Faulkner County’s Nonpartisan Primary Runoff Elections were held on March 31, 2026, where multiple candidates will be on the ballot in hopes of winning.
Some run alone, while some run against the same political affiliation opponent or an opposing political affiliation.
Chad Wooley, running unopposed as Republican for county sheriff, expressed the atmosphere of voting cycles.
“Over the years, I’ve witnessed both respectful and highly negative election cycles, so I understood what I was stepping into when I announced my candidacy. I knew that running for office would open up not only my professional life but also my personal life and my family’s. While I’m far from perfect and have probably failed a time or two, I’ve always tried to conduct myself with integrity, both professionally and personally, and I was confident in that foundation,” Wooley said.
Larger positions such as Governor, Lieutenant Governor and State Attorney General have already been filled in previous elections and Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Leslie Rutledge and Tim Griffin will maintain these positions until January, 10 2027.
The standoff for Arkansas Secretary of State has landed divided amongst voters after Republican primary voters split their support three ways.
Under Arkansas election rules, a candidate must receive more than 50% of the vote to claim the nomination and none of the candidates were able to make the cut.
The top two finishers, Tim Hammer and Bryan Norris have advanced to an intense runoff that will decide who will become the chosen Republican candidate for Secretary of State for Arkansas.
The winner of the primary will go up against Democrat Kelly Grappe and Libertarian Michael Pakko in the November general election.
While every candidate running for county offices is Republican, there are a few blue candidates running for Justice of the Peace for various districts.
Districts four, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven and twelve all have Democratic candidates running.
Hannah Hanshaw is a Democratic candidate running for Justice of the Peace District 8 and currently works as an advisor for UCA students.
During her time as an elected Justice of the Peace she hopes to, “Continue the work of engaging the public in the civic process. When I’m elected, I plan to bring a fresh perspective and focus on community-centered resource allocation,” Hanshaw’s campaign statement said.
March 31 marks the general primary election day and early voting for general elections begins Oct. 19, 2026, ending on Dec. 1, 2026.
For more voting and candidate information check out Faulkner County Government Information to stay updated and in the know.
