CHRISTIAN LEUS, HOST: This is Little Rock Public Radio, I’m Christian Leus. Democratic candidate Chris Jones is mounting a bid to unseat Republican U-S Congressman French Hill. Hill represents Arkansas’ 2nd congressional district, which includes much of Central Arkansas. Joining me to talk about the race is LRPR’s Contributing Editor Maggie Ryan. Hey Maggie.
MAGGIE RYAN: Hey, Christian.
LEUS: Let’s start off with some background about the race. Who are these candidates?
RYAN: Well we’re seeing two familiar faces in this race. Incumbent Rep. French Hill has been in the seat for over ten years, after first coming into office in 2015. Hill is a longtime banker, He has a Bachelors degree in economics from Vanderbilt, and founded Community Bank in Little Rock. He’s currently the chair of the House Financial Services committee.
And challenger Chris Jones is hoping to unseat Hill. Jones ran for governor in 2022 but lost to now-Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders. He’s an ordained minister and has a doctorate in Urban studies and planning from MIT. Jones previously worked as the director of the Arkansas Regional Innovation Hub.
And I want to note that while we did speak with Chris Jones for this piece, we did not hear back from Representative Hill’s office before our deadline. That invitation to interview is still open.
LEUS: Okay. So what are the top issues in this race?
RYAN: Affordability is dominating the conversation in many elections this year, and Arkansas’ 2nd congressional race is no different. We’ve heard people concerned about higher gas prices and rising costs of housing, utilities, and healthcare. Jones told us that’s one of the biggest issues he’s hearing from voters right now.
JONES: “And what I’ve heard consistently from folks is that in the last 10 years their lives have not improved. And they’re asking for a new direction.”
RYAN: Meanwhile, French Hill’s campaign released an ad talking about affordability last month. In that ad Hill cited two bills he’s worked on, one is the Price Stability Act of 2026, which would give the Federal Reserve one main goal to stabilize prices. That bill has been introduced in the House but is still a long way from becoming law. The other legislation he mentioned is the “Lower Energy Costs Act” which became law in 2023. Hill voted in favor of that law but wasn’t a sponsor or cosponsor.
LEUS: What did Hill’s opponent have to say about his performance in the House?
RYAN: Jones was very critical of his opponent, saying his actions don’t match what he’s telling voters. Related to the affordability issue, Jones condemned Hill’s actions.
JONES: “It is not fiscally responsible to increase the national debt to 40- trillion dollars. It is not fiscally responsible to allow the president to spend a billion dollars on a ballroom. There’s nothing fiscally responsible about those things.”
RYAN: And Hill largely votes with his Republican colleagues, particularly on big-ticket legislation like President Trump’s massive tax and spending bill of 2025, also known as the One Big Beautiful Bill act. Here’s what he had to say about that bill at a press conference last year:
HILL: “And for my constituents in Arkansas, what a pleasure it was for me to vote that they’re not going to face a 22% increase in their taxes, that 9 out of 10 Arkansans can use the standard deduction and have a simpler, straightforward way to file their taxes, that they can have the benefit of a more robust child tax credit. That’s what House republicans stand for.”
RYAN: Jones said Hill’s record from the last ten years hasn’t lowered costs for Arkansans, and said he would prefer the lawmaker spend more time on legislation that addresses more issues specific to Arkansans.
JONES: “You know you take time to vote against something that isn’t here, and you don’t spend time to vote for SNAP benefits. We are the hungriest state in the union and there are kids going to bed hungry every night, and yet the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ cuts SNAP benefits.”
RYAN: Jones said his top priorities in office would be to end the war in Iran, roll back tariffs enacted by the Trump administration, and keep government officials in check. He also said Congress must lead U-S policies and regulations on artificial intelligence, and wants to see more legislation regulating that area.
JONES: “And right now we have congressional members who don’t understand the issue at all, some of them still don’t know how to use computers, and they’re making the rules and setting the guardrails for what’s going to impact us for generations.”
LEUS: What are some of the other issues surrounding this race?
RYAN: Something that’s sticking out this election cycle is that the national Democratic Party has taken an interest in this campaign. Former U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg came to Little Rock to rally for Chris Jones this summer. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is also investing time and resources into Jones’ campaign, putting him in their “Red to Blue” program hoping to flip that seat. Now Jones won Pulaski County when he ran for Governor in 2022, but Sanders of course beat him through most of the state. Democrats are hoping Jones’ past performance will translate to a win on a smaller, friendlier battleground.
LEUS: There’s also been some changes within the district in recent years, what’s that about?
RYAN: Yeah, another complicating factor in this race is the congressional map itself. In 2021 Arkansas lawmakers approved a new voting map that split parts of south Pulaski County into three different districts. A group of Black voters filed a federal lawsuit over that map saying it weakens their voting power by dividing them into three different voting districts, but the lawsuit was dismissed in 2024.
LEUS: Okay. Is there anything else?
RYAN: I also want to note that if Jones does pull off a win, he would be the first elected Black Congressman from Arkansas. So far Arkansas has never sent a Black representative to the U.S. House or Senate.
LEUS: And we’ll have to leave it there. A quick reminder that early voting in Arkansas begins Monday October 19, and Election day is Tuesday, November 3.
