Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders has amended the timeline for the special election to fill the vacant District 26 Senate seat, moving the general election date forward to June 9, 2026.
The vacancy was created following the Sept. 2 death of longtime Sen. Gary Stubblefield, who represented the River Valley district in the Arkansas General Assembly.
Sanders said the revised schedule was developed after receiving community feedback and confirmation from election officials that an earlier date was feasible.
“We initially set the special election date to align with the existing election calendar to save taxpayer money, streamline the process for election officials and allow for as much voter participation as possible,” Sanders said. “After receiving feedback from the community and getting confirmation from election officials that a change, while difficult, is doable, I have decided to move up the general election date to expedite representation for the River Valley.”
Secretary of State Cole Jester also endorsed the change, saying his office recognized the additional burden but supported the governor’s decision.
“We are confident this adjustment will serve the best interests of our state,” Jester said.
Arkansas Democrats Chair Marcus Jones sharply criticized the new timeline, calling it “another slap in the face to the River Valley.”
“This is nothing but a Band Aid to the serious bipartisan backlash she’s receiving, but she is still openly and scandalously defying Arkansas law,” Jones said. “The governor has a legal responsibility to fill this vacancy within 150 days, and the updated election date is still 130 days after that deadline.”
Jones accused Sanders of deliberately delaying the vote until after the 2026 legislative session, leaving more than 85,000 constituents without representation for 280 days.
“That not only takes away their say in the 2026 budget, but it means there is no one to reach out to when they need resources or assistance from Arkansas’s highest legislative body,” Jones said.
Jones further tied the vacancy delay to broader Democratic criticisms of Sanders’ policies, pointing to what he described as her support for a “prison scam,” voucher programs that “defund local schools” and measures he said have “decimated rural hospitals.”
“Let’s be clear: Gov. Sanders issuing an updated proclamation is the closest thing to an admission of wrongdoing that we will ever get from her, but she’s still ignoring the law,” Jones said. “She was hoping to bury it in a 9 p.m., Friday night press release, but make no mistake, Arkansas Democrats will not stop beating this drum until we see fairness and representation for Senate District 26.”
Key election dates
Candidate Filing: Nov. 3–12, 2025
Ballot Draw (Primary): Dec. 4, 2025
Independent Petition Circulation Begins: Jan. 28, 2026
Special Primary Election: March 3, 2026
Primary Runoff (if needed): March 31, 2026
Certificates of Nomination Filed: April 13, 2026
Ballot Draw (General): April 16, 2026
Special General Election: June 9, 2026
Certification of Results: June 19, 2026
The winner of the special election will serve out the remainder of Stubblefield’s term in the Arkansas Senate.
This article originally appeared on Fort Smith Times Record: Gov. Sanders revises District 26 election timeline amid backlash