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Arkansas State Senate elections, 2026

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2026 Arkansas Senate Election
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Election info

Seats up: 17
Primary: Pending
General: November 3, 2026

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Elections for the Arkansas State Senate will take place in 2026. The general election is on November 3, 2026.

The Arkansas State Senate is one of 88 state legislative chambers with elections in 2026. There are 99 chambers throughout the country.

Party control

See also: Partisan composition of state senates and State government trifectas
Party As of September 2025
     Democratic Party 6
     Republican Party 28
     Independent 0
     Vacancies 1
Total 35

Candidates

Note: The following list includes official candidates only. Ballotpedia defines official candidates as people who:

  • Register with a federal or state campaign finance agency before the candidate filing deadline
  • Appear on candidate lists released by government election agencies

Primary

General election

Arkansas State Senate general election 2026
  • Incumbents are marked with an (i) after their name.
  • Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
  • The candidate list in this election may not be complete.
  • Please contact Ballotpedia about candidate additions, withdrawals, or disqualifications.
  • Note: At this time, Ballotpedia is combining all declared candidates for this election into one list under a general election heading. As primary election dates are published, this information will be updated to separate general election candidates from primary candidates as appropriate.
Office Democratic Party Democratic Republican Party Republican Other
District 2

Matt Stone (i)

District 7

Alan Clark (i)

District 9
District 10

Ronald Caldwell (i)

District 11

Ricky Hill (i)

District 13

Brandon Achor
Mischa Martin

District 14

Clarke Tucker (i)

District 15
District 16

Joshua Irby  Candidate Connection

Rodney Wright

District 21

Blake Johnson (i)

District 24

Missy Thomas Irvin (i)
Jim DuBois

District 27

Justin Boyd (i)

District 28
District 30
District 31

Clint Penzo (i)

District 32

Joshua Bryant (i)

District 35

Tyler Dees (i)

Voting information

See also: Voting in Arkansas

Ballotpedia will publish the dates and deadlines related to this election as they are made available.


Competitiveness

This section will be updated with information about the competitiveness of state legislative elections in Arkansas. For more information about Ballotpedia's Competitiveness Analysis of state legislative elections, please click here.

Process to become a candidate

See also: Ballot access requirements for political candidates in Arkansas

DocumentIcon.jpg See statutes: Title 7 of the Arkansas Code

A candidate in Arkansas may run for office as a candidate of a recognized political party, as an independent, or as a write-in.

Political party candidates

A political party candidate must seek his or her party's nomination through either a primary election or party convention.[1][2]

A political party candidate must file an affidavit of eligibility, political practices pledge, and party certificate with the Arkansas Secretary of State by March 1 in the year of the election. If March 1 falls on a holiday or weekend, these forms are due on the following business day. The candidate must pay a filing fee if one has been established by his or her party.[1][2]

Independent candidates

An independent candidate must file a political practices pledge, affidavit of eligibility, and notice of candidacy with the Arkansas Secretary of State by March 1 in the year of the election. If March 1 falls on a holiday or weekend, these forms are due on the following business day.[1][2][3]

Independent candidates must also collect petition signatures to gain ballot access. This process may begin 90 days before the petition filing deadline. The signature requirements vary depending on the office being sought. If a candidate is running for state executive office or the United States Senate, 10,000 qualified signatures, or the equivalent of 3 percent of voters in the state, whichever is fewer, are required. If the candidate is running for state legislative office or the United States House of Representatives, signatures equaling 3 percent of voters in the county, township, or district in which the candidate is seeking office are required. If this amount exceeds 2,000, the requirement is capped at 2,000.[1][2][4]

Write-in candidates

State law prohibits write-in candidates from running in elections. Election administrators are prohibited from counting votes for write-in candidates.[5] In 2023, Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R) signed SB 254, eliminating write-in candidates in Arkansas elections.[6]

