Joshua Irby
Joshua Irby (Democratic Party) is running for election to the Arkansas State Senate to represent District 16. He is on the ballot in the general election on November 3, 2026. The Democratic primary for this office on March 3, 2026, was canceled.
Irby completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Joshua Irby was born in Little Rock, Arkansas. Irby's career experience includes working as a security professional. He served in the U.S. Army National Guard from 2008 to 2009.[1]
Elections
2026
See also: Arkansas State Senate elections, 2026
General election
The candidate list in this election may not be complete.
General election for Arkansas State Senate District 16
Joshua Irby and Rodney Wright are running in the general election for Arkansas State Senate District 16 on November 3, 2026.
Candidate | ||
 | Joshua Irby (D)  | |
 | Rodney Wright (R) | |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
The Democratic primary election was canceled. Joshua Irby advanced from the Democratic primary for Arkansas State Senate District 16.
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Arkansas State Senate District 16
Rodney Wright defeated Randy Sams in the Republican primary for Arkansas State Senate District 16 on March 3, 2026.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Rodney Wright | 67.7 | 5,443 |
 | Randy Sams | 32.3 | 2,593 | |
| Total votes: 8,036 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Endorsements
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Campaign themes
2026
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Joshua Irby completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Irby's responses.
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As a civic nationalist and centrist, I believe a strong society is built not on partisan divides, but on shared values and active citizenship. Regardless of background, we all share rights—and responsibilities. That’s what builds resilient, respectful communities.
In 2022, my wife and I moved from Little Rock to Bryant. She was raised in the Benton-Bryant area, and we were blessed to build our first home here. From day one, we knew this is where we wanted to plant roots and raise our family.
My family came to Arkansas in the late ’80s. At the time, gang violence in Little Rock was rising, and my father stepped in to serve as principal of a church-funded school that gave kids safety and hope. His courage and compassion shaped my belief in public service.
For over 15 years, I’ve worked in corporate security—starting as a foot patrol officer and working my way up to managing global security intelligence for a Fortune 500 company. My career has been about protection, preparedness, and service—and those same values guide how I lead and how I live.- Joshua Irby is a civic nationalist and centrist running to put people before parties and service above politics. His campaign is rooted in unity, civic responsibility, and community-first leadership—not partisan soundbites. Joshua believes in restoring trust in public service through transparency, practical solutions, and respectful dialogue. He’s committed to representing all Arkansans—not just a base.
- As a first-generation Arkansan raised in a family devoted to service, Joshua Irby brings 15+ years of experience in corporate security and crisis leadership to the Arkansas Senate. His platform is grounded in Arkansas values—faith, family, hard work, and fairness. He’s focused on local control, common-sense governance, and building a future rooted in personal responsibility and shared opportunity.
- Joshua Irby is running to raise the standard for leadership. His priorities include securing infrastructure, protecting constitutional freedoms, strengthening education, and ensuring that elections belong to the people—not the parties. He’s not running to tear anyone down—he’s running to build something better. His promise: lead with respect, act with resolve, and pursue renewal for Arkansas—one community at a time.
Local control—empowering communities to make their own decisions;
Education reform—focusing on core academics, civic learning, and career readiness;
Infrastructure investment—modern roads, broadband, water, and energy;
Fair elections—including open primaries, paper ballots, and ending gerrymandering; and
Constitutional rights—especially the First and Second Amendments, balanced with public safety.
My father brought our family to Arkansas in the late 1980s, during a time when Little Rock faced a surge in gang violence. He became principal of a church-funded school offering kids in some of the hardest-hit neighborhoods a safe place to learn, grow, and find hope. He believed deeply in the power of education and the importance of stepping up when there is a challenge. He taught me to pursue truth even when it’s inconvenient and to live with integrity regardless of who’s watching.
From my grandfathers, I learned more lessons that continue to guide me. One reminded me, “You’re always doing one or the other—tearing people down, or building them up.” The other believed in the power of respectful dialogue, especially with those he disagreed with, so he could deepen his own understanding even when views differed fundamentally.
I also draw inspiration from the Founders and Presidents. Thomas Jefferson once said, “I never considered a difference of opinion in politics, in religion, in philosophy, as cause for withdrawing from a friend.” That spirit of principled disagreement without personal division is vital. Benjamin Franklin warned, “We must all hang together, or, most assuredly, we shall all hang separately.” And Abraham Lincoln, in his 1858 “House Divided” speech, reminded us that a nation at odds with itself cannot endure.
We also face serious practical challenges: preparing our infrastructure for population growth, revitalizing rural communities, making education both rigorous and relevant, and ensuring public safety while protecting constitutional freedoms. But none of these can be effectively addressed if we don’t first rebuild trust—in our leaders, our systems, and each other.
Lincoln, during his time in the Illinois General Assembly, demonstrated humility, moral clarity, and a deep belief in the promise of the Republic. He spoke hard truths—like in his “House Divided” speech—but always with the aim of preserving the Union and renewing our shared national purpose. His leadership reminds me that disagreement is inevitable, but division is not destiny.
Theodore Roosevelt served in the New York State Assembly and built a reputation as a reformer who challenged corruption in both parties. He believed in the strength of the American spirit and the duty of government to serve the public good. Roosevelt’s courage, energy, and independence reflect the kind of principled, civic-minded leadership I believe our state—and our country—needs again.
That conversation has stayed with me. This neighbor wasn’t speaking out of anger—they were speaking from a place of genuine fear that we are losing something essential: a shared understanding of who we are, what we believe, and what it takes to keep a republic alive. They were concerned that too many young Arkansans are growing up without even the most basic knowledge of our history, our Constitution, or the responsibilities that come with citizenship.
This legislation recognizes that a well-informed citizenry is the cornerstone of a healthy republic. Too many students graduate without a clear understanding of our Constitution, the structure of government, or the rights and responsibilities of citizenship. The Civic Education Act would ensure all students receive a foundational education in American and Arkansas government, civil liberties, democratic processes, and the role of civic engagement in sustaining our way of life.
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.
Campaign finance summary
Campaign finance information for this candidate is not yet available from OpenSecrets. That information will be published here once it is available.
See also
2026 Elections
External links
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Candidate Arkansas State Senate District 16 |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on June 29, 2025
