Republicans have easily retained their Arkansas Senate supermajority after the November 9 general election, when all 35 state Senate seats were up for election. Republicans now hold 29 seats and Democrats hold six in the Arkansas Senate.
Starting from a supermajority with 27 seats, Republicans have taken two more seats from Democrats. With at least a three-fourths majority in the state House and Senate, Republicans can pass appropriation bills without Democrat votes.
Democrat state Senators Linda Chesterfield and Greg Leding won in their uncontested districts, while Republican candidates won 12 other uncontested races, including incumbent state Senators such as Bart Hester, Breanne Davis, Missy Irvin, Dave Wallace, Ricky Hill, Terry Rice, Ben Gilmore, and Alan Clark.
In total votes, the top three state Senators are Irvin with 28,777, John Payton with 24,154, and Alan Clark with 23,835.
2022 is the first election since legislative district lines were redrawn after the 2020 U.S. census.
After redistricting, to ensure at least half of the Senate is up for election every cycle, newly elected senators draw lots to learn who will serve a regular four-year term and who serves a one-time, two-year term.
Senators drawing two-year terms include Chesterfield, Dan Sullivan, Mark Johnson, Matt McKee, Jim Petty, Steve Crowell, Jim Dotson, Davis, Jonathan Dismang, Scott Flippo, Stephanie Flowers, Ben Gilmore, Hester, Jimmy Hickey, John Payton, Rice, Gary Stubblefield, and Wallace.
Those senators drawing four-year terms are Leding, Reginald Murdock, Justin Boyd, Joshua Bryant, Matt Stone, Tyler Dees, Fred Love, Blake Johnson, Ronald Caldwell, Clark, Jane English, Kim Hammer, Hill, Irvin, Bryan King, Clint Penzo and Clarke Tucker.
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