Vacancies

Upon the death, resignation, or removal of a member of the U.S. Senate, the governor must make an appointment to fill the vacancy. If the term of the departing senator would have ended at the next scheduled general election, the gubernatorial appointee will serve out the remainder of the term. No special election will be held. If the term of the departing senator was not set to expire at the next general election (and the vacancy occurred four months or more before the next general election), a special election to fill the vacancy for the remainder of the vacated term will be held concurrently with the next general election. If the vacancy occurred less than four months before the next general election, a special election to fill the vacancy for the remainder of the term will be held concurrently with the second general election occurring after the vacancy.[7]

Qualifications

See also: State legislature candidate requirements by state

Article 5, Section 4 of the Arkansas Constitution states: No person shall be a Senator or Representative who, at the time of his election, is not a citizen of the United States, nor any one who has not been for two years next preceding his election, a resident of this State, and for one year next preceding his election, a resident of the county or district whence he may be chosen. Senators shall be at least twenty-five years of age, and Representatives at least twenty-one years of age.

Salaries and per diem

See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries
State legislative salaries, 2024[8]
SalaryPer diem
$44,356/yearFor legislators residing within 50 miles of the capitol: $59/day. For legislators residing more than 50 miles from the capitol: $166/day.

When sworn in

See also: When state legislators assume office after a general election

Arkansas legislators assume office on the second Monday of January following their election.[9]

Arkansas political history

Trifectas

A state government trifecta is a term that describes single-party government, when one political party holds the governor's office and has majorities in both chambers of the legislature in a state government.

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

Presidential politics in Arkansas

2024

See also: Presidential election, 2024


Presidential election in Arkansas, 2024
 
Candidate/Running mate
%
Popular votes
Electoral votes
✔
Image of
Image of
Donald Trump/J.D. Vance (R)
 
64.2
 
759,241 6
Image of
Image of
Kamala D. Harris/Tim Walz (D)
 
33.6
 
396,905 0
Image of
Image of
Robert F. Kennedy Jr./Nicole Shanahan (Independent)
 
1.1
 
13,255 0
Image of
Image of
Chase Oliver/Mike ter Maat (L)
 
0.5
 
5,715 0
Image of
Image of
Jill Stein/Butch Ware (G)
 
0.4
 
4,275 0
Image of
Image of
Peter Sonski/Lauren Onak (American Solidarity Party)
 
0.2
 
2,141 0
Image of
Image of
Michael Wood/John G. Pietrowski (Prohibition Party)
 
0.1
 
1,144 0

There were no incumbents in this race The results have been certified.

Total votes: 1,182,676


2020

See also: Presidential election, 2020


Presidential election in Arkansas, 2020
 
Candidate/Running mate
%
Popular votes
Electoral votes
✔
Image of
Image of
Donald Trump/Mike Pence (R)
 
62.4
 
760,647 6
Image of
Image of
Joe Biden/Kamala D. Harris (D)
 
34.8
 
423,932 0
Image of
Image of
Jo Jorgensen/Spike Cohen (L)
 
1.1
 
13,133 0
Image of
Image of
Ye/Michelle Tidball (Independent)
 
0.3
 
4,099 0
Image of
Image of
Howie Hawkins/Angela Nicole Walker (G)
 
0.2
 
2,980 0
Image of
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Phil Collins/Billy Joe Parker (Independent)
 
0.2
 
2,812 0
Image of
Image of
Brock Pierce/Karla Ballard (Independent)
 
0.2
 
2,141 0
Image of
Image of
Don Blankenship/William Mohr (Constitution Party)
 
0.2
 
2,108 0
Image of
Image of
Brian T. Carroll/Amar Patel (American Solidarity Party)
 
0.1
 
1,713 0
Image of
Image of
Connie Gammon/Phil Collins (Independent)
 
0.1
 
1,475 0
Image of
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
J.R. Myers/Tiara Lusk (Life and Liberty)
 
0.1
 
1,372 0
Image of
Image of
Gloria La Riva/Sunil Freeman (Party for Socialism and Liberation)
 
0.1
 
1,336 0
Image of
Image of
Roque De La Fuente/Darcy Richardson (Independent)
 
0.1
 
1,321 0

Incumbents are bolded and underlined The results have been certified.

