Sanders calls special election to fill south Arkansas Senate seat vacated by Gilmore

Voters in south Arkansas will select a new state senator in November after Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders called a special election Thursday to replace former Sen. Ben Gilmore.

Gilmore, a two-term Republican, announced last month plans to resign his seat to take a job working for Attorney General Tim Griffin, also a Republican. He resigned June 30, leaving Republicans’ with a 28-6 majority in the Senate.

Gilmore represented Senate District 1, which contains all of Ashley, Bradley, Chicot and Cleveland Counties as well as parts of Drew, Grant, Jefferson and Lincoln Counties.

A special party primary will be held Sept. 15. The candidate filing period for those who wish to run opens at noon on July 13 and ends at noon on July 16. Independent candidates must submit their petitions to be included on the ballot by noon on Aug. 7.

The special general election will be held on Nov. 3, coinciding with the regular midterm general election. The winner will serve out the rest of Gilmore’s term, which ends in 2028.

Gilmore’s vacancy is the fourth that will be filled in 2026. Republican Sen. Brad Simon and Democratic Rep. Alex Holladay won special elections in March to represent Senate District 26 and House District 70, respectively. 

Bill Teeter won the House District 44 Republican special primary Tuesday night to replace Republican Rep. Stan Berry, who died earlier this year. The special general election for the Arkansas River Valley district will be held Aug. 4, and Teeter will be unopposed.

The Senate District 1 special election is also the first called by Sanders since the Arkansas Supreme Court in May dismissed her appeal of two lawsuits filed over how she initially scheduled previous special elections. 

Arkansas Supreme Court dismisses Sanders’ appeals of special election challenges

Sanders originally scheduled the Senate District 26 special election to be held in November — more than a year after its previous holder, Sen. Gary Stubblefield, died. After bipartisan outcry, she moved the election up to June, and a week later scheduled the House District 70 special election on the same date. 

But two Pulaski County judges quickly ruled the June date violated a state law requiring special elections be called within 150 days of a vacancy, or as soon as practicable after 150 days. Sanders ultimately moved the elections to March after the Arkansas Supreme Court declined to put the judges’ orders on pause while she appealed them.

The election to replace Gilmore will be held within 124 days of his seat being declared vacant.