Incumbents, hopefuls file on first day at state capitol

Gov. Sarah Sanders joined other Republican Arkansas elected statewide and federal officials, along with several Democratic challengers, in filing for the 2026 elections on the first day of the filing period Monday (Nov. 3).

“I like Arkansas to be first, and I think you lead by example,” Sanders said as she arrived at noon, the opening of the filing period for partisan candidates, in the State Capitol Rotunda. Filing for nonpartisan judicial offices started at 3 p.m.

The filing period will continue until noon on Wednesday, Nov. 12, for partisan offices and 3 p.m. that day for nonpartisan judicial offices. The party primary elections will be March 3, 2026. The general election will be Nov. 3, 2026.

Sanders filed for office shortly after Secretary of State Cole Jester spoke very briefly, concluding by saying, “With that, candidate filing day begins.” He then banged a gavel three times.

Speaking to reporters, the governor said she was proud of her first three years in office. She said her agenda for her second term will be much like her first. She will focus on transforming education, public safety, and phasing out the state income tax.

Sanders said she believes her proposed 3,000-bed prison in Franklin County is the best location in the state. However, she said the real fight should be about how to protect the state from crime, not the prison’s location. Sanders’ comments came the day after President Donald Trump endorsed her for reelection, which she said she was proud to receive.

The morning of the filing period, her office announced she had approved the deployment of roughly 100 Arkansas Army National Guard soldiers to Washington, D.C., to support the D.C. National Guard’s ongoing civil security operations there. Sanders said she had deployed the troops after receiving a direct request from the secretary of the army.

Also filing Nov. 3 were two Democratic candidates for governor — state Sen. Fred Love, D-Little Rock, and Supha Xayprasith-Mays. Love said citizens across Arkansas tell him their lives may not be worse than they were four years ago, but their communities are. He said his campaign will focus on economic development, health care and public education.

“We have to stop vouchers because vouchers are taking valuable resources out of our public education system,” Love said.

He said mobilizing nonvoters are the key to his winning the election next November.

Xayprasith-Mays, who ran for the Democratic nomination in 2022, said public officials must ensure Arkansans have access to food and health care and have the option to be either an employer or an employee.

“It’s a human race campaign,” she said. She later added, “I am not a politician. I’m a people-tician.”

Other candidates filing for state offices Nov. 3 included Lt. Gov. Leslie Rutledge and Attorney General Tim Griffin, both of whom filed for reelection. Three Republican candidates filed for secretary of state: Sen. Kim Hammer, R-Benton; Judge Cathy Hardin Harrison; and Bryan Norris. Kelly Grappe filed for secretary of state as a Democrat. Arkansas Supreme Court Justice Nick Bronni filed for Supreme Court Associate Justice, Position 3.

Eight candidates filed for congressional offices, including Republican U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., and one of his announced Democratic opponents, Hallie Shoffner.

U.S. Rep. French Hill, R-Little Rock, filed for reelection to represent central Arkansas’ 2nd District, as did a Democratic challenger, Chris Jones, the 2022 Democratic nominee for governor. Asked why he was asking voters to allow him to return to Washington, D.C.’s toxic environment, Hill said the legislative process has always been frustrating going back to the First Continental Congress.

“We’ve always had conflict in our republic, and it takes citizens across our nation to work together in elected office to find the solutions that we need to build a more perfect union, and I’m proud to be a part of that,” he said.

Jones said Trump and Congress together are “screwing over” the 2nd District. He called Hill, the chair of the House Financial Services Committee, “America’s most powerful banker.” He said people are ready for someone different, and that his internal polls showed the race a 41-40% dead heat with 19% undecided. He said his campaign can capture those undecided voters with the political winds going against Hill.

Also filing for reelection was U.S. Rep. Bruce Westerman, R-Hot Springs, in the 4th District. He said he was seeking to return to Congress so he can pass the SPEED Act, a permitting reform bill that he said will pass his committee with bipartisan support.

“If we’re going to meet our energy demands, our mining demands, we’re going to have to have some kind of permitting reform because it takes on average 4.7 years right now to get the permit, and then you’ve still got six years after the permit where somebody can file a lawsuit and stop the project,” Westerman said.

He said ending the federal government shutdown will require five Democratic senators to vote for the continuing resolution supported by Republicans. He said the pressure to do so will build as Americans increasingly feel the effects of the shutdown.

Also filing for congressional offices were one Democrat in the 1st District, Zack Huffman, and two in the 3rd District, Diana Lawrence and Robb Ryerse.

For a complete and up-to-date list of today’s candidate filings and those who have announced for office, click here.