Greenwood resident Stacie Smith has entered an already crowded Republican field of candidates in a Senate District 26 special election with which the primary election date may or may not be March 3, 2026.
Following the death of Sen. Gary Stubblefield, R-Branch, Gov. Sarah Sanders set the primary election for March 3, 2026, with the special general election date set for June 9. In her election call, Sanders declared that it is “impracticable or unduly burdensome” to hold an election within 150 days of the declared vacancy in the district seat.
June 9 would mean the district would not have a senator during the 2026 fiscal session of the Arkansas Legislature.
Pulaski County Circuit Court Judge Patricia James ruled Oct. 22[1] that Sanders’ election cycle violates the constitutional rights of residents in the district and ordered an earlier election date to be set. Sanders, through the office of Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin, has filed a notice to appeal but has not yet filed an appeal.
Senate District 26 includes parts of Franklin, Johnson, Logan and Sebastian counties. Towns in the large legislative district include Barling, Booneville, Charleston, Clarksville, Greenwood, Lamar, Lavaca, Ozark, and Paris.
In addition to Smith, Former State Rep. Mark Berry, R-Ozark, Paris businessman Brad Simon, and Paris businessman Ted Tritt have announced as Republicans for the District 26 seat. No Democrats have announced for the seat. The filing period begins Nov. 3 and ends Nov. 11.
“The late Senator Gary Stubblefield leaves behind a legacy of strong, principled leadership,” Smith said in a statement. “Moving forward, we need a Senator who honors that legacy and brings the skills necessary to tackle today’s complex issues. As a Government and Community Relations leader with a strong background in both Economic Development and Civic Engagement, I will effectively serve our district and ensure our voices are heard in Little Rock.”
Smith said she would be against the prison Gov. Sanders wants to build north of Charleston in Franklin County.
The District 26 election has taken on added significance with the Senate district including the proposed site for the planned state prison. Gov. Sanders and other state officials announced Oct. 31, 2024, that the state had purchased the 815 acres was $2.9 million.
The effort to build the prison has generated opposition from Franklin County residents and Arkansas legislators, with Sen. Stubblefield a leader of the anti-prison effort before his death. The Arkansas Senate failed to advance a funding bill for a new state prison late in the recent regular session. The $750 million funding measure failed five times to get a 75% vote from senators.
“As a fiscal conservative, I cannot support spending $1 billion on a 3,000-bed prison when our state has so many other needs,” Smith said. “Our jails are overcrowded and we need more prison beds, so as Senator I’ll work with everyone to find a responsible solution for a new prison in a location that makes sense.”
Smith is the community affairs coordinator for Arkansas Oklahoma Gas (AOG), a subsidiary of Summit Utilities. She previously worked 18 years in government relations at Golden Living. She is a graduate of the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith and serves on boards of the United Way of Fort Smith Area and the Fort Smith Regional Chamber of Commerce.
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- ^ ruled Oct. 22 (talkbusiness.net)