Candidates

Platform Analysis: Senator Cotton emphasizes defense appropriations to create high-wage manufacturing jobs in Arkansas. He advocates for federal deregulation, expanding domestic energy production, and judicial originalism while opposing federal spending expansions.

Local Impact: Prioritizes defense contracts, federal tax reductions, and federal border enforcement.

Platform Analysis: Shoffner opposes foreign and corporate monopolies buying domestic farmland. She advocates for lowering prescription drug costs, investing in rural health clinics, and shifting federal priorities toward working family safety nets.

Local Impact: Shifts federal investments toward healthcare access, public schools, and family farm protections.

Platform Analysis: Representative Hill points to six terms of seniority on the House Financial Services Committee in pursuing capital market deregulation, budget restraint aimed at reducing inflation, and continued domestic energy production, with the goal of drawing commercial investment to central Arkansas.

Local Impact: Continues current financial-sector deregulation, federal spending restraint, and existing business tax incentives.

Platform Analysis: Jones focuses on economic growth through public infrastructure investment. He advocates for federal funding for public school facilities, support for renters facing rising housing costs, and expanded broadband access in underserved areas.

Local Impact: Directs federal funding toward local infrastructure, renter support, and trade and community-college education.

Platform Analysis: Senator Love argues that voucher spending reduces the funding available to traditional public schools. He calls for restoring prior Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requirements, regulating water and power usage by commercial data centers, and increased infrastructure investment.

Local Impact: Redirects voucher funding to traditional public schools, expands state government transparency requirements, and shifts corrections funding from new prison construction toward county jails and diversion programs.

Platform Analysis: Governor Sanders describes voucher accounts as giving parents school choice regardless of income. Her economic policy centers on gradually eliminating the state income tax to attract corporate investment, alongside expanded state prison capacity as part of her criminal justice approach.

Local Impact: Redirects public education funding toward private and homeschool options, reduces state income tax revenue over time, and increases state prison capacity.

Platform Analysis: Griffen brings judicial experience from the Arkansas Court of Appeals and the 6th Judicial Circuit Court to the county executive role. He proposes transparent county contract procurement and continued funding for county health and safety-net services.

Local Impact: Expands county health clinics and crisis intervention services, applies equal funding standards to rural and urban roads, and increases transparency requirements for county contracts.

Platform Analysis: Rushin proposes restructuring the county budget to reduce or eliminate local property taxes, arguing they burden fixed-income seniors and discourage development. He proposes funding this shift by reprioritizing existing county revenue rather than raising other taxes.

Local Impact: Reduces or eliminates county property tax revenue, redirects existing county funds toward animal welfare and homelessness programs, and reduces overall county government spending.

Platform Analysis: Mayor Scott's re-election announcement (May 8, 2026) names crime reduction, job growth and stronger neighborhoods as the focus of a new term and describes the work as ongoing ("we're just getting started"). The announcement does not include figures.

Local Impact: Continues the public safety, job-growth and neighborhood priorities named in his announcement.

Platform Analysis: Wyrick's campaign announcement (Sept. 30, 2025) lists public safety, road repair, code enforcement, parks and government transparency. She also proposes recruiting industry, removing barriers and incentivizing job growth and investment alongside the business community, and unifying stakeholders around a shared vision.

Local Impact: Prioritizes police staffing, road repair, code enforcement, parks, and incentives for job growth.