Arkansas voters are sending all four Republican members of the state’s congressional delegation back to Washington. The Associated Press called the race for all the incumbents by 9:36 p.m. Tuesday.
U.S. Rep. Rick Crawford defeated Democrat Rodney Govens and Libertarian Steve Parsons in a three-way battle to represent the 1st District, which encompasses the eastern half of the state. Crawford will begin his eighth term in the U.S. House of Representatives in January.
The vote count for U.S. House District 1, with 78% of votes counted, according to the AP:
- Crawford — 158,488 (71.8%)
- Govens — 55,383 (25.1%)
- Parsons — 6,707 (3.0%)
Crawford told the Advocate Tuesday night that it means a lot and is “very humbling” that people have put a lot of trust in him.
“It’s very gratifying, very fulfilling work that we do,” he said.
He also expressed gratitude for his staff.
“They’ve been with me from the jump and continue to support me and I appreciate them,” he said.
Parsons congratulated Crawford in an emailed statement.
“I also want to thank everyone who voted for me, visited my website SteveParsonsLibertarian.com, or listened to my arguments about smaller government, personal liberty and the U.S. constitution in the two televised debates, in person, or in various news articles,” Parsons said.
In a speech at a Democratic watch party in North Little Rock, Govens used his time to speak about his Democratic counterparts in the 2nd and 3rd district races, Marcus Jones and Caitlin Draper.
“I want to talk about Marcus Jones… French Hill didn’t know what hit him,” Jones said.
“He puts in the work and he puts in the effort and he pounds the sand, and he goes out to every single door and he goes and meets people where they are because that is what leadership is…” Govens said.
“I want to say to the Marcus Joneses of the world, thank you, because the foundation that he laid, the foundation that Caitlin Draper laid in the 3rd District, the foundation that we worked so hard for over a year now — now is the time that we’re building on something.”
Congressional District 2
Prior to the race being called, Jones echoed those sentiments and said he was proud of how hard his campaign worked to connect with people across the district.
“We made the commitment that we were going to meet people on their doorsteps and talk to them about issues that they were concerned about and we did that and we knocked on, as a campaign and with others in the district, nearly 20,000 doors,” he said.
With 90% of votes counted, according to the AP, the vote by central Arkansas residents was:
- Hill — 178,196 (59.3%)
- Jones — 122,272 (40.7%)
“We have our own time for choosing in politics every few years, and we’ve made that choice tonight here in Arkansas,” Hill said at Republican watch party in Little Rock. “I’m so proud to be able to represent this great Central Arkansas area for another two years in the United States House of Representatives.”
Congressional District 3
Congressman Steve Womack secured his eighth term as representative of Northwest Arkansas’ 3rd District with a victory over Democrat Caitlin Draper and Libertarian Bobby Wilson.
With 93% of the votes counted, the AP reported these unofficial results:
- Womack — 188,078 (63.8%)
- Draper — 93,911 (31.8%)
- Wilson — 12,969 (4.4%)
In an emailed statement, Womack said the election showed that his constituents agreed with him that conservative principles like less government and lower taxes create a better America for everyone.
“I remain committed to fighting against the socialist wing of the Democrat party and restoring the American dream…Serving my state and country is the greatest honor of my life, and I will never take it for granted,” Womack said. “Thank you for your continued trust in me and making your voice heard.”
Draper said she’s “grateful for the support” and “believes a better Arkansas is possible,” while Wilson said he firmly believes that “more choices lead to better outcomes.”
Congressional District 4
In District 4, U.S. Rep. Bruce Westerman won a sixth term in office after defeating Democrat Risie Howard.
According to the AP, with 87% of votes counted:
- Westerman —183,122 (72.9%)
- Howard —67,937 (27.1%)
“It is an honor of a lifetime to continue representing the 4th district of Arkansas,” Westerman said in a statement. “I still stand by the statement that Arkansas has what America needs, and I look forward to getting back to work in DC.”
Howard could not be reached for comment.
The 4th District encompasses the southwestern portion of Arkansas.
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