Yesterday was the first day to file to run for office in Arkansas for the 2026 election cycle. Incumbent lawmakers and hopeful officeholders crowded the state Capitol rotunda to participate in the multistep process.
First, candidates file with their political party, then file with the state, and lastly sign the ethics rules. Both major parties avoid candidate preferences in primary elections.
State Democratic Party Chair Col. Marcus Jones called the policy healthy.
"When we have primary candidates, it allows them to truly be measured against one another. It gives choice to the electorate, which I think is great, and it also gives them an opportunity to really build out their thoughts, their policies, and their agenda. So I think overall, it’s a good thing."
The Democratic Party of Arkansas’s high filing fees are intended to make sure candidates are serious contenders. State Republicans’ filing fees are even higher. Republican House Speaker Brian Evans says it’s intentional.
"When you see candidates that are here and they’re filing for the first time, they’ve worked hard. They have gone out and worked in their district, and they’ve talked to their constituents, and their constituents have been willing to invest in them. And that’s a key part of the process."
Other state and national officeholders filed for re-election, including Rep. Bruce Westerman and Rep. French Hill, as well as Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders. The deadline to file is next Wednesday.
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