Candidates for Arkansas governor, Republican Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Democrat Chris Jones and Libertarian Ricky Dale Harrington Jr. debated about transgender care, media relations, taxes and more on Friday, Oct. 21. 

The debate was hosted by Arkansas PBS at Reynolds Performance Hall on UCA’s campus. 

Each candidate is on the ballot for the general election Nov. 8, 2022. 

The incumbent for Arkansas governor, Asa Hutchinson, is not running as he has served two consecutive four-year terms. Governors cannot serve over eight years in a 12-year period. 

During the debate, each candidate was given one minute to answer a question followed by a 30-second optional rebuttal. 

The candidates were asked if they would have sided with Hutchinson’s decision to veto the bill banning transgender care for minors in Arkansas. The legislature later overrode Hutchinson’s veto to enact the law and the ban is now being challenged in court. 

Jones and Harrington said they would have sided with the incumbent governor whereas Sanders said she would have supported and signed the initial legislation. 

Jones said he would “listen to what the science says and make sure that we’re allowing parents and families to make the key decisions that they need.”

“I don’t question either one of my opponents’ love for their family, I don’t question their desire to make decisions for their children and I wouldn’t question any other Arkansans,” Jones said. 

Harrington said the government should not be able to pass laws that regulate people’s personal choices and behaviors. 

“We have physicians, we have doctors, imams, psychologists, rabbis, priests that can help those families to make that decision and it is their decision to make, not a politician’s,” Harrington said. 

Sanders said the government is responsible for protecting citizens, particularly those who can’t protect themselves, like children. 

“We have to do a better job of protecting the kids in this state and, frankly, across the country because kids are not capable of making life-altering decisions like that,” Sanders said. 

Jones said although children are not capable of making those decisions, the parents of those children are. 

“I trust parents to listen to their physician and make the best decision that they can for their children,” Jones said. “We have to make sure we don’t strip away those powers and rights from parents.” 

Harrington said, “Are my children, my children, or do they belong to the government? Who has a better idea of how to take care of your children? Does the government or do you?” 

The candidates were asked how much access Arkansas media will have to them as governor. 

Sanders said, “Freedom of the press is incredibly important, but with freedom of the press comes a great deal of responsibility. When they don’t live up to their end of the bargain, it forces some of us to go outside of the box.” 

Sanders said she can deal with Arkansans face to face if the media is unreliable. 

“I would be willing to venture that I’ve actually met with more Arkansans directly, face to face, than all of the other candidates running for this office both in the primary and general combined,” Sanders said. 

Jones said he will always be open to having conversations with the media and as governor, he will be “transparent, accountable and open.” 

“I’ve heard from folks that are frustrated because they can’t hear from my opponent Sarah Sanders,” Jones said. “The more we have leaders who are unwilling to show up and answer the tough questions in front of crowds that don’t agree with them and with media that don’t agree with them, the further we’ll get away from the strength of our democracy.” 

Harrington said he’s joked that he would go as far as live streaming his days as governor to ensure transparency. 

“If we want to have a free and safe society, we have to be forthright,” Harrington said. “We have to be truthful with one another.” 

Both Jones and Harrington participated in a news conference after the debate. Sanders declined to participate in the news conference. 

The candidates were asked how they plan to accomplish their goals and proposals without raising taxes. 

Harrington said he plans on cutting the remainder of the grocery tax and fighting to get the sales tax cut. 

“I can’t even believe that Arkansas ever had a tax on the food that goes into people’s mouths,” Harrington said. “That is an immoral tax.” 

Sanders said Arkansas needs to do more with the money already being invested into the state, like the 54% of Arkansas’ budget spent on education despite the results of that investment being “simply unacceptable.”

“We have to look for modernization and efficiencies within government by focusing on things like phasing out the state income tax to allow us to be competitive with the states around us like Texas and Tennessee and Mississippi, who have just passed legislation to do so,” Sanders said. “We have to do it responsibly, but we do that by growing our own economy and cutting out the waste and the fraud and the abuse that exists in our government spending as it is now.” 

Jones said he is for cutting taxes, but “the math has to add up.”

“You cannot eliminate 55% of the state revenue and then not cut something unless you end up like Texas, where property taxes go through the roof … or you end up like Florida, where sales taxes go through the roof … or you end up like Kansas, where the educational system collapses,” Jones said. “I’ve met with all 15 department agencies in Arkansas and their senior leadership under Gov. Hutchinson’s administration and the [Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration] has said you just can’t eliminate 55% of the state budget.” 

Jones said the long-term solution is investing in preschool education, broadband internet access and jobs. 

Polls are open in Arkansas on Election Day from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Early voting started Oct. 24.