Category Archives: Elections

Social Security crisis this year’s election secret

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tax, taxes, debt, deficits, spending, trillion, State of the Union, deficit hawks, balanced budget amendment, Jonathan Bydlak, immigration, $98.8 trillion, $970 billion, Social SecurityHere’s an issue not being discussed much in this year’s campaign: The winners of U.S. Senate races across the country likely will face a Social Security crisis near the end of their terms, about the time they would run for re-election.

 In Arkansas, that would be Sen. Tom Cotton or one of the candidates seeking to replace him.

Both the Social Security Administration’s actuaries and the Congressional Budget Office have said that the Old-Age & Survivors Insurance Trust Fund, which pays seniors’ Social Security benefits, will become insolvent by the end of 2032.

That’s less than seven years from now. Continue reading →

Where Tuesday’s elections get most interesting

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By Steve Brawner, © 2026 by Steve Brawner Communications, Inc.

Not all political offices are equally important, and not all political races are equally interesting. As the 2026 primary elections enter their home stretch, let’s look at some of the races to watch March 3.

– Republican secretary of state. 

The SOS’s job is to administer elections at the state level, handle business filings, and maintain the State Capitol.

Three Republicans seek the spot: Sen. Kim Hammer, R-Benton; Miller County Judge Cathy Hardin Harrison; and project manager Bryan Norris of Batesville. The winner faces Democrat Kelly Grappe and Libertarian Michael Pakko in November.

Election integrity is a big issue these days, so this office may matter even more than it previously did. Furthermore, this is the only statewide primary race with more than two candidates. If neither candidate wins a majority, the top two will advance to a runoff March 31. If that happens, voter turnout will be low. Continue reading →

Democrats Love, Xayprasith-Mays seek to face Sanders

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By Steve Brawner, © 2026 by Steve Brawner Communications, Inc.

The Democratic primary for governor March 3 pits Fred Love, a state senator born in Little Rock, against Supha Xayprasith-Mays, who immigrated to Fort Smith from Laos at age 5.

Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders awaits the winner in the November general election, along with Libertarian candidate Colt Shelby. Continue reading →

Do some offices belong on the ballot?

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Steve Brawner, © 2026 by Steve Brawner Communications, Inc.

Voters in Arkansas are casting primary election ballots that are probably several offices longer than they should be. 

Certain offices should definitely be elected: governor, members of Congress, mayors, city council members, county judges, quorum court members, and school boards. 

These offices either make the laws voters live under, or they have ultimate authority in administering government as the chief executive, or, in school boards’ case, they set policies for taxpayer-funded public schools. They should answer directly to the governed.

On the other hand, voters shouldn’t elect offices that perform a specific, bureaucratic function. It’s not our role, and we often don’t have enough information about the office or the candidates. Continue reading →

King’s challenger another Ballinger

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vote, Mark Moore, 16-year-olds, Arkansas primaries, Goodson, photo IDThe March 3 primaries feature two state Senate primaries where Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders supports a challenger opposing a sitting Republican senator. 

Both senators voted against her administration’s proposed Franklin County prison in the last legislative session.

The two are Sen. Bryan King, R-Green Forest, of District 28, and Sen. Ronald Caldwell, R-Wynne, of District 10. King faces Bobby Ballinger, while Caldwell faces Trey Bohannan.

The support of Ballinger over King is not surprising. King is a bluntly speaking and cussedly independent senator who often clashes with Republican Party leadership – particularly Sen. Bart Hester, R-Cave Springs, the Senate president pro tempore. 

Caldwell is not an obvious thorn in the leadership’s side. But he did vote against funding the prison, which failed to make it out of the Senate last year after five votes but remains on the table.

We’ll focus on the District 28 race. It’s the third time King has faced a Ballinger. King defeated Ballinger’s dad, former state Sen. Bob Ballinger, to claim the seat in 2022. The elder Ballinger had ousted King from his state Senate seat in 2018. Continue reading →