Total votes: 1,219,069


2016

See also: Presidential election, 2016
U.S. presidential election, Arkansas, 2016
Party Candidate Vote % Votes Electoral votes
     Democratic Hillary Clinton/Tim Kaine 33.7% 380,494 0
     Republican Green check mark transparent.pngDonald Trump/Mike Pence 60.6% 684,872 6
     Constitution Darrell Lane Castle/Scott Bradley 0.4% 4,613 0
     Independent Jim Hedges/Bill Bayes 0.4% 4,709 0
     Libertarian Gary Johnson/Bill Weld 2.6% 29,829 0
     Independent Lynn S. Kahn/Kathleen Monahan 0.3% 3,390 0
     Better for America Evan McMullin/Nathan Johnson 1.2% 13,255 0
     Green Jill Stein/Ajamu Baraka 0.8% 9,473 0
Total Votes 1,130,635 6
Election results via: Arkansas Secretary of State


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[10] R D R R R D D R R R R R R R


Redistricting following the 2020 census

On December 29, 2021, new state House and Senate district maps went into effect.[11] The Arkansas Board of Apportionment—made up of the governor, secretary of state, and attorney general—initially displayed these maps on Oct. 29, 2021, beginning a month-long public comment period.[12] The board met on Nov. 29 to incorporate feedback and then voted 3-0 in favor of the final maps. These maps took effect for Arkansas' 2022 legislative elections.


See also

Arkansas State Legislative Elections News and Analysis
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Arkansas State Executive Offices
Arkansas State Legislature
Arkansas Courts
State legislative elections:
2025 • 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014
Arkansas elections:
2025 • 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015
Primary elections in Arkansas
Party control of state government
State government trifectas
Partisan composition of state legislatures
Partisan composition of state senates
Partisan composition of state houses

External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Arkansas State Board of Election Commissioners, "Running for Public Office: A 'Plain English' Handbook for Candidates," 2014
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Arkansas Code of 1987, "Title 7, Elections," accessed February 20, 2025
  3. ↑ Arkansas State Board of Election Commissioners, "Running for Public Office: A 'Plain English' Handbook for Candidates," 2016
  4. ↑ On December 15, 2017, a federal judge ruled that Arkansas' March 1 deadline for independent candidates was unconstitutional.
  5. ↑ Arkansas Code of 1987 (2023), "Section 7-5-205," accessed February 21, 2025
  6. ↑ WKY 3, "Arkansas governor signs several bills that change elections in the Natural State," March 18, 2023
  7. ↑ Arkansas Code, "Section 7-8-102," accessed February 20, 2025
  8. ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "2024 Legislator Compensation," August 21, 2024
  9. ↑ Justia, "Arkansas Constitution Article 5 - Legislative Department Section 5 - Time of meeting," accessed October 26, 2021
  10. ↑ American Independent Party
  11. ↑ Democracy Docket, "Arkansas State Conference NAACP v. The Arkansas Board of Apportionment complaint," Dec. 29, 2021
  12. ↑ Arkansas Online, "Arkansas board accepts redrawn legislative district maps," Oct. 30, 2021


Current members of the Arkansas State Senate
Leadership
Majority Leader:Blake Johnson
Minority Leader:Greg Leding
Senators
District 1
District 2
District 3
District 4
District 5
District 6
District 7
District 8
District 9
District 10
District 11
District 12
District 13
District 14
District 15
District 16
District 17
District 18
District 19
District 20
District 21
District 22
District 23
District 24
District 25
District 26
Vacant
District 27
District 28
District 29
Jim Petty (R)
District 30
District 31
District 32
District 33
District 34
District 35
Republican Party (28)
Democratic Party (6)
Vacancies (1)


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