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United States Senate election in Arkansas, 2026
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← 2022
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| U.S. Senate, Arkansas |
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| Democratic primary Republican primary General election |
| Election details |
| Filing deadline: November 11, 2025 |
| Primary: March 3, 2026 Primary runoff: March 31, 2026 General: November 3, 2026 |
| How to vote |
| Poll times:
7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. |
| Race ratings |
DDHQ and The Hill: Pending Inside Elections: Solid Republican Sabato's Crystal Ball: Safe Republican |
| Ballotpedia analysis |
| U.S. Senate battlegrounds U.S. House battlegrounds Federal and state primary competitiveness Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2026 |
| See also |
U.S. Senate • 1st • 2nd • 3rd • 4th Arkansas elections, 2026 U.S. Congress elections, 2026 U.S. Senate elections, 2026 U.S. House elections, 2026 |
Voters in Arkansas will elect one member to the U.S. Senate in the general election on November 3, 2026. The primary is March 3, 2026, and a primary runoff is March 31, 2026. The filing deadline is November 11, 2025. The election will fill the Class II Senate seat held by Tom Cotton (R), who first took office in 2015. For more information about the primaries in this election, click on the links below:
- United States Senate election in Arkansas, 2026 (March 3 Democratic primary)
- United States Senate election in Arkansas, 2026 (March 3 Republican primary)
Candidates and election results
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
General election
The general election will occur on November 3, 2026.
General election for U.S. Senate Arkansas
The following candidates are running in the general election for U.S. Senate Arkansas on November 3, 2026.
Candidate | ||
| Tom Cotton (R) | ||
Ethan Dunbar (D) ![]() | ||
| James Russell (D) | ||
| Hallie Shoffner (D) | ||
| Dan Whitfield (D) | ||
| Micah Ashby (R) | ||
= 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: Democratic Party
Incumbent: No
Political Office: None
Submitted Biography: "My name is Ethan N. Dunbar. I am a dedicated follower of Christ and a resident of Lewisville, Arkansas. I am also a veteran of the Army and the current mayor of Lewisville. I am a man of faith, guided by a divine calling to pursue justice and equality while living as a faithful Christian. My goal is to serve my community as an extension of my faith. I believe that we need to transform the core of our political process. Leaders should lead with respect—respect for everyone’s humanity, respect for opinions different from ours, respect for each person’s dignity and self-worth, and respect for individual freedoms. In this spirit, we can build stronger relationships that enhance our quality of life and address specific needs in Arkansas. Blaming a party, group, or individual only widens the divide. We must rise above this tendency and focus on the character of the leaders we elect. I am a 33-year retired Army Veteran. I reached the highest enlisted rank of Command Sergeant Major. I learned to follow first and then to lead early in my career. I led leaders and taught them how to lead. I served as a leader in combat for 42 months. Currently, I serve as the mayor of my small town, I serve as the Chairman of the Arkansas Black Mayors’ Association since October 2022. I am an active member of the Arkansas Lions Club, former District Governor of District 7L, past president of the Stamps Rotary Club. I am also a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., and the Masonic Order."
Voting information
- See also: Voting in Arkansas
Ballotpedia will publish the dates and deadlines related to this election as they are made available.
Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey responses
Ballotpedia asks all federal, state, and local candidates to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. The section below shows responses from candidates in this race who completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
Survey responses from candidates in this race
Click on a candidate's name to visit their Ballotpedia page.
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.
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Ethan Dunbar (D)
Through this campaign, I hope to inspire hope in humanity. As our national and state demographics evolve, so must our perspective on how to best coexist within our governing principles— the U.S. Constitution and our respective State Constitutions. Our democracy depends on how our elected leaders represent our shared experiences, respect our differences, and focus on the common interests of all constituents. We must restore civility to our political conversations.
2. Hold elected leaders accountable.
The combined efforts of our people create the standard of living we enjoy in the United States. We, the citizens, must serve as guardians of this system and our democracy, and the leaders we select should show genuine respect for every individual. Hard work, along with courageous, strong, and ethical leadership, combined with fundamental dignity and respect for all, has largely helped our nation become the leader of the free world. Any erosion of these principles and standards by elected officials weakens the collective efforts of citizens and must be addressed.
3. Fight for the dignity of hardworking, play-by-the-rules Arkansans.
Ethan Dunbar (D)
Ethan Dunbar (D)
Ethan Dunbar (D)
Ethan Dunbar (D)
Ethan Dunbar (D)
Ethan Dunbar (D)
Ethan Dunbar (D)
Ethan Dunbar (D)
Ethan Dunbar (D)
Ethan Dunbar (D)
To achieve this, we must elect leaders who genuinely respect the opinions and perspectives of those they serve. We need to select selfless leaders who understand that their roles are not about personal gain or ambitions but about protecting the unalienable rights of every citizen. This requires each voter to first reflect on themselves and then carefully consider the candidates they support. I believe that our democracy heavily depends on who we choose to elect.
We must restore peace, order, and compassion to our political process.Ethan Dunbar (D)
Ethan Dunbar (D)
Ethan Dunbar (D)
Ethan Dunbar (D)
Ethan Dunbar (D)
Ethan Dunbar (D)
Ethan Dunbar (D)
Ethan Dunbar (D)
Ethan Dunbar (D)
Ethan Dunbar (D)
Ethan Dunbar (D)
Ethan Dunbar (D)
You can ask candidates in this race to fill out the survey by clicking their names below:
Campaign finance
| Name | Party | Receipts* | Disbursements** | Cash on hand | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tom Cotton | Republican Party | $10,746,981 | $7,768,375 | $9,375,559 | As of September 30, 2025 |
| Ethan Dunbar | Democratic Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
| James Russell | Democratic Party | $3,037 | $1,385 | $3,461 | As of September 30, 2025 |
| Hallie Shoffner | Democratic Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
| Dan Whitfield | Democratic Party | $2,222 | $196 | $2,035 | As of September 30, 2025 |
| Micah Ashby | Republican Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
| Marcus Walker | Republican Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
|
Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2026. This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee." |
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General election race ratings
- See also: Race rating definitions and methods
Ballotpedia provides race ratings from four outlets: The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, Sabato's Crystal Ball, and DDHQ/The Hill. Each race rating indicates if one party is perceived to have an advantage in the race and, if so, the degree of advantage:
- Safe and Solid ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge and the race is not competitive.
