From the Arkansas Advocate:
Sen. Gary Stubblefield, a Branch Republican who served a dozen years in the Arkansas Senate, died Tuesday at the age of 74.
The cause of death was unknown, said Senate Information Officer John Reed, who confirmed Stubblefield’s passing to the Advocate Tuesday morning. But the senator’s daughter, JordanAmber Sullivan, posted on social media on Aug. 26 that her father had undergone several surgeries for an unstated condition.
Reed said “the members and staff of the Arkansas Senate mourn the passing” of their colleague, who was elected to the Senate in 2012 after serving two terms in the House of Representatives.
Senate President Pro Tempore Bart Hester said in a statement that Stubblefield “was a man of integrity” and committed to “protecting the rights of the unborn” and the Second Amendment.
“Arkansas was blessed to have such a devoted public servant, and he will be missed dearly,” the Senate leader said.
“Senator Stubblefield’s life reflected a true commitment to public service and a genuine love for Arkansas,” House Speaker Rep. Brian Evans said in a social media post. “His time in the House and later in the Senate was marked by dedication to the people he represented. On behalf of the House, I extend our condolences to his family.”
Stubblefield represented Senate District 26, which includes parts of Franklin, Johnson, Logan and Sebastian Counties. He won reelection in 2024 for a term that ends in 2029. His seat will be filled by a special election, according to Reed. A spokesperson for Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the governor will declare a vacancy and call a special election.
A life-long dairy farmer and a member of the Baptist church, Stubblefield and his wife Kathi raised two children and “taught them the value of keeping one’s word, a hard day’s work and respecting the rights of others,” according to his Arkansas Senate biography.
Stubblefield “enjoyed a successful career” as a member of the Razorback football team while attending the University of Arkansas.
“Senator Stubblefield was a strong advocate for his constituents with deeply held conservative values and a fierce love for his family,” Attorney General Tim Griffin said in a social media post. “He was proud to have walked on and played for @RazorbackFB under legendary Coach Frank Broyles, and he served Arkansans as a State Senator, State Representative, Justice of the Peace, School Board Member, and Farm Service Commissioner.”
The longtime state lawmaker “sponsored legislation to protect the rights of the unborn and the elderly,” according to his Senate biography.
“He believes in protecting the rights of farmers and livestock growers, and in protecting the rights guaranteed to American citizens under the Second Amendment,” his biography states. “He supports legislation to lower taxes, reduce the size of government and simplify the regulatory burden on Arkansas businesses and residents.”
Stubblefield was chair of the Senate City, County and Local Affairs Committee, which last month hosted a meeting on the state’s prison population. Stubblefield was a vocal critic of a planned prison in Franklin County that is located near his family’s land.
During the 2025 legislative session, Stubblefield sponsored legislation to require municipal improvement district boards to allow public comments before taking action on an agenda item, according to his Senate biography. He was also the Senate sponsor of a new law restricting the jurisdiction of cities in unincorporated areas, and he co-sponsored a law that allows the over-the-counter sale of Ivermectin for human use.
Senate Minority Leader Sen. Greg Leding, D-Fayetteville, said in a social media post that he was deeply saddened by Stubblefield’s passing.
“While we often found ourselves on opposite sides, we each always knew where the other’d be — and we could always talk about it,” Leding said.
“My heart is heavy after the passing of Sen. Gary Stubblefield,” Democratic Sen. Clarke Tucker of Little Rock wrote on social media. “Gary was an Ark. character & I mean that in the best way. We often disagreed on policy, but Gary was a man who always followed his convictions & unfailingly treated me with respect & kindness. Rest in peace my friend.”
Governor of the State of Arkansas, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the laws of the State of Arkansas, in tribute to the memory of Gary Stubblefield, and as an expression of public sorrow, do hereby direct that the United States flag and the state flag of Arkansas be flown at half-staff from sunrise September 3, 2025, to sunset on the day of Stubblefield’s interment.
The governor ordered flags be flown at half-staff in honor of Stubblefield from sunrise Wednesday until sunset on the day of the state lawmaker’s interment.
