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 12, 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 was March 3, 2026, and a primary runoff is March 31, 2026. The filing deadline was November 12, 2025. The election will fill the Class II Senate seat held by Tom Cotton (R), who first took office in 2015.
The outcome of this race will affect the partisan balance of the U.S. Senate in the 120th Congress. Thirty-three of the 100 U.S. Senate seats are up for election, and another two seats are up for special election. Democrats hold 13 of the seats up for election, and Republicans hold 22.
Currently, Republicans have a 53-45 majority in the chamber.[1] To read more about the U.S. Senate elections taking place this year, click here.
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
General election
The candidate list in this election may not be complete.
General election for U.S. Senate Arkansas
Incumbent Tom Cotton, Hallie Shoffner, and Jeff Wadlin are running in the general election for U.S. Senate Arkansas on November 3, 2026.
Candidate | ||
| Tom Cotton (R) | ||
| Hallie Shoffner (D) | ||
| Jeff Wadlin (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. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Arkansas
Hallie Shoffner defeated Ethan Dunbar in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Arkansas on March 3, 2026.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Hallie Shoffner | 78.6 | 85,856 | |
Ethan Dunbar ![]() | 21.4 | 23,397 | ||
| Total votes: 109,253 | ||||
= 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 (D)
- James Russell (D)
Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. Senate Arkansas
Incumbent Tom Cotton defeated Micah Ashby and Jeb Little in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate Arkansas on March 3, 2026.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Tom Cotton | 82.1 | 187,969 | |
| Micah Ashby | 9.2 | 20,981 | ||
Jeb Little ![]() | 8.8 | 20,095 | ||
| Total votes: 229,045 | ||||
= 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. | ||||
Libertarian convention
Libertarian convention for U.S. Senate Arkansas
Jeff Wadlin advanced from the Libertarian convention for U.S. Senate Arkansas on February 22, 2026.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | Jeff Wadlin (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. | ||||
Candidate profiles
There are currently no candidate profiles created for this race. Candidate profiles will appear here as they are created. Encourage the candidates in this race to complete Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey so that their profile will appear here. You can ask candidates in this race to fill out the survey by clicking their names below:
Voting information
- See also: Voting in Arkansas
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. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
No candidate in this race has completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. Ballotpedia is seeking 100 percent participation so voters can learn more about all the candidates on their ballots.
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 | $11,880,970 | $8,607,793 | $9,670,131 | As of February 11, 2026 |
| Ethan Dunbar | Democratic Party | $16,038 | $17,411 | $3,799 | As of February 11, 2026 |
| Hallie Shoffner | Democratic Party | $1,237,490 | $733,520 | $503,970 | As of February 11, 2026 |
| Micah Ashby | Republican Party | $41,162 | $126 | $754 | As of February 11, 2026 |
| Jeb Little | Republican Party | $92,532 | $92,404 | $127 | As of March 31, 2026 |
| Jeff Wadlin | Libertarian Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
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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.[2]
- 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.[3][4][5]
| Race ratings: U.S. Senate election in Arkansas, 2026 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Race tracker | Race ratings | ||||||||
| 3/17/2026 | 3/10/2026 | 3/3/2026 | 2/24/2026 | ||||||
| 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
The table below details filing requirements for U.S. Senate candidates in Arkansas in the 2026 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Arkansas, click here.
| Filing requirements for U.S. Senate candidates, 2026 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Office | Party | Signatures required | Filing fee | Filing deadline | Source |
| Arkansas | U.S. Senate | Ballot-qualified party | N/A | Fixed by party | 11/12/2025 | Source |
| Arkansas | U.S. Senate | Unaffiliated | 3% of qualified voters in the district, or 2,000, whichever is less | N/A | 5/1/2026 | Source |
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.[6][7][8]
| 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
Click the tabs below to view information about demographics, past elections, and partisan control of the state.
- Presidential elections - Information about presidential elections in the state.
- Statewide elections - Information about recent U.S. Senate and gubernatorial elections in the state.
- State partisanship - The partisan makeup of the state's congressional delegation and state government.
- Demographics - Information about the state's demographics and how they compare to the country as a whole.
