There will be a Republican Party and Democratic Party primary in the Arkansas Senate District 26 race. Three have announced for the Republican primary, but no one has yet emerged to run as a Democrat.
No date has yet been set for a primary election.
Former State Rep. Mark Berry, R-Ozark, Paris businessman Brad Simon, and Paris businessman Ted Tritt have announced as Republicans for the seat open after the death[1] of Sen. Gary Stubblefield, R-Branch.
Senate District 26 includes parts of Franklin, Johnson, Logan and Sebastian counties. Stubblefield was elected to the Arkansas House of Representatives in 2010, and served one term (2011-13) before being elected to the Arkansas Senate in 2012.
Towns in the expansive legislative district include Barling, Booneville, Charleston, Clarksville, Greenwood, Lamar, Lavaca, Ozark, and Paris.
Republican Party of Arkansas (RPA) Chairman Joseph Wood on Wednesday (Sept. 24) announced that the party would conduct a primary rather than select a candidate through a convention of delegates.
“It is important that the people of this district have the opportunity to choose their Republican nominee through a fair and open process,” Wood said in the statement. “A special primary election is the best way to ensure their voices are heard. The RPA will work closely with Governor Sanders, the Secretary of State’s office, and county election officials to ensure the special primary election is conducted in a timely and transparent manner.”
Democratic Party of Arkansas Chair Marcus Jones also announced Wednesday that the party would hold a primary. He said an attempt by Gov. Sarah Sanders to build a prison in Franklin County will be a key issue in the special election.
“Remember that the Franklin County Prison appropriation failed to pass on 5 separate occasions in the Senate,” Jones said. “From the roads, to the water infrastructure, to the electrical grid, to the non-existent workforce, to the furious voters of Senate District 26, there’s not one good reason to build a brand new billion-dollar prison in Franklin County. That’s what this Special Election will be about. We’re looking forward to the mudslinging that we’ll see in the crowded Republican primary field as Gov. Sanders desperately attempts to install a pro-prison rubber stamp in the State Senate.”
Gov. Sanders announced in October 2024 that the state had purchased land north of Charleston in Franklin County to build the prison. The cost for the 815 acres was $2.9 million. Once the prison is complete, it will employ nearly 800 individuals at an average salary of more than $46,600, according to the state.
The most recent cost of the proposed prison was estimated at $825 million, more than double the approximate $405 million state officials said it would cost when it was first announced.
The effort to build the prison has generated opposition from some Franklin County residents and Arkansas legislators. The Arkansas Senate failed to advance a funding bill for a new state prison late in the session. The $750 million funding measure failed five times to get a 75% vote from senators.