- Likely ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge, but an upset is possible.
- Lean ratings indicate that one party has a small edge, but the race is competitive.[1]
- Toss-up ratings indicate that neither party has an advantage.
Race ratings are informed by a number of factors, including polling, candidate quality, and election result history in the race's district or state.[2][3][4]
| Race ratings: U.S. Senate election in Arkansas, 2026 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Race tracker | Race ratings | ||||||||
| 10/21/2025 | 10/14/2025 | 10/7/2025 | 9/30/2025 | ||||||
| The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | |||||
| Decision Desk HQ and The Hill | Pending | Pending | Pending | Pending | |||||
| Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | |||||
| Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball | Safe Republican | Safe Republican | Safe Republican | Safe Republican | |||||
| Note: Ballotpedia reviews external race ratings every week throughout the election season and posts weekly updates even if the media outlets have not revised their ratings during that week. | |||||||||
Ballot access
This section will contain information on ballot access related to this state's elections when it is available.
Election history
The section below details election results for this state's U.S. Senate elections dating back to 2016.
2022
General election
General election for U.S. Senate Arkansas
Incumbent John Boozman defeated Natalie James, Kenneth Cates, Richard Gant, and James Garner in the general election for U.S. Senate Arkansas on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | John Boozman (R) | 65.7 | 592,437 | |
Natalie James (D) ![]() | 31.1 | 280,187 | ||
| Kenneth Cates (L) | 3.2 | 28,682 | ||
| Richard Gant (Independent) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 0 | ||
| James Garner (Independent) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 0 | ||
| Total votes: 901,306 | ||||
= 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
- Stuart Shirrell (Independent)
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Arkansas
Natalie James defeated Dan Whitfield and Jack Foster in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Arkansas on May 24, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Natalie James ![]() | 54.1 | 49,722 | |
Dan Whitfield ![]() | 30.8 | 28,319 | ||
| Jack Foster | 15.1 | 13,891 | ||
| Total votes: 91,932 | ||||
= 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 U.S. Senate Arkansas
Incumbent John Boozman defeated Jake Bequette, Jan Morgan, and Heath Loftis in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate Arkansas on May 24, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | John Boozman | 58.0 | 201,677 | |
| Jake Bequette | 20.7 | 71,809 | ||
| Jan Morgan | 19.0 | 65,958 | ||
Heath Loftis ![]() | 2.3 | 8,112 | ||
| Total votes: 347,556 | ||||
= 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
- Michael Deel (R)
Libertarian convention
Libertarian convention for U.S. Senate Arkansas
Kenneth Cates advanced from the Libertarian convention for U.S. Senate Arkansas on February 20, 2022.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | Kenneth Cates (L) | |
= 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. | ||||
2020
General election
General election for U.S. Senate Arkansas
Incumbent Tom Cotton defeated Ricky Dale Harrington Jr. in the general election for U.S. Senate Arkansas on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Tom Cotton (R) | 66.5 | 793,871 | |
Ricky Dale Harrington Jr. (L) ![]() | 33.5 | 399,390 | ||
| Total votes: 1,193,261 | ||||
= 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
- Dan Whitfield (Independent)
Democratic primary election
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Joshua Mahony (D)
Republican primary election
The Republican primary election was canceled. Incumbent Tom Cotton advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. Senate Arkansas.
2016
Heading into the election, Ballotpedia rated Arkansas' U.S. Senate race as safely Republican. Incumbent John Boozman (R) defeated Conner Eldridge (D), Frank Gilbert (L) and write-in candidate Jason Tate in the general election on November 8, 2016. Boozman defeated Curtis Coleman in the Republican primary on March 1, 2016.[5][6][7]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | 59.8% | 661,984 | ||
| Democratic | Connor Eldridge | 36.2% | 400,602 | |
| Libertarian | Frank Gilbert | 4% | 43,866 | |
| N/A | Write-in | 0.1% | 1,070 | |
| Total Votes | 1,107,522 | |||
| Source: Arkansas Secretary of State | ||||
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
76.5% | 298,039 | ||
| Curtis Coleman | 23.5% | 91,795 | ||
| Total Votes | 389,834 | |||
| Source: Arkansas Secretary of State |
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Election analysis
This section will contain facts and figures related to this state's elections when those are available.
See also
| Arkansas | 2026 primaries | 2026 U.S. Congress elections |
|---|---|---|
|
Voting in Arkansas Arkansas elections: 2026 • 2025 • 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 |
Republican primary battlegrounds U.S. Senate Democratic primaries U.S. Senate Republican primaries U.S. House Democratic primaries U.S. House Republican primaries |
U.S. Senate elections U.S. House elections Special elections Ballot access |
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Inside Elections also uses Tilt ratings to indicate an even smaller advantage and greater competitiveness.
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Nathan Gonzalez," April 19, 2018
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Kyle Kondik," April 19, 2018
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Charlie Cook," April 22, 2018
- ↑ Arkansas Secretary of State, "Candidate Information," accessed November 10, 2015
- ↑ The New York Times, "Arkansas Primary Results," March 1, 2016
- ↑ The New York Times, "Election Results," accessed November 8, 2016
