Results
Democratic Party of Arkansas
09/26/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 09/26/2025 15:23
Arkansas Democrats Issue Statement Following Gov. Sanders’ Disgraceful Proclamation Setting Special Election Dates
The Democratic Party of Arkansas issued the following statement responding to the Governor's proclamation setting dates for the Senate District 26 Special Election.
This morning, despite her legal responsibility to call a special election to fill Senate District 26 within 150 days, Gov. Sanders issued her proclamation setting the date 427 days after the seat vacancy. This will leave the people of Senate District 26 without representation for more than a year, including during the upcoming legislative Fiscal Session.
Arkansas Democrats Chair and Ret. Army Colonel Marcus Jones said:
"With today's proclamation, the Governor has effectively silenced the voices of 85,000 Arkansans for her own political gain. This proclamation is a middle finger to every voter in Senate District 26.
Gov. Sanders didn't just embrace taxation without representation today- she is weaponizing it against her most vocal and effective critics. This is a calculated abuse of power meant to silence the people who will be most affected by the proposed prison in Franklin County. Sanders is denying these voters a say in the 2026 budget, and it's a disgrace. She is sacrificing the needs of her constituents in Franklin, Sebastian, Johnson, and Logan Counties to serve her own political agenda.
We cannot allow the Governor to abandon four Arkansas counties, strip 85,000 Arkansans of their voices, and leave them without representation in the State Senate for more than a year. This is an unprecedented betrayal of the families the Governor is supposed to be looking out for.
Arkansas Democrats will not stop fighting for representation, fairness, and transparency, no matter what it takes. Every single Republican who isn't speaking out against this is not only complicit, but a gutless enabler of Gov. Sanders' brazen attempt to silence 85,000 Arkansans."
Democratic Party of Arkansas published this content on September 26, 2025, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on September 26, 2025 at 21:23 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]