Wilson wins Republican nomination for vacant Arkansas Senate seat

Harrell Wilson of Rison won the Republican nomination for a vacant Senate seat in southeast Arkansas on Tuesday, moving to the general election in the heavily-Republican district.

Wilson defeated Missy Wardlaw and won nearly 65% of the 4,790 votes cast in the primary, according to unofficial results from the Arkansas secretary of state’s office. He will face Eudora Mayor Tomeka Butler, the only Democrat who filed to run for the seat, in November’s special general election.

The former holder of Senate District 1’s seat, former Sen. Ben Gilmore, resigned last month to work for Republican Attorney General Tim Griffin. Gilmore won his reelection campaign in 2024 with 77% of the vote.

With the vacancy, Republicans hold a 28-6 majority in the Senate. The winner of November’s general election will serve until the end of Gilmore’s term in 2029, representing a district comprising Ashley, Bradley, Chicot and Cleveland counties, as well as parts of Drew, Grant, Jefferson and Lincoln counties.

Wilson started the race with Gilmore’s endorsement, as well as endorsements from other prominent Republicans like Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders. Sanders congratulated Wilson for his win on the social media platform X Tuesday night.

In a statement posted to his campaign’s Facebook page, Wilson credited his win as a “team effort,” and thanked the state’s top Republicans for their support.

“I am truly humbled by the results tonight and look forward to representing the people of Southeast Arkansas at the State Capitol,” he wrote.

It’s the second primary defeat this year for Wardlaw, a veterans healthcare coordinator from Hermitage who ran for the House seat held by her husband, term-limited Republican Rep. Jeff Wardlaw, in March. 

While saying she was disappointed by the results, Wardlaw congratulated Wilson on his win and said she would not trade away the experience of running. She said she was proud of the campaign she ran.

“I’ve traveled all across Southeast Arkansas, listened to your concerns, heard your stories, and made friendships that mean more to me than you know,” she wrote on Facebook.