Rep. Womack earns nomination; Biden and Trump win respective Arkansas primaries

U.S. Rep. Steve Womack, R-Rogers, defeated challenger Arkansas Sen. Clint Penzo, R-Springdale, in Tuesday’s Republican primary race for the 3rd Congressional District.

With 44% of the 3rd District area reporting and 26% partially reporting, Rep. Womack had 55.62% of the vote compared to Penzo’s 44.58%. Womack, who is seeking his seventh term in the U.S. House, will face Democrat Caitlin Draper and Libertarian Bobby Wilson in the November general election.

The former Rogers mayor was in Washington, D.C. on election night because the House had floor votes.

“You know, I brag about never missing a vote, so I couldn’t start tonight,” Womack said in a brief interview with Talk Business & Politics.

As to the election results, he noted, “I’m honored and humbled by the support I have from the voters, and we now turn our attention to the general election, to a great contest of ideas.”

Womack added that, even with a lackluster overall ballot and a non-competitive presidential race, he was “very disappointed” in the overall voter turnout in Arkansas for the primary election.

“But doggonit, this is America, and we’re better than that,” he said.

Penzo ran to the political right of Womack, noting in much of his advertising and other messaging that Womack wasn’t conservative enough and had “lost touch with his constituents.” Penzo, a former state representative who was elected to the State Senate in 2022, will continue to represent Springdale, Johnson, Tontitown and Elm Springs in Washington County at least until 2026.

Womack is the senior member of the powerful House Appropriations Committee, and is chairman of the Financial Services and General Government (FSGG) Subcommittee. He also sits on the Defense and Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD) Subcommittees. He formerly served as the chairman of the House Budget Committee.

Womack also serves as chairman of the West Point Board of Visitors (BOV) that helps support the U.S. Military Academy for the U.S. Army. He was first appointed to the BOV in 2012 and elected BOV chairman in 2017. He retired from the Arkansas Army National Guard in 2009 at the rank of Colonel with more than thirty years of service. Also, Womack is the only congressional representative from Arkansas to serve on the board.

In the Republican field of U.S. presidential candidates, Donald Trump received 76.75% of the votes with 44% of the counties reporting. Nikki Haley had 18.59% of the votes, and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, who was still on the ballot despite dropping out of the race, garnered 2.81%.

In the Democratic primary for U.S. president, President Joe Biden received 89.43% of the vote with 44% of the counties reporting.