Arkansas voting guide

Tom Cotton Republican, incumbent

Has called ranked-choice voting 'a scam' after Alaska's 2022 special election. Source

Jeff Wadlin Libertarian

Supports the goal of the SAVE Act but says it must be phased in so eligible voters are not blocked. Supports ending gerrymandering and allowing ranked-choice voting. Source

Tom Cotton Republican, incumbent

Has said the U.S. has an 'under-incarceration problem' and argued against shorter prison sentences for people convicted of felonies. Source

Hallie Shoffner Democratic

Supports funding and training for local police and community crime prevention. Wants addiction treated as a health issue, with treatment and reentry programs. Source

Jeff Wadlin Libertarian

Supports ending civil asset forfeiture without a conviction, treatment courts for addiction, decriminalizing personal cannabis use, and limiting no-knock warrants. Source

Tom Cotton Republican, incumbent

Opposes defunding ICE. Says immigration officers deserve stronger backing and that it is never appropriate to interfere with enforcement operations. Source

Hallie Shoffner Democratic

Said she would vote to defund ICE 'as it exists right now,' calling for oversight and accountability. Later said she favors reforming ICE, not eliminating it. Source

Jeff Wadlin Libertarian

Supports border security, faster asylum decisions, more immigration judges, and penalties for companies that hire undocumented workers. Supports more legal immigration. Source

Tom Cotton Republican, incumbent

Praised the 2022 Dobbs ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade. Called Roe 'a tragic mistake' and the ruling 'a great victory for unborn life and self-government.' Source

Hallie Shoffner Democratic

Says she will strengthen the Affordable Care Act, protect Medicare and Medicaid, lower drug prices, and address maternal deaths so women can get lifesaving care. Source

Jeff Wadlin Libertarian

Wants to cover everyone by cutting total health costs. Supports Medicaid work requirements without 'paperwork traps' and 12 months of postpartum coverage. Source

Tom Cotton Republican, incumbent

Voted for the 2025 tax and spending law (H.R. 1, the 'One Big Beautiful Bill Act'), which extended tax cuts and changed Medicaid and SNAP. Source

Hallie Shoffner Democratic

Wants tax cuts for working families, says the 2025 tax law favored billionaires, and wants to lift the Social Security payroll tax cap on the very wealthy. Source

Jeff Wadlin Libertarian

Wants to end broad tariffs. Supports a simpler, progressive tax code and a balanced budget, and says tax cuts paid for with borrowing are not real cuts. Source

Tom Cotton Republican, incumbent

Co-sponsored a 2023 bill to raise the federal minimum wage to $11 by 2028 while requiring employers to use E-Verify. Source

Hallie Shoffner Democratic

Supports raising the minimum wage, paid leave, and protecting the right to organize and bargain collectively. Source

Jeff Wadlin Libertarian

Supports gradual, predictable minimum-wage increases and workers' freedom to organize and bargain without retaliation. Source

Hallie Shoffner Democratic

Says she will work to lower housing, child care and grocery costs for working families. Source

Jeff Wadlin Libertarian

Supports building more housing and lowering federal financing barriers, while leaving zoning mainly to state and local governments. Source

Tom Cotton Republican, incumbent

Supports school choice. Has said the local public school 'isn't always the right fit for everyone.' Source

Hallie Shoffner Democratic

Supports higher pay for teachers and school staff, and more job training and apprenticeships. Source

Jeff Wadlin Libertarian

Says education is mainly a state, local and family job. Supports more federal aid for apprenticeships and technical training. Source

Tom Cotton Republican, incumbent

Introduced a 2025 bill to remove diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) requirements from the CHIPS and Science Act, calling DEI policies 'burdensome' and 'divisive.' Source

Tom Cotton Republican, incumbent

Opposed the Green New Deal resolution in 2019, saying it would raise energy costs and destroy jobs. Source

Hallie Shoffner Democratic

Opposed Cotton's DATA Act to ease federal rules on power plants built for data centers. Says state regulators should oversee data-center energy costs and warns of local pollution. Source

Jeff Wadlin Libertarian

Says climate change is real and human activity contributes. Supports an 'all-of-the-above' energy approach and local say over energy projects and data centers. Source

Tom Cotton Republican, incumbent

Blocked a Senate vote on the PRESS Act, a bill to shield journalists from forced disclosure of sources, in December 2024. Source

Jeff Wadlin Libertarian

Says he will protect free speech and a free press and opposes government censorship. Source

Sarah Huckabee Sanders Republican, incumbent

Says her goal was to 'make it easy to vote and hard to cheat.' Backed 2025 laws on ballot boxes and petition rules. Source

Fredrick (Fred) Love Democratic

Would stop the planned 3,000-bed prison in Franklin County and focus on rehabilitation, job training and reentry programs. Source

Sarah Huckabee Sanders Republican, incumbent

Says she signed laws so the most violent criminals serve full sentences, added 1,500 prison beds, and started a pilot program to reduce repeat offenses. Source

Colt Shelby Libertarian

Opposes the proposed 3,000-bed Franklin County prison, citing cost overruns and lack of local input. Source

Sarah Huckabee Sanders Republican, incumbent

Signed the Defense Against Criminal Illegals Act and sent the Arkansas National Guard to help ICE with immigration enforcement in 2025. Source

Fredrick (Fred) Love Democratic

Says he will protect Medicaid and put people who lost coverage back on the rolls. Wants more maternal and mental health care and telehealth. Source

Sarah Huckabee Sanders Republican, incumbent

Asked federal officials in 2025 to approve a work requirement for adults in Arkansas' Medicaid expansion, saying Medicaid should be 'a safety net rather than a poverty trap.' Source

Colt Shelby Libertarian

Has said government should not be involved in abortion decisions but late-term elective abortion should not be normal. Supported a 2025 bill adding exceptions for rape, incest and medical emergencies. Source

Fredrick (Fred) Love Democratic

Proposes cutting the income tax rate for people earning $50,000 or less from 3.7% to 2.9%, and a free school lunch program. Source

Sarah Huckabee Sanders Republican, incumbent

Signed income tax cuts totaling about 20% over three years and repealed the state grocery tax. Won a waiver barring SNAP purchases of soda and candy. Source

Colt Shelby Libertarian

Wants full public accounting and independent audits of state contracts and business incentive deals. Source

Fredrick (Fred) Love Democratic

Would create an Affordable Housing Taskforce at the Arkansas Development Finance Authority. Source

Fredrick (Fred) Love Democratic

Opposes school vouchers. Said he would issue an order to stop Education Freedom Account vouchers and put that money into public schools. Source

Sarah Huckabee Sanders Republican, incumbent

Signed the LEARNS Act, which created Education Freedom Accounts (vouchers) for all K-12 students and raised starting teacher pay to $50,000. Source

Colt Shelby Libertarian

Opposes voucher expansion that pulls money from rural public schools. Has suggested tying voucher eligibility to income. Source

Sarah Huckabee Sanders Republican, incumbent

Listed 'No men in women's sports' among her goals in her 2026 State of the State address. Source

Fredrick (Fred) Love Democratic

Supports a moratorium on new data centers and said he would not recruit them to Arkansas. Source

Colt Shelby Libertarian

Wants large data centers and crypto miners to pay for grid upgrades they need, and protection for local water. Says data-center moratoriums should be a local decision. Source