From the Arkansas Advocate:
Tuesday night’s primaries saw an Arkansas Senate Republican lose his reelection bid — just not one of the incumbents Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders hoped to force out of office.
Republican Sens. Bryan King and Ron Caldwell dealt decisive defeats to primary challengers, despite endorsements by Sanders and Kid Rock, not to mention a deluge of attacks on the incumbents by outside groups.
Not only that, Senate Majority Leader Blake Johnson — also endorsed by Sanders — was soundly defeated by two-term Rep. Jeremy Wooldridge. Johnson’s loss throws the leadership of the upper chamber in 2027 into question.
The races against Caldwell and King, who voted against a $750 million appropriation for building a controversial prison in Franklin County, was seen by some as a test of Sanders’ influence over GOP lawmakers. Sanders’ support of King’s and Caldwell’s challengers was reminiscent of the strategy used by her former boss, President Donald Trump, who has endorsed primary opponents for Republicans who don’t fall in line with his demands.
Outside groups flooded the districts with campaign mailers and ads attacking Caldwell, King and Wooldridge in the weeks and months running up to the election. Mailers in the districts invoked images of the Chinese flag, drones chasing farmers and even a photo of Caldwell wearing a face mask during the COVID-19 pandemic to stir conservative opposition.
Sanders campaigned for the candidates she endorsed in the final stretch, making stops in King’s and Caldwell’s districts. Caldwell’s opponent tried to cast him as Trump’s “worst enemy in the state Senate.” Senate President Pro Tempore Sen. Bart Hester, told The New York Times that King was isolated in the state Senate due to his unrelenting criticism of Sanders and her staff.
King and Caldwell defeated their challengers soundly with 60% and 70% of the vote in their districts, respectively. Wooldridge, the son of a prominent former legislator, beat Johnson with 62% of the vote in Senate District 21.
Caldwell’s rival, Trey “BoDirt” Bohannon, was quoted frequently using coarse language in his unsuccessful bid for Senate District 10. When asked for comment on the results and whether he’d conceded the race, Bohannan responded by text: “I tried my best.”
King’s defeat over Bobby Ballinger continued a family feud of sorts. King defeated Ballinger’s father for the same Senate seat four years ago after the senior Ballinger beat King in 2018. Ballinger said in a Facebook post that he wasn’t going anywhere.
“This district is my home and I plan to work to make our community better. Maybe not as your State Senator, but as your friend and neighbor,” Ballinger wrote. “I called and congratulated Senator King on his victory and I pray that God uses him to represent this district.”
When asked if the results of the races would change Sanders’ approach to the Franklin County prison or with legislators who disagree with her, her campaign manager Jordan Powell said the governor “was honored to secure the Republican nomination for re-election last night unopposed, and proud to support a lot of great conservatives up and down the ballot.”
“The Governor will continue to fight to cut taxes, improve education, and ensure safer communities and back Republican candidates who share her priorities,” Powell wrote in a text message.
Powell pointed to several Republicans endorsed by Sanders who ran successful races Tuesday, including Arkansas Supreme Court Justice Nicholas Bronni, who won a full term on the court, and U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton.
Johnson’s loss also adds further uncertainty to who will lead in the Senate in 2027. A senator since 2015, Johnson rose through the Republican caucus ranks to become the majority leader and had already begun receiving endorsements from colleagues to succeed Hester — including from Hester himself. Caldwell had also indicated his intention to run for the Senate’s top job. Senators select the president pro tempore prior to the biennial general legislative session.
Legislators didn’t have time to bask in their victories or suffer their defeats. Dozens attended the Joint Budget Committee meeting Wednesday morning for the presentation of Sanders’ budget for the upcoming fiscal year.
King and Caldwell were also among the attendees at the budget meeting. King walked around the room chatting with lawmakers and staff during the meeting. Upon arrival, Caldwell shook hands with and sat beside Republican Sen. Jimmy Hickey, who supported his reelection bid.
When asked what message the results of the primaries sent, Hester didn’t offer the same criticisms he had prior to Tuesday.
“I think the people of Arkansas were clear that they don’t see there’s a need for leadership change at this time,” Hester said, referring to the successes of Republican incumbents during the primaries. When asked about Johnson’s loss, he said that was the sole exception. “Jeremy Wooldridge was a great candidate, is a great candidate, but he was also already elected, right? He had a title next to his name, and so people with titles did very, very well.”
Hester, who remains the Senate’s leader until the 2027 legislative session, wouldn’t say whether the prison construction funding bill would be introduced during next month’s fiscal session, but reiterated that he believed building it was necessary for public safety. He also said members of his caucus had not yet discussed selecting the next Senate president, though he believed there were many who would be “very capable.”
“We’ll start to have those discussions,” Hester said. “I clearly supported Senator Johnson. He won’t be back. We’ll find someone else.”
