Inside Arkansas’s Most Competitive House Primaries

In a predominantly single party state, primaries often provide the only real opportunity for voters to shape who represents them in the Legislature. With 29 contested legislative races on primary ballots statewide and 17 incumbents not seeking reelection, the 2026 cycle opens the door to a wide range of competitive open seat contests.

Several high profile races have already drawn significant attention, including Republican Sen. Ron Caldwell’s bitter matchup with Trey “BoDirt” Bohannon and Republican Sen. Bryan King’s challenge from Bobby Ballinger, the son of King’s immediate predecessor.

Below is a closer look at several other notable Arkansas House races appearing on the primary ballot this season.

House District 5

The five-candidate Republican primary will decide the race to replace longtime Rep. Ron McNair, who is not seeking another term. With no Democrats filing in the solidly Republican district in Boone County, the GOP contest will effectively determine his successor.

Republicans Mike Bishop, Jon Edward Burnside, Truman Copeland, Boone County Justice of the Peace Kyle Evatt, and Jeff Pratt are running to represent the district. McNair was first elected to the House in 2014.

House District 6

Along Arkansas’s northern border, House District 6 is currently represented by Republican Harlan Breaux, who has served the area since his election in 2018, when the district was previously known as District 97. Breaux is not seeking reelection this cycle, leaving the seat open.

The Republican primary features Steven L. Baird, Hunter Rivett, and Cody Rogers, all vying to succeed him. No Democratic candidate has filed in the district, making the GOP primary the decisive race in this strongly Republican seat.

House District 24

Incumbent GOP Rep. Brad Hall of Rudy is not running for reelection in this district, which includes portions of Crawford and Washington counties.

Hall’s immediate predecessor, retired school psychologist specialist Charlene Fite of Van Buren, is running to regain her seat. She declined to run for reelection in 2024 after six terms.

During her sixth term, Fite’s legislative priorities included strengthening and clarifying penalties for human trafficking.

Fite’s Republican primary opponent is Alma business owner Melissa Koller. The winner of the District 24 primary will face Democrat Ryan Intchauspe, who lost to Hall in the 2024 election by more than 7,000 votes.

House District 35

A crowded field is competing for the Democratic nomination in this open east Arkansas district spanning portions of Crittenden and Cross counties, a seat the party narrowly retained two years ago.

The incumbent, Rep. Jessie McGruder, is seeking the Senate District 9 seat, which is currently held by term-limited Sen. Reginald Murdock.

Candidates vying for the Democratic nomination include Joyce Ann Gray, Sherry Holliman, Demetris Johnson Jr., Willie Williams, and Audrey Willis.

The winner of the Democratic primary will face Robert Thorne Jr., the Republican who lost the 2024 election for the seat by 123 votes.

House District 46

Four Republicans are vying for the House District 46 seat currently held by term-limited Rep. Jon Eubanks of Paris in a primary contest that is likely to decide the general election outcome.

The district includes parts of Franklin, Sebastian, Logan, and Johnson counties. There are no Democrats running for the seat.

Brian Cooper, Paris City Council member Tonya Fletcher, Ronni Tate Young, and Curtis Varnell are competing for the seat. The winner will also represent the area where the Franklin County prison is set to be built.

House District 52

Arkansas House of Representatives District 52 is open this cycle after incumbent Republican Marcus Richmond declined to seek another term.

The race has drawn a crowded Republican primary field, including Mike Jones, who placed second in the 2022 primary against Richmond, along with Crystal Malloy, Brent Montgomery, and Kristain Thompson.

With the district solidly Republican, the primary is expected to decide who will ultimately represent the district in the Legislature.

House District 70

Voters in this district, which covers parts of North Little Rock, Sherwood, and Jacksonville, may recognize familiar names on their primary ballots.

Democrats Alex Holladay and Cordelia Smith-Johnson are once again running against each other for the party’s nomination for the seat vacated by Republican Rep. Carlton Wing of North Little Rock, who stepped down last year to take over Arkansas’ public television network.

Holladay defeated Smith-Johnson by a large margin in a special primary last month. He is currently running against Republican Bo Renshaw in the March 3 special election to complete Wing’s term until January 2027.

The winner of the March 3 regular primary election will face Renshaw in November and take office in January.

Holladay recruits health care professionals for the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. Smith-Johnson is an Air Force veteran and a prevention coordinator for the Army National Guard.

Holladay previously lost to Wing by 316 votes in his 2024 bid for the same seat.

House District 92

Dawn Creekmore and Eric Shepherd are competing in the Republican primary for the GOP-held district covering Grant County and parts of Saline County, an open seat created by the decision of Julie Mayberry not to seek reelection.

Creekmore is a mortgage and loan advisor and a former member of the Saline County Quorum Court. She sponsored laws that increased identity theft protection and required a life sentence without parole for someone convicted of rape or sexual assault of a child under 14.

Shepherd is a real estate agent and firefighter with the Little Rock Fire Department and the Calvert Township Volunteer Fire Department. His campaign website highlights his support for gun rights and his opposition to abortion and tax increases.

Casey Reed will remain on the ballot, but he has been ruled ineligible to run for the Legislature, and any votes cast in his name will not be counted, under a decision by the Arkansas Supreme Court stemming from his 2012 felony conviction for abuse of public trust. There is no Democratic challenger.

House District 94

This House GOP primary pits the wife of the current representative Laura “Missy” Wardlaw against an opponent who attempted to have her disqualified from the ballot.

According to her website, Wardlaw is a member of the Warren YMCA Board of Directors, the Bradley County Museum Board, and the Bradley Medical and Health Foundation Board.

Wardlaw’s Republican primary opponent is John Kyle Day, a history professor at the University of Arkansas at Monticello. His website emphasizes his “strong conservative values,” including support for gun rights and educational “reforms that empower parents.”

Wardlaw was charged in 2018 with writing a hot check and forfeited bond, which typically occurs when a defendant fails to appear in court. Day argued to the Pulaski County Circuit Court in December that bond forfeiture amounted to a conviction, which would disqualify her from running for office. Both the circuit court and the state Supreme Court ruled against Day.

The winner of the primary will not face a Democratic opponent in November.

Other Notable Primaries on the Ballot

Additional contested primaries are unfolding across multiple districts, adding to the competitive landscape of this election cycle.

In District 1, Republicans Brian Carter and Mark A. Nichols are facing each other in a GOP primary contest. District 7 features a Republican primary that includes incumbent Rep. Brit McKenzie, along with challengers Hunter Rivett and Cody Rogers. In District 30, Republican candidates Josh Longmire and Coty Powers are competing for the nomination.

District 32 has a multi party contest, with Republican incumbent Rep. Jack Ladyman facing Democratic challengers Joshua Alfano and Erika Askeland. In District 39, Republican Rep. Wayne Long is being challenged in the primary by Cody Smith. District 42 includes a Republican primary between Jeremy Riddle and Scout Stubbs.

District 53 features a three way race with Republican incumbent Rep. Matt Duffield, Republican challenger David J. Howell, and Democratic candidate Jennifer Lewter.

In District 59, Republican Rep. Jim Wooten is facing a primary challenge from Tony Ferguson II. District 72 is seeing a Democratic primary contest between Talesha Dokes and Angela Person-West. District 82 includes a Republican primary between incumbent Rep. Tony Furman and challenger Steve Brown. And District 88 features a Republican contest between Rep. Dolly Henley and Lonny Mack Goodwin, rounding out a broad slate of competitive primaries across the state.