Republican Sen. Kim Hammer elected Arkansas secretary of state

Republican state Sen. Kim Hammer, who sponsored laws restricting Arkansas’ ballot initiative process and requiring an anti-abortion monument on Capitol grounds, was elected secretary of state Tuesday.

Hammer defeated Democrat Kelly Grappe and Libertarian Michael Pakko in the race to be the state’s top election official. Hammer won with nearly 56% of the vote, according to results from the secretary of state’s office.

Hammer succeeds Republican Secretary of State Cole Jester, who defeated Libertarian Christopher Olson for state land commissioner in Tuesday’s election.

Hammer, who has served in the state Legislature since 2011, sponsored several laws restricting the initiative process that have been the subject of legal challenges. A federal judge has blocked several of the laws and ruled them unconstitutional, including ones requiring all canvassers to be Arkansas residents and paid canvassers working on a statewide initiative petition or referendum to be residents living in the state. That ruling has been appealed to the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. 

Grappe and Pakko criticized Hammer over his work on the initiative changes, saying it hurt the direct democracy process. Hammer has said the measures ensure the security of the state’s election process.

Hammer is also the sponsor of the 2023 law that requires the state to allow a privately-funded anti-abortion monument on the Capitol grounds. Arkansas would be the first state with such a monument on state grounds.

Hammer won the race as Republican President Donald Trump has tried to exert more federal control over elections. The president earlier this year said Republicans should nationalize elections, and the GOP has been pushing for more voting restrictions at the federal level.

Hammer has said he doesn’t believe federal involvement was warranted and that Arkansas’ elections are already secure. 

Arkansas has one of the lowest voter turnout rates in the country, a distinction that all three candidates said they hoped to address if elected. Hammer has said he wants to expand voter outreach efforts with schools, community groups and others throughout the year, not just close to Election Day.

Hammer’s also said he wants to address a lack of parking at the state Capitol and that a long-term solution may need to be a parking deck for visitors and employees.