively, Trump won these Pivot Counties by more than 580,000 votes. Of these 206 counties, one is located in Arkansas, accounting for 0.5 percent of the total pivot counties.[10]
Pivot Counties (2020)
In 2020, Ballotpedia re-examined the 206 Pivot Counties to view their voting patterns following that year's presidential election. Ballotpedia defined those won by Trump won as Retained Pivot Counties and those won by Joe Biden (D) as Boomerang Pivot Counties. Nationwide, there were 181 Retained Pivot Counties and 25 Boomerang Pivot Counties. Arkansas had one Retained Pivot County, 0.55 percent of all Retained Pivot Counties.
More Arkansas coverage on Ballotpedia
- Elections in Arkansas
- United States congressional delegations from Arkansas
- Public policy in Arkansas
- Endorsers in Arkansas
- Arkansas fact checks
- More...
See also
| Arkansas | State Executive Elections | News and Analysis |
|---|---|---|
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, "Runoff in secretary of state contest likely," March 3, 2026
- ↑ Conduit News, "Bryan Norris outlines election, audit priorities in secretary of state bid," February 6, 2026
- ↑ KTHV11, "Arkansas voters to pick Republican candidate in Secretary of State runoff election | What to know," March 9, 2026
- ↑ Arkansas Advocate, "Republicans running for Arkansas secretary of state focus on election security, voter turnout," February 23, 2026
- ↑ Kim Hammer 2026 campaign website, "Election Security," accessed March 16, 2026
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 El Dorado News, "Cotton backs Hammer over Norris in Arkansas secretary of state runoff," March 16, 2026
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on November 4, 2025
- ↑ KATV, "Bryan Norris asks for recount in Republican runoff for Arkansas Secretary of State," April 2, 2026
- ↑ American Independent Party
- ↑ The raw data for this study was provided by Dave Leip of Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections.
