Harrell Wilson has won the Republican nomination for Arkansas State Senate District 1, according to final district-wide results from Tuesday’s special primary election.
With all 130 precincts reporting, Wilson received 3,111 votes, or 64.95 percent, while Missy Wardlaw received 1,679 votes, or 35.05 percent. A total of 4,790 votes were cast in the Republican primary across the district.
The final numbers provide the complete picture of the race after Saline River News reported Bradley County-only results Tuesday night. Those earlier totals represented only votes cast within Bradley County and did not include the remainder of Senate District 1.
Following the victory, Wilson thanked voters and supporters from throughout the district.
“We did it! Thank you!” Wilson wrote in a post Wednesday. He described the win as a team effort and thanked his family, supporters and voters, along with Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Lt. Gov. Leslie Rutledge, Attorney General Tim Griffin and legislators who backed his campaign.
Wilson said he was humbled by the result and looked forward to representing Southeast Arkansas at the State Capitol.
Wardlaw also issued a statement Wednesday congratulating Wilson on his victory and thanking those who supported her campaign.
“Congratulations to Harrell Wilson on his victory,” Wardlaw wrote, adding that she wished Wilson and his family the best as he moves forward to the November election.
Wardlaw thanked her family and supporters and said that while she had hoped for a different outcome, she valued the people she met while campaigning throughout Southeast Arkansas. She added that her love for the region and desire to serve its residents had not changed.
Wilson will now advance to the November general election, where he is set to face Democratic candidate Tomeka Butler, the mayor of Eudora.
