Ethan Barnes

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Ethan J. Barnes

Republican Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

May 24, 2022

Education

Associate

Arkansas State University, 2015

Bachelor's

Arkansas State University, 2017

Personal

Birthplace

Arkansas

Religion

Christian

Profession

Banking, finance

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Personal Facebook

Ethan J. Barnes (Republican Party) ran for election to the Arkansas State Senate to represent District 22. He lost in the Republican primary on May 24, 2022.

Barnes completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Ethan Barnes was born in Arkansas. He earned an associate degree from Arkansas State University in 2015 and a bachelor's degree from Arkansas State University in 2017. His career experience includes working in banking and finance.

Elections

2022

See also: Arkansas State Senate elections, 2022

General election

General election for Arkansas State Senate District 22

John Payton won election in the general election for Arkansas State Senate District 22 on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		John Payton (R)	100.0	24,186

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 24,186
= 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.
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Republican primary runoff election

Republican primary runoff for Arkansas State Senate District 22

John Payton defeated incumbent James Sturch in the Republican primary runoff for Arkansas State Senate District 22 on June 21, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		John Payton	58.6	3,733
		James Sturch	41.4	2,633

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 6,366
= 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.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Arkansas State Senate District 22

John Payton and incumbent James Sturch advanced to a runoff. They defeated Ethan J. Barnes in the Republican primary for Arkansas State Senate District 22 on May 24, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		John Payton	41.3	6,281
✔		James Sturch	35.2	5,353
		Ethan J. Barnes	23.5	3,571

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 15,205
= 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.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Ronald Laslo (R)

Campaign themes

2022

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Ethan J. Barnes completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Barnes' responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Ethan J. Barnes is an advocate for small business and rural Arkansas. Barnes is a Republican and a sixth generation Arkansan from Ash Flat, the former President of the Spring River Area Chamber of Commerce, former President of the Quad-Cities Rotary Club of Sharp County, a Paul Harris Fellow, and a fan of all things Arkansas. Barnes is seeking to bring representation of the people, for the people back to the Arkansas State Senate. Barnes has spent the last five years as a banker in the private sector and is now running for public office to serve as the voice for the common Arkansan in the Arkansas State Senate.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• Fight for rural farmers and small business owners.
• Defend and preserve the Constitution as it was written.
• Develop and bring new industries with higher paying jobs to rural Arkansas to increase the quality of life for lower-to-middle average class families.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Ethan J. Barnes believes in doing what is right for the people. Politics has developed into an ugly scene in the last several years in Arkansas. Our elections have become more and more currupt, allowing outside influences to overtake the people’s vote. It’s time to put an end to the democratic fashion of today’s government and get back to the basics. History repeats itself, and if our state governments do not start a reformation now, our future will only get uglier. Help Ethan J. Barnes to preserve America; vote Barnes for a Better Arkansas.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

The power and faith in God almighty.

The equal and just enforcement of the law.
The sanctity of life.

Strong national defense.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

Pure intentions to put God first and allow His works to be done through my hands and feet.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

To assist constituents with governmental affairs that local offices cannot provide; to be present in the district and actively involved in community. To prepare legislation for the 86,000+ that sent the Senator to Little Rock.

What legacy would you like to leave?

A legacy to inspire others to find their calling, and enter public service if they so feel called to do so.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

September 11, 2001. I was in Kindergarten; from this day on, our schools were never the same again.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

Growing and selling produce in the country. Each summer as a “first job” Ethan would set up a small produce market stand with his Veteran grandfather and distribute locally grown fruits & vegetables to consumers. This was where the idea of free enterprise and the value of a dollar was first established in Ethan’s life. From this point forward, Ethan realized how important the agricultural industry was to the local and global economy.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

Forrest Gump. He never quit running.

What do you believe is the ideal relationship between the governor and state legislature?

The state legislature is the true voice of the people. The Office of the Governor is to oversee the activities of the legislative bodies, not to infiltrate and command orders to the lawmakers. The Governor should remain silent in a grassroots bills presented to the legislature until it has hit his desk for final approval. A veto should only be used when absolutely merited, or when the legislature has been overthrown with unjust officials.

What do you perceive to be your state's greatest challenges over the next decade?

Outside interference from other countries.

Do you believe that it’s beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience in government or politics?

No, the representation should be common folk Arkansans who work in our communities each day. Career politicians are no more. Term limits must be put in place immediately.

Do you believe it’s beneficial to build relationships with other legislators? Please explain your answer.

Yes, working together with one’s colleagues builds compromises and resolutions. Working on a team is a must for strong leadership!

What process do you favor for redistricting?

Local input from the actual respective communities. The Washington, D.C. swamp should have nothing to do with our representation in the Arkansas House or Senate.

Both sitting legislators and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?

Our district is full of Veterans. I cannot share some of the stories I have been told— trust me when I say, each conversation with our Veterans is impactful.

Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?

If we don’t work with both sides of the isle, then we are ultimately destroying our own elected democracy. All voices should be recognized. Compromise must be reached with all parties, assuming no domestic invasion of the legislative bodies. R.I.N.O.s are amongst us, and have invaded the GOP. We must recognize each person for who they really are.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

See also

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External links

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Candidate

Arkansas State Senate District 22

Website

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Footnotes

[show]

Current members of the Arkansas State Senate

Leadership

Majority Leader:Blake Johnson

Minority Leader:Greg Leding

Senators

District 1

Ben Gilmore (R)

District 2

Matt Stone (R)

District 3

Steve Crowell (R)

District 4

Jimmy Hickey (R)

District 5

Terry Rice (R)

District 6

Matt McKee (R)

District 7

Alan Clark (R)

District 8

Stephanie Flowers (D)

District 9

Reginald Murdock (D)

District 10

Ronald Caldwell (R)

District 11

Ricky Hill (R)

District 12

Jamie Scott (D)

District 13

Jane English (R)

District 14

Clarke Tucker (D)

District 15

Fredrick Love (D)

District 16

Kim Hammer (R)

District 17

Mark Johnson (R)

District 18

Jonathan Dismang (R)

District 19

Dave Wallace (R)

District 20

Dan Sullivan (R)

District 21

Blake Johnson (R)

District 22

John Payton (R)

District 23

Scott Flippo (R)

District 24

Missy Irvin (R)

District 25

Breanne Davis (R)

District 26

Vacant

District 27

Justin Boyd (R)

District 28

Bryan King (R)

District 29

Jim Petty (R)

District 30

Greg Leding (D)

District 31

Clint Penzo (R)

District 32

Joshua Bryant (R)

District 33

Bart Hester (R)

District 34

Jim Dotson (R)

District 35

Tyler Dees (R)

Republican Party (28)

Democratic Party (6)

Vacancies (1)