To give you an opportunity to see what's new, and what has changed, we have taken the paywall down temporarily.
Currently, there is no need to log into the site.
We will provide instructions for creating new account and resetting passwords when the paywall is turned back on.
Political season seems to begin earlier and earlier every two years. That’s certainly the case for the 2026 general election, as Monday saw the first official candidate announcements, with more than seven months remaining before the March 3 preferential primary.
Two candidates — Hunter Rivett and Cody Rogers — announced they are running for the District 6 seat in the state House of Representatives that’s currently held by Harlan Breaux of Holiday Island. Rivett serves on the Carroll County Quorum Court. Insiders say another local Republican also will announce his candidacy soon. The current political reality in Arkansas means that’s a race that probably will be settled in the Republican primary.
The District 28 seat in the Arkansas state Senate also will be on the line. That seat is currently held by Bryan King of Green Forest, who hasn’t garnered any popularity with Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders over his dogged (and in my opinion, absolutely justified and admirable) resistance to her plans to build a colossal prison in rural Franklin County. Is Sanders irritated enough to assign someone the task of running against King in the Republican primary? Is there anyone in District 28 with a realistic chance at unseating King?
Other races could be competitive all the way through the general election in November 2026.
The Carroll County Judge’s seat will be on the ballot, as will mayoral offices across the county. All 11 seats on the Carroll County Quorum Court will be on the line as well, with the seemingly never-ending debate over the Nimbus Project possibly making those races more contentious than we’ve become accustomed to. The county clerk, circuit clerk, treasurer, assessor and collector also will be on the ballot.
And, of course, there’s no such thing as a boring sheriff’s race in Carroll County.
I expect we’ll see some surprises over the next few months. Candidates we didn’t expect will throw their hats in the ring, while some longtime incumbents might decide it’s time to hang their hats up instead of seeking new terms.
Nationally, the 2026 election might see lower turnout than 2024. That’s because there won’t be a presidential race next year to attract more voters to the polls. Right here at home, however, there will be a lot of important decisions for voters to make in Carroll County.
As always, I urge you to get registered and take advantage of your right to vote.
•••
Scott Loftis is editor and publisher of the Carroll County News. His email address is SLoftis@Carroll-CoNews.com.
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here