Cook PVI by congressional district
| District | Incumbent | PVI |
|---|---|---|
| Arkansas' 1st | Rick Crawford | R+23 |
| Arkansas' 2nd | French Hill | R+8 |
| Arkansas' 3rd | Steve Womack | R+13 |
| Arkansas' 4th | Bruce Westerman | R+20 |
2024 presidential results by 2026 congressional district lines
| District | Kamala Harris | Donald Trump |
|---|---|---|
| Arkansas' 1st | 26.0% | 72.0% |
| Arkansas' 2nd | 41.0% | 57.0% |
| Arkansas' 3rd | 36.0% | 61.0% |
| Arkansas' 4th | 29.0% | 69.0% |
| Source: The Downballot | ||
2016-2024
How a state's counties vote in a presidential election and the size of those counties can provide additional insights into election outcomes at other levels of government including statewide and congressional races. Below, four categories are used to describe each county's voting pattern over the 2016, 2020, and 2024 presidential elections: Solid, Trending, Battleground, and New. Click [show] on the table below for examples:
| County-level voting pattern categories | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | |||||||
| Status | 2016 | 2020 | 2024 | ||||
| Solid Democratic | D | D | D | ||||
| Trending Democratic | R | D | D | ||||
| Battleground Democratic | D | R | D | ||||
| New Democratic | R | R | D | ||||
| Republican | |||||||
| Status | 2016 | 2020 | 2024 | ||||
| Solid Republican | R | R | R | ||||
| Trending Republican | D | R | R | ||||
| Battleground Republican | R | D | R | ||||
| New Republican | D | D | R | ||||
Following the 2024 presidential election, 81.2% of Arkansans lived in one of the state's 67 Solid Republican counties, which voted for the Republican presidential candidate in every election from 2016 to 2024, and 18.4% lived in one of 7 Solid Democratic counties. Overall, Arkansas was Solid Republican, having voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016, Donald Trump (R) in 2020, and Donald Trump (R) in 2024. Use the table below to view the total number of each type of county in Arkansas following the 2024 election as well as the overall percentage of the state population located in each county type.
| Arkansas county-level statistics, 2024 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solid Republican | 67 | 81.2% | |||||
| Solid Democratic | 7 | 18.4% | |||||
| New Republican | 1 | 0.3% | |||||
| Total voted Democratic | 7 | 18.4% | |||||
| Total voted Republican | 68 | 81.6% | |||||
Historical voting trends
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[9] | R | D | R | R | R | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
This section details the results of the five most recent U.S. Senate and gubernatorial elections held in the state.
U.S. Senate elections
The table below details the vote in the five most recent U.S. Senate races in Arkansas.
Gubernatorial elections
- See also: Governor of Arkansas
The table below details the vote in the five most recent gubernatorial elections in Arkansas.
Congressional delegation
The table below displays the partisan composition of Arkansas' congressional delegation as of October 2025.
| Congressional Partisan Breakdown from Arkansas | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | U.S. Senate | U.S. House | Total |
| Democratic | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Republican | 2 | 4 | 6 |
| Independent | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Vacancies | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 2 | 4 | 6 |
State executive
The table below displays the officeholders in Arkansas' top four state executive offices as of October 2025.
| Office | Officeholder |
|---|---|
| Governor | |
| Lieutenant Governor | |
| Secretary of State | |
| Attorney General |
State legislature
Arkansas State Senate
| Party | As of March 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 6 | |
| Republican Party | 29 | |
| Other | 0 | |
| Vacancies | 0 | |
| Total | 35 | |
Arkansas House of Representatives
| Party | As of March 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 20 | |
| Republican Party | 80 | |
| Other | 0 | |
| Vacancies | 0 | |
| Total | 100 | |
Trifecta control
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 |
The table below details demographic data in Arkansas and compares it to the broader United States as of 2023.
| Demographic Data for Arkansas | ||
|---|---|---|
| Arkansas | United States | |
| Population | 3,011,524 | 331,449,281 |
| Land area (sq mi) | 51,991 | 3,531,905 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White | 70.9% | 63.4% |
| Black/African American | 14.9% | 12.4% |
| Asian | 1.6% | 5.8% |
| Native American | 0.6% | 0.9% |
| Pacific Islander | 0.1% | 0.4% |
| Other (single race) | 3% | 6.6% |
| Multiple | 8.7% | 10.7% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 8.8% | 19% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate | 88.6% | 89.4% |
| College graduation rate | 25.1% | 35% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income | $58,773 | $78,538 |
| Persons below poverty level | 16% | 12.4% |
| Source: population provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "Decennial Census" (2020). Other figures provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2018-2023). | ||
| **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. | ||
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Both independent U.S. senators — Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Angus King (I-Maine) — caucus with the Democrats.
- ↑ 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
- ↑ American Independent Party
= candidate completed the