Arkansas senators convene for a special legislative session on June 18, 2024. (Mary Hennigan/Arkansas Advocate)
Half of the 35 members of the Arkansas Senate are up for election this November, seven of them in contested races.
The Senate is the upper branch of the state’s bicameral legislature, known formally as the General Assembly. The other branch is the House of Representatives.
Each senator represents about 86,000 residents in their respective districts.
The candidates, the ballot measures, and the tools you need to cast your vote.
State senators are elected by residents in their districts, and they mostly serve four-year terms. Every 10 years, however, the redistricting process ensures seats are staggered for the next decade by requiring half of the senators to serve a two-year term through a random draw.
The most recent redistricting occurred in 2020. All senators were up for reelection in 2022 because some members’ four-year terms were sunsetting, while others were completing two-year terms. This process is repeated every 10 years.
All positions up for a vote this November are for four-year terms.
Per an initiative voters approved in 2020, lawmakers can serve 12 consecutive years with the opportunity to return after a four-year break. Term limits were previously capped at 16 years over one’s lifetime. The constitutional amendment was referred to voters by the Arkansas Legislature.
The lawmakers earn an annual salary of $44,356 with a per diem of either $59 or $155 a day, based on how far they reside from the Capitol. They also receive 65.5 cents per mile they travel.
Senators convene in the south chamber of the Capitol and work alongside the governor to create laws and establish a state budget.
Senators also hold seats on various committees, which handle topic-specific matters including agriculture, education, public health and ethics. They can join task forces and serve on joint committees with members from the Arkansas House of Representatives.
The Senate is led by a president pro tempore, a Latin term meaning “for the time being.” Sen. Bart Hester, R-Cave Springs, was elected by his fellow senators to hold the position in 2023.
Sen. Bart Hester, R-Cave Springs, speaks to people who were waiting for a Senate committee to meet to discuss a proposed FOIA bill on Sept. 11, 2023. (John Sykes/Arkansas Advocate)
Hester has served in the Senate since 2013 and is up for reelection this November. He does not have an opponent.
In addition to presiding over the Senate, the president pro tempore is second in line to be the acting governor after the lieutenant governor, if the chief executive is unable to perform their official duties.
As of the most recent legislative session, 30 Arkansas state senators were men and five were women. All but four senators were white.
The Arkansas Senate — along with the House of Representatives and the state’s executive branch — has Republican leadership. In 2023, the Senate operated with an 83% Republican majority with Sen. Blake Johnson of Corning as their majority leader.
Six senators were Democrats, and Sen. Greg Leding of Fayetteville was their minority leader.
The parties also had separate whip leaders, who were primarily responsible for counting heads and rounding up members for votes. They will occasionally stand in for the majority or minority leaders when they are absent.
Sen. Ricky Hill, a Republican from Cabot, fulfilled the whip role for his party in the most recent legislative session while Linda Chesterfield, a Democrat from Little Rock, served her party.
Of the 18 positions up for a vote this November, 10 incumbents are running without opposition.
Republican incumbents include Steve Crowell, Terry Rice, Matt McKee, Jonathan Dismang, Dave Wallace, Scott Flippo, Gary Stubblefield, Jim Petty and Hester. Crowell and Wallace won their party’s primary election in the spring and face no opposition in November. The remaining incumbents were the sole candidates to file for their seats.
Stephanie Flowers is the only Democratic incumbent up for reelection.
Seven Republican senators face opponents this November: Ben Gilmore, Jimmy Hickey, Mark Johnson, Dan Sullivan, John Payton, Breanne Davis and Jim Dotson.
Gilmore and Hickey will face Libertarian opponents Asher Williams and Lonny Mack Goodwin, respectively.
Johnson, Sullivan, Payton, Davis and Dotson will face Democratic opponents Maureen Skinner, Erika Askeland, Sandy Maier, Michelle Justice and Kaylee Wedgeworth, respectively.
Rep. Jamie Scott, D-North Little Rock, is running unopposed to fill Chesterfield’s position upon her retirement from the Legislature.
Early voting begins Oct. 21, and Election Day is Nov. 5.
The Legislature will convene at noon on Jan. 13, 2025 for the start of the 95th General Assembly.
Learn more about Arkansas’ general election with the Advocate’s 2024 Voter Guide.
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