By Andrew DeMillo | Editor-in-Chief
Good morning, Advocate readers! Arkansas’ election means a new dynamic in the Legislature next year that could complicate efforts on Medicaid expansion, prisons and more. Plus, Democrats are looking at lessons from a midterm that gave them gains in the Legislature but fell short of other states’ blue waves. You can find more Arkansas government and politics news on the Advocate site here.
And be sure to catch Editor-in-Chief Andrew DeMillo talking about the election results with KUAF.
Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders speaks after the conclusion of the 2026 fiscal session on April 29, 2026, with Senate President Pro Tempore-designate Breanne Davis (left) and House Speaker Brian Evans (center) listening. (Photo by Ainsley Platt/Arkansas Advocate)
GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS
By Ainsley Platt
The gains in the Legislature mean it will be difficult for Republicans to pass most budget bills along strictly party lines.
Hallie Shoffner prepares to deliver her concession speech to supporters at the Mosaic Templars Building in Little Rock, Arkansas on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026. (Photo by John Sykes/Arkansas Advocate)
GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS
By Tess Vrbin
AP voter data shows an electoral shift toward Democrats in all 75 counties, two years after Republican President Donald Trump won 64% of Arkansas’ vote.
Voters cast their ballots at the Pulaski Heights United Methodist Church in Little Rock, Arkansas, on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026. (Photo by Katie Adkins/Arkansas Advocate)
COMMENTARY
By Andrew DeMillo
Instead of a blue wave, Arkansas Democrats enjoyed a series of localized blue ripples that may fly under the national radar. But their implications are still significant for the state.
MORE NEWS
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