The date has been set for two special elections in Arkansas.
Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders released a proclamation yesterday announcing that the special elections for Senate District 26 and House District 70 will be held on March 3, 2026, with a primary on Jan. 6.
In the proclamation, Gov. Sanders described the court orders as unlawful eight different times. The announcement came after the Arkansas Supreme Court last week denied the governor's request to pause the two separate court orders regarding these elections. Her proclamation makes no mention of the Supreme Court's ruling.
She said that despite her objections, she will comply with the court's order and will continue the appeals process.
The Democratic Party of Arkansas was the plaintiff in the House District lawsuit. Retired Col. Marcus Jones, chair of the Democratic Party of Arkansas, said in a statement that this is a huge win for democracy and for representation in Arkansas.
He also says, “The governor thinks she knows better than everyday voters, our courts and our Constitution. We'll see about that at the ballot box.”
Ozarks at Large asked the governor's office why they are complying with the court order if they believe it is unlawful. Her office did not respond to our request for comment.
Ozarks at Large transcripts are created on a rush deadline. Copy editors utilize AI tools to review work. KUAF does not publish content created by AI. Please reach out to kuafinfo@uark.edu to report an issue. The audio version is the authoritative record of KUAF programming.
