Filing period opens for Arkansas political races

Scores of political candidates filed for office on Monday (Nov. 4) at the Arkansas capitol as the week-long filing period officially opened for federal and state races.

Among the high-profile races on next year’s ballot are a March 3, 2020, Presidential primary, statewide races for the U.S. Senate and Arkansas Supreme Court, and 117 legislative seats in the Arkansas House and Senate.

Six Democrats filed for the Arkansas ballot for U.S. President, including Bernie Sanders, Amy Klobuchar, Pete Buttigieg, Mosie Boyd, Kamala Harris and Elizabeth Warren. C.L. Gammon, an Independent, also filed on Monday.

Four candidates filed for the U.S. Senate on the first day, including incumbent GOP Sen. Tom Cotton, Democratic challenger Josh Mahony, Libertarian Ricky Dale Harrington, Jr., and Independent Dan Whitfield.

Republican Congressmen Rick Crawford of the First District and French Hill of the Second District also filled out paperwork and paid filing fees to run for another two-year term. Democrat Celeste Williams and Libertarian Michael Kalagias filed in the Third District, while Democrat William Hanson and Libertarian Frank Gilbert officially filed in the Fourth District.

More than 125 candidates filed for legislative seats ranging from 17 of the 35 State Senate seats and all 100 House seats. You can access all of the candidate filings as well as those who have indicated they will run in this list.

The filing period ends Tuesday, Nov. 12, at noon due to Veterans Day falling on a Monday this year. The primary election will be held on March 3, 2020. The general election is set for November 3, 2020.