Voters will decide Tuesday, Aug. 18, which of two Republican candidates will advance in the special election to fill Arkansas Senate District 1, a sprawling South Arkansas district that includes all of Bradley County.
Laura “Missy” Wardlaw of Bradley County and Harrell Wilson of Cleveland County are seeking the Republican nomination. The winner will advance to the Nov. 3 special general election to face Democratic candidate Tomeka Butler, who currently serves as mayor of Eudora. Butler was the only Democrat to file for the seat, so a Democratic primary was not necessary.
Early voting has been underway ahead of the special primary and ended Monday, Aug. 17. Election Day polls will be open Tuesday from 7:30 a.m. until 7:30 p.m.
The special election was called following the resignation of Republican Sen. Ben Gilmore of Crossett. Gilmore resigned effective June 30 to join Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin’s office as a senior adviser.
The winner of the Nov. 3 special general election will serve the remainder of Gilmore’s Senate term, which runs through January 2029.
A large South Arkansas district
Senate District 1 covers a broad section of southeastern and south-central Arkansas.
The district includes all of Ashley, Bradley, Chicot and Cleveland counties, along with portions of Drew, Grant, Jefferson and Lincoln counties.
That means the entire counties containing communities such as Warren, Hermitage, Crossett, Hamburg, Lake Village, Dermott, Eudora, Rison and Kingsland fall within District 1, while only certain areas of Drew, Grant, Jefferson and Lincoln counties are included.
The district stretches across much of Southeast Arkansas, from Chicot County along the Mississippi River westward through Ashley and Bradley counties and into Cleveland County, while also reaching into portions of neighboring counties to the north and northwest.
Because Bradley County is entirely within District 1, the special election includes voters throughout Warren, Hermitage and the rest of the county. In counties that are only partially included in the district, voters should confirm whether their address falls within Senate District 1 before going to the polls. The Arkansas Secretary of State’s VoterView system allows voters to check their registration information, sample ballot and assigned polling location.
Missy Wardlaw
Wardlaw has spent much of her career in health care and currently works as a veterans’ health care coordinator. She has also served on several local boards, including the Warren YMCA Board of Directors, Bradley County Museum Board and Bradley Medical and Health Foundation Board.
Her campaign has focused on rural health care, public education and creating additional economic opportunities in Southeast Arkansas.
Wardlaw previously sought the Republican nomination for Arkansas House District 94 earlier this year, narrowly losing the March primary to John Kyle Day. She later entered the race for the vacant Senate District 1 seat.
Harrell Wilson
Wilson is a Rison-area businessman and longtime member of the Cleveland County School Board. His family operates businesses that include a hardwood sawmill and logging operation, and Wilson has emphasized his private-sector experience during the Senate campaign.
Wilson has focused much of his campaign on economic development, the timber and agriculture industries and creating opportunities for people to remain and work in Southeast Arkansas. He has also highlighted his Christian conservative views, support for law enforcement and his years of service in public education.
Wilson serves as president of the Cleveland County School Board and has spent nearly two decades serving on the board.
What happens next
Tuesday’s election will not determine the next District 1 senator outright. Instead, it will determine whether Wardlaw or Wilson carries the Republican banner into the special general election.
The Republican winner will face Democrat Tomeka Butler on Nov. 3. Butler currently serves as mayor of Eudora in Chicot County, one of the four counties located entirely within Senate District 1.
The Arkansas Secretary of State lists the Senate District 1 special primary for Tuesday, Aug. 18, with the special general election to be held in conjunction with the Nov. 3 general election.
With early voting now complete, voters who have not yet cast a ballot will have their final opportunity Tuesday. Polls will be open from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Saline River News will follow the Senate District 1 race Tuesday evening and report election results as they become available.
