Arkansas Democrats Condemn Gov. Sanders’ Special Election Swindling in Senate District 26

The Democratic Party of Arkansas is responding to the updated proclamation for Special Election Dates from the Governor with the following statement.

The Governor issued a press release late Friday evening updating her earlier announcement that the Senate District 26 Special Election would be in line with the dates for the 2026 General election, claiming that after receiving "feedback" she would expedite the process to fill the vacancy left by Sen. Gary Stubblefield, one of the most outspoken critics of Gov. Sanders's corrupt prison boondoggle.

Arkansas Democrats Chair and Ret. Army Colonel Marcus Jones said:

"Gov. Sanders' updated proclamation is another slap in the face to the River Valley. This is nothing but a bandaid to the serious bipartisan backlash she's receiving, but she is still openly and scandalously defying Arkansas law. The Governor has a legal responsibility to fill this vacancy within 150 days, and the updated election date is still 130 days after that deadline.

Gov. Sanders is standing firm in her support for taxation without representation. It's clear that Sanders' express purpose is to prolong filling this vacancy until after the legislative session, ensuring there is one less voice opposing the prison scam in our state legislature. This general election date still leaves more than 85,000 Arkansans without representation in the Senate for 280 days: not only does that take away their say in the 2026 budget, but that means there is no one to reach out to when they need resources or assistance from Arkansas's highest legislative body.

Sanders' disdain for rural Arkansans could not be more obvious; this is how she has treated them for her entire term as Governor. We've seen her force not only the construction of a prison, but also a voucher scam that defunds our local schools, and policies that decimate rural hospitals.

Let's be clear: Gov. Sanders' issuing an updated proclamation is the closest thing to an admission of wrongdoing that we will ever get from her, but she's still ignoring the law. She was hoping to bury it in a 9 PM, Friday night press release, but make no mistake, Arkansas Democrats will not stop beating this drum until we see fairness and representation for Senate District 26."

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