Six candidates are vying to represent the Senate district, which includes most of Springdale.
The process to elect a new representative for Arkansas Senate District 7 begins today. The seat became vacant when Sen. Lance Eads, R-Springdale, announced his resignation Oct. 28. Eads left the legislature to take a job with Capitol Consulting Firm, a government affairs and political consulting firm based in Little Rock.
District 7 currently consists of a portion of northeast and eastern Washington County that includes most of Springdale, Goshen and Elkins, as well as parts of Tontitown and Fayetteville. Under a new redistricting map adopted by the Arkansas Board of Apportionment Nov. 29, the district will be split into multiple districts next year, impacting 2022 elections. The winner of the District 7 special election will serve the remainder of Eads’ term.
Early voting begins today for the special primary election, which is Dec. 14. If required, a special primary runoff election will be held Jan. 11, 2022. Gov. Asa Hutchinson issued a proclamation that scheduled the special election for Feb. 8, 2022.
During the early voting period of Dec. 7-13, voters can cast their ballots from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Washington County Courthouse in Fayetteville. There is no early voting on Saturday and Sunday. On election day, Dec. 14, polls will be open from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. and eligible voters can cast their ballots at any vote center listed here.
There are six candidates seeking office, two Democrats and four Republicans. Below is a list of all the candidates and links to their websites where you can learn more about their platforms.
DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATES
“In our beautifully diverse district, we need a fighter for families of all shapes and sizes. To me that means making it easier to find a great-paying job, and it means making childcare, elder care, healthcare and higher education more affordable.”
“I think we need to unite people, we really do. We can talk about infrastructure and all these things all day long, but until we start uniting people of all races and having representation of all races we’re not ever going to have real growth.”
REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES
“I’m running for State Senate because these are unprecedented times in our nation. Out-of-control bureaucrats have put politics over commonsense policy with government mandates that force people to choose between earning a paycheck and violating their personal rights and beliefs.”
“The residents of this district deserve a Senator who will advocate on their behalf with a strong voice while also having the distinguished ability to bring contrasting voices together to make common sense progress. I look forward to sharing my conservative values with voters and earning their votes.”
“I’m not a politician. I’m a homegrown Arkansan and I’ve spent the last 53 years raising my family, serving in our church, building business and creating jobs. I’m guided by my faith, conservative values, family and firm belief that Arkansas can bear the standard of liberty for the country.”
