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United States Senate election in Arkansas, 2026

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2022
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.
Voting in Arkansas

Race ratings
Cook Political Report: Solid Republican
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, Arkansas
U.S. Senate1st2nd3rd4th
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:

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

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.

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 Connection = 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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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.

Image of Ethan Dunbar

WebsiteFacebookTwitterYouTube

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."


Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.


1. Restore civility and integrity to political dialogue. 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. Here in Arkansas, we work with our hands. 97% of the roughly 50,000 farms are family-owned, so we must protect our agricultural well-being. The economic impact of Arkansas farmers on the state is about 8.5% of its GDP and provides numerous jobs. During these times of high inflation and wage instability, Arkansans also need to be concerned about rising healthcare costs and the threat of losing access to safety net healthcare for our most vulnerable citizens. We must stop allowing personal outrage in politics to blindly influence our actions toward the vulnerable and hardworking citizens. We are much better than this.

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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1. Restore civility and integrity to political dialogue.

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.

Here in Arkansas, we work with our hands. 97% of the roughly 50,000 farms are family-owned, so we must protect our agricultural well-being. The economic impact of Arkansas farmers on the state is about 8.5% of its GDP and provides numerous jobs. During these times of high inflation and wage instability, Arkansans also need to be concerned about rising healthcare costs and the threat of losing access to safety net healthcare for our most vulnerable citizens. We must stop allowing personal outrage in politics to blindly influence our actions toward the vulnerable and hardworking citizens. We are much better than this.
Agriculture, education, employment, healthcare, and justice are core issues. These are personal livelihood concerns that our elected officials should be aware of and actively work to find the best outcomes for everyone. We cannot continue engaging in disagreements that lead our leaders to devalue others’ opinions and needs, nor make policy decisions that impact everyone without considering or caring about their effects. Humanity must guide our way. I am passionate about finding or creating ways to discover common ground that previously did not exist, to bring people together. I am dedicated to challenging the illusions of our current political leaders and focusing on reshaping the political process toward shared decency and good values.
Jesus Christ and the Apostle Paul. They led by example and demonstrated what it means to recognize the humanity and value of all people. Their example helps me to feel and display a deep regard for others simply because they are human.
Loyalty. Duty. Respect. Selfless Service. Honor. Integrity. Personal Courage. (These are the seven Army Values that Soldiers are required to know, recite, and live.)
I truly believe that to genuinely understand how to serve the residents of Arkansas and the state as a whole, we need to listen, respect, and understand the lived experiences of the constituents we represent. I live in Arkansas, and I face these responsibilities daily as the mayor of a small, rural town. I want the entire focus and power of the United States Senate office to be on the needs of Arkansas, not personal ambition. Our prime directive, our core responsibility as elected leaders, must be to serve the best interests of the residents of Arkansas - and that requires listening and regular visits to each part of the state while in office. I believe that transparency and accountability are key responsibilities of elected office.
If there is a legacy to leave, I want mine to be that I am a true believer and follower of Christ. Through my faith, I utilized my knowledge, skills, and abilities to enhance the quality of life for Arkansans, create growth opportunities for the state, and demonstrate Christian behavior in representing the needs of my constituents. Most importantly, I want to change the heart and soul of the political process by respecting our differences while working hard to help others, treating everyone with dignity and respect.
I vividly remember the attempted assassination of President Reagan in 1981. I was 16.
My first job was chopping cotton plants, specifically thinning the rows of cotton plants to remove weeds that inhibited growth. I earned $10 a day and worked from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. during the summer of my freshman year of high school. I worked that job for roughly one month.
The Bible. We are living in a time of spiritual darkness. Moral absolutes are becoming ambiguous. The Bible provides guidance on how to navigate these times. It serves as a source of inspiration, wisdom, instruction, and direction. The principles in the Bible are timeless and remind us that life isn’t just about ourselves, but about how we treat each other.
I sincerely believe that defending our democracy will be a challenge for our nation. It appears that political power is being sought for the benefit of a specific group or individual. Our Declaration of Independence was made specifically to oppose such conditions. We must uphold the founding documents of this country and ensure that the rights guaranteed to every citizen are protected in line with the vision of the founders.

