Two incumbents win, one loses in state Senate races

There were several high-profile state Senate primaries on Tuesday (March 3) that garnered plenty of media attention, massive candidate fundraising and spending, as well as outside dark money group attack ads.

In the state Senate, incumbent Sen. Ron Caldwell, R-Wynne, comfortably defeated Trey “BoDirt” Bohannan 72%-28% in the District 10 seat in eastern Arkansas. Gov. Sarah Sanders endorsed Bohannan over Caldwell, who has opposed some of the governor’s legislative agenda, including prison funding in Franklin County.

In Senate District 28, incumbent Sen. Bryan King, R-Green Forrest, outpaced Republican primary challenger Bobby Ballinger by a 60%-40% margin. King has voiced opposition to Sanders’ Franklin County prison and objected to other legislative measures supported by her.

Rep. Jeremy Wooldridge, R-Paragould, knocked out incumbent Sen. Blake Johnson, R-Corning, in the Senate District 21 primary. Wooldridge scored 62% of the vote to Johnson’s 38%.

In Senate District 13, Rep. Brandon Achor, R-Maumelle, led Mischa Martin in the GOP primary by a 56%-44% margin. On the Democratic side, Allison Grigsby Sweatman defeated Jason Williams 54%-46%. Achor and Sweatman will square off in November to replace term-limited Sen. Jane English, R-North Little Rock.

In the Senate District 15 Democratic primary to replace Sen. Fred Love, D-Little Rock, who earned the Democratic nomination for governor, Charity Smith-Allen led State Rep. Tara Shephard, D-Little Rock, 45%-31%. Sharhonda Love, Sen. Love’s wife, finished third with 24%.

Rodney Wright won the Republican primary in the state Senate seat held by Sen. Kim Hammer, R-Benton, who looks as if he will make a GOP run-off for secretary of state. Wright defeated Randy Sams 68%-32%.