Arkansas Senate, House district races shape up in the Fort Smith metro

All three of the Arkansas Senate districts in the Fort Smith metro will have either a contested primary or general election, and six of the 11 Arkansas House districts in the metro will have a contested primary or general election.

The candidate filing period for Arkansas’ 2026 election cycle closed Wednesday (Nov. 12), and 32 candidates filed to run in Senate and House districts in the Fort Smith metro. Of the 32, 25 filed as a Republican, six as a Democrat, and one as an Independent.

A special election for Senate District 26 drew the most candidates at six, with five Republicans and one Independent filing. The Senate seat was left vacant with the Sept. 2 passing of Sen. Gary Stubblefield, R-Branch. Senate District 26 includes parts of Franklin, Johnson, Logan, and Sebastian counties. Towns in the legislative district include Barling, Booneville, Charleston, Clarksville, Greenwood, Lamar, Lavaca, Ozark, and Paris.

An election date for District 26 is in legal limbo. Gov. Sarah Sanders set the general election date for June 9, 2026. Franklin County resident Colt Shelby sued the state to have the date moved to December 2025. Pulaski County Circuit Court Judge Patricia James ruled in Shelby’s favor, and on Wednesday the Arkansas Supreme Court denied a stay of James’ ruling sought by the office of Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin. It is unknown what Sanders or Griffin’s office will do next.

House incumbents in the metro who will not have a primary or general election contest are Rep. James Eaton, R-Huntsville (District 25); Rep. Aaron Pilkington, R-Knoxville (District 45); Rep. Lee Johnson, R-Greenwood (District 47); Rep. Ryan Rose, R-Van Buren (District 48); and Rep. Jay Richardson, D-Fort Smith (District 49).

Following are the Senate and House races in the Fort Smith metro.

SENATE RACES
Following are Senate candidates who filed to run in districts that are in or partially in the Fort Smith metro.

Senate District 26 (vacated by the death of Sen. Gary Stubblefield)
Mark Berry — R
Wade Dunn – R
Stacie Smith – R
Brad Simon — R
Ted Tritt – R
Adam Watson – I

Senate District 27
Sen. Justin Boyd, R-Fort Smith
Eduardo Guzman – D

Senate District 28
Sen. Bryan King, R-Green Forest
Bobby Ballinger — R

HOUSE RACES
Following are House candidates who filed to run in districts that are in or partially in the Fort Smith metro.

House District 24
Charlene Fite – R
Ryan Intchauspe – D
Melissa Koller – R

House District 25
Rep. Chad Puryear, R-Hindsville
Courtney King – D

House District 26
Rep. James Eaton, R-Huntsville

House District 45
Rep. Aaron Pilkington, R-Knoxville

House District 46 (Rep. Jon Eubanks, R-Paris, is term-limited)
Tonya Fletcher — R
Brian Cooper – R
Curtis Varnell – R
Ronnie Young – R

House District 47
Rep. Lee Johnson, R-Greenwood

House District 48
Rep. Ryan Rose, R-Van Buren

House District 49
Rep. Jay Richardson, D-Fort Smith

House District 50
Rep. Zach Gramlich, R-Fort Smith
Wendy Peer – D

House District 51
Rep. Cindy Crawford, R-Fort Smith
Jane-Ellen Udouj-Kutchka – D

House District 52 (Rep. Marcus Richmond, R-Mena, is term-limited)
Crystal Malloy — R
Brent Montgomery — R
Mike Jones — R
Kristain Thompson — R

Link here for a complete and updated list of state and federal elections in Arkansas.