From the Arkansas Advocate:
State Rep. Tara Shephard will be southwest Little Rock’s next state senator after she defeated Charity Smith-Allen in Tuesday’s Democratic primary runoff election.
Shephard won nearly 59% of the vote over Smith-Allen, who won about 41%, according to unofficial results from the Pulaski County Election Commission.
Shephard is a two-term House member, a youth program consultant and an auditor for the American Correctional Association. Her policy priorities include criminal justice reform and improving health care access.
In a speech Tuesday night, Shephard called her campaign for the Senate District 15 seat “the people’s campaign” and said she was proud to “beat the establishment.”
Smith-Allen, who received the most votes in the initial primary, outraised Shephard significantly and faced scrutiny for her campaign’s financial support from Republicans.
“What I want to do is use my voice, our voice, because this campaign was never about me,” Shephard said.
With no opponent in November, Shephard will succeed term-limited Democratic Sen. Fred Love, who is the party’s nominee for governor. Love’s wife, ShaRhonda Love, also ran for his Senate seat and placed third in the initial primary.
The Little Rock Senate race was one of two Democratic contests among six legislative runoffs Tuesday.
The only other Democratic legislative primary Tuesday saw Audrey Willis defeat Joyce Ann Gray in the Delta’s House District 35. Willis received nearly 61% of the vote, while Gray received about 39%, according to the secretary of state’s website.
Gray won the initial five-person primary by one vote over Willis.
Willis’ Republican opponent in November will be Robert Thorne Jr., who is running a second time for the seat in parts of Cross and Crittenden counties. Democratic Rep. Jessie McGruder of Marion defeated Thorne by 123 votes in 2024 and is now running to succeed term-limited Democratic Sen. Reginald Murdock of Marianna.
The winners of Tuesday’s four Republican House primaries will be unopposed in November.
In north Arkansas, Mike Bishop defeated Jeff Pratt to represent part of Boone County. Bishop received about 59% and Pratt won about 40%.
Cody Rogers won a narrow 37-vote victory over Carroll County Justice of the Peace Hunter Rivett to represent the rest of Boone County and part of Carroll County. Rogers received nearly 51%, while Rivett had about 49%.
Bishop will succeed GOP Rep. Ron McNair of Alpena, and Rogers will succeed GOP Rep. Harlan Breaux of Holiday Island. McNair and Breaux both declined to run for reelection.
In the River Valley, Paris City Councilwoman Tonya Fletcher will succeed term-limited GOP Rep. Jon Eubanks. Fletcher won 55% of the vote over Curtis Varnell’s 45%. The district includes parts of Johnson, Logan, Sebastian and Franklin counties.
Also in the River Valley, Brent Montgomery narrowly defeated Kristain Thompson by 21 votes, receiving 50.4% of the vote. Montgomery will succeed outgoing GOP Rep. Marcus Richmond of Harvey, representing all of Scott County and parts of Sebastian and Yell counties.
Seventeen Senate races are not on the ballot this year, and a combined 76 House and Senate seats have only one candidate running in November.
Republicans hold a supermajority in both chambers, with 29 senators to Democrats’ six and 79 House members to Democrats’ 20. The newest House member, Democratic Rep. Alex Holladay of North Little Rock, flipped a GOP-held seat in a special election earlier this month and is seeking reelection in November.
GOP Rep. Stan Berry of Dover died in office on March 23. He represented parts of Pope and Van Buren counties and was running unopposed for reelection.
The Republican Party of Arkansas has the option of holding a primary or a convention to choose a nominee for November’s election in Berry’s district. Both parties will be able to select candidates for a special election to finish Berry’s term ending in January, said Samantha Boyd, a spokesperson for the secretary of state’s office. So far no primaries or conventions have been announced.
On the local level, Dustin Robertson defeated Richard Friend in the GOP runoff for Saline County sheriff. Robertson won nearly 69% of the vote, according to the secretary of state’s website.
Friend filed a defamation lawsuit March 10 against seven people, including a relative of Robertson’s. Friend claims the defendants made false statements on social media in an effort to hurt his bid for sheriff.
Robertson won’t face a Democratic opponent in November. He is running to succeed Sheriff Rodney Wright, who is running for state Senate.