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.
The Constitution requires a Senator to be at least 30 years old when sworn in. I believe it is reasonable to establish an upper age limit for eligibility and retirement, mainly to assure cognitive reasoning related to age and to promote fair competition for a Senate seat. However, between age 30 and retirement, I see no reason to impose additional restrictions.
The Senate is a small deliberative institution, but an extremely powerful force in our Nation's government. The senators elected are two from each state, regardless of the state's size or population, as a body of equals. This body adds a balance to the House of Representatives, where population and popular vote are considered. The Senate has the mission to provide advice and consent to the President on nominations, including judicial nominations, and to conduct budget reconciliation. The Senate also has the express authority to serve as a court for impeachment. These are unique qualities of our Senate and senators.
Yes. It is helpful, but not essential. I believe that anyone elected to serve others must have good character and act with integrity. They must put constituent needs above their own goals and aspirations.
I think the filibuster, despite its history, is marginally effective today. Although it was intended to promote compromise and a voice to the minority party, in recent times, it has served more as a deterrent and obstruction to the deliberative process, from both parties. I would be open to discussing the continued use of it.
On their merits and qualifications.
I aim to build mutually respectful relationships with all members of Congress. I believe in the importance and power of respect, as well as the value of compromise in certain cases.
Fairly, objectively, and without fear or favor.
Integrity, competency, leader humility, character, and ethical disposition.
There are several, but in August 2023, I received my PhD in Interdisciplinary Leadership from the University of Central Arkansas. My dissertation examined the concept of ethical leadership among elected officials. I am uniquely qualified for this role. I am deeply committed to creating opportunities in Arkansas that will improve our overall well-being and enhance our competitiveness in agriculture on a global scale.
I think that the government should have a regulatory oversight role in the development of this powerful, emerging technology. I don't believe that we know or understand enough about this phenomenon to leave it to private leaders who may only be financially motivated. We need to take all factors into consideration, including long-term detrimental effects on all aspects of life in our country and the world more broadly.
Our Constitution gives full faith and credit to the States in broad areas, including state elections. The Electoral College has been under scrutiny, but I would be open to hearing alternatives to this method.


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."
** According to the FEC, a disbursement "is a purchase, payment, distribution, loan, advance, deposit or gift of money or anything of value to influence a federal election," plus other kinds of payments not made to influence a federal election.
*** Candidate either did not report any receipts or disbursements to the FEC, or Ballotpedia did not find an FEC candidate ID.

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 trackerRace ratings
10/21/202510/14/202510/7/20259/30/2025
The Cook Political Report with Amy WalterSolid RepublicanSolid RepublicanSolid RepublicanSolid Republican
Decision Desk HQ and The HillPendingPendingPendingPending
Inside Elections with Nathan L. GonzalesSolid RepublicanSolid RepublicanSolid RepublicanSolid Republican
Larry J. Sabato's Crystal BallSafe RepublicanSafe RepublicanSafe RepublicanSafe 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

See also: United States Senate election in Arkansas, 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
Image of John Boozman
John Boozman (R)
 
65.7
 
592,437
Image of Natalie James
Natalie James (D) Candidate Connection
 
31.1
 
280,187
Image of Kenneth Cates
Kenneth Cates (L)
 
3.2
 
28,682
Image of Richard Gant
Richard Gant (Independent) (Write-in)
 
0.0
 
0
Image of James Garner
James Garner (Independent) (Write-in)
 
0.0
 
0

Total votes: 901,306
Candidate Connection = 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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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

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
Image of Natalie James
Natalie James Candidate Connection
 
54.1
 
49,722
Image of Dan Whitfield
Dan Whitfield Candidate Connection
 
30.8
 
28,319
Jack Foster
 
15.1
 
13,891

Total votes: 91,932
Candidate Connection = 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
Image of John Boozman
John Boozman
 
58.0
 
201,677
Image of Jake Bequette
Jake Bequette
 
20.7
 
71,809
Image of Jan Morgan
Jan Morgan
 
19.0
 
65,958
Image of Heath Loftis
Heath Loftis Candidate Connection
 
2.3
 
8,112

Total votes: 347,556
Candidate Connection = 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

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
Image of Kenneth Cates
Kenneth Cates (L)

Candidate Connection = 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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2020

See also: United States Senate election in Arkansas, 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
Image of Tom Cotton
Tom Cotton (R)
 
66.5
 
793,871
Image of Ricky Dale Harrington Jr.
Ricky Dale Harrington Jr. (L) Candidate Connection
 
33.5
 
399,390

Total votes: 1,193,261
Candidate Connection = 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

Democratic primary election

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Republican primary election

The Republican primary election was canceled. Incumbent Tom Cotton advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. Senate Arkansas.

2016

See also: United States Senate election in 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]

U.S. Senate, Arkansas General Election, 2016
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Republican Green check mark transparent.pngJohn Boozman Incumbent 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


U.S. Senate, Arkansas Republican Primary, 2016
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.pngJohn Boozman Incumbent 76.5% 298,039
Curtis Coleman 23.5% 91,795
Total Votes 389,834
Source: Arkansas Secretary of State



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
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Ballot access

External links

Footnotes

  1. Inside Elections also uses Tilt ratings to indicate an even smaller advantage and greater competitiveness.
  2. Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Nathan Gonzalez," April 19, 2018
  3. Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Kyle Kondik," April 19, 2018
  4. Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Charlie Cook," April 22, 2018
  5. Arkansas Secretary of State, "Candidate Information," accessed November 10, 2015
  6. The New York Times, "Arkansas Primary Results," March 1, 2016
  7. The New York Times, "Election Results," accessed November 8, 2016


Senators
Representatives
District 1
District 2
District 3
District 4
Republican Party (6)