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.

– Democratic Senate and 2nd Congressional District primaries. 

These two races will be interesting only if either of the favorites, Hallie Shoffner in the Senate race and Chris Jones in the 2nd Congressional District, lose. Shoffner faces Lewisville Mayor Ethan Dunbar. Jones faces Zach Huffman. 

Shoffner and Jones are strong candidates. Shoffner has raised $1 million. Jones acquitted himself well in his 2022 race against now-Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders. 

Both would face long odds in the November elections – Shoffner running against Sen. Tom Cotton and Jones opposing Rep. French Hill. Still, they are the kinds of candidates Democrats must recruit if they are going to compete with Republicans in this very Republican state. 

– The “purple” district. 

That would be the state Legislature’s House District 70, where Republican Bo Renshaw faces Democrat Alex Holladay. A special election is occurring March 3 to fill the seat left vacant when former Rep. Carlton Wing resigned to lead the state’s public television station, Arkansas TV. 

This is one of the Legislature’s most competitive seats. Wing was re-elected 51%-49% in 2024. The current House partisan breakdown is 81-19. If Democrats are going to cut into Republicans’ big lead, they must win races like this one.

– The independent candidate in Senate District 26.

Independent Adam Watson faces Republican nominee Brad Simon in a special election to fill the seat left vacant by the death of Sen. Gary Stubblefield. 

District 26 would be home to Gov. Sanders’ proposed 3,000-bed Franklin County prison, an unpopular idea among constituents there. Even before announcing his candidacy, Watson was one of the most visible voices opposing it, so it would seem to be a winning issue for him. But Simon also is an outspoken prison opponent, which would seem to neutralize Watson’s advantage. One note: Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ PAC donated $3,500 to Simon’s campaign on Feb. 5. He’s the Republican in the race, and it doesn’t mean he’s going to change his stance on the prison. But it is another piece of information for voters to consider. 

Can an independent win election to the Legislature in today’s highly partisan climate? We’ll see.

– The three Republican incumbent state senators facing opponents from their own party. 

Sen. Bryan King, R-Green Forest, is being challenged by Bobby Ballinger in District 28. Elsewhere, Sen. Ronald Caldwell, R-Wynne, faces Trey Bohannan in District 10. Sen. Blake Johnson, R-Corning, faces state Rep. Jeremy Wooldridge, R-Marmaduke, in District 21.

The race between King and Ballinger is interesting for reasons covered previously in this space. King regularly clashes with his own party’s leadership, including on Sanders’ proposed prison. Ballinger is the son of former state Sen. Bob Ballinger, whom King defeated four years ago after Ballinger had previously defeated him. Sanders is supporting the younger Ballinger’s candidacy.

The District 10 race features another prison-opposing senator, Caldwell, and Bohannan, whom Sanders supports. 

That race became more interesting lately. Arkansas 1st News reported that Bohannan incorporated a business in 2024 with a man who in 2017 pleaded guilty to internet stalking. The man served two years in prison after admitting to posing as a teenage girl so he could exchange lewd photographs with girls and women.

Bohannan told the news site that he had learned of the man’s conviction six months earlier and that the business partnership has never evolved. He told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette that the man was one of many he has sought to give a second chance.

Caldwell has said he will seek to be the next Senate president pro tempore if he is re-elected.

So has Sen. Blake Johnson in District 21, who faces Rep. Jeremy Wooldridge. In that Senate race, Gov. Sanders has endorsed and financially supported Johnson, who voted for the prison. 

But Wooldridge is a strong opponent. He is an elected representative and is the son of former Sen. Tim Wooldridge. 

How will the governor’s favored candidates fare in those three races? 

It will be interesting to see.