Little Rock, Arkansas – Arkansas U.S. Senate candidate Hallie Shoffner said an individual who appeared to be carrying a weapon came to her home over the weekend while looking for a member of her campaign staff, prompting a police response and an ongoing investigation.
Shoffner said in a statement released Monday that the person arrived at her residence and that her husband confronted the individual and told them to leave. According to Shoffner, the person left without further incident, and no one in her family was harmed.
She thanked the Little Rock Police Department for responding quickly and said authorities are continuing to investigate what happened. Police have not publicly released additional details about the incident.
Shoffner did not identify the individual involved and did not provide information about what type of weapon was allegedly seen.
The Democratic candidate said that while political candidates should expect criticism, difficult questions, and disagreement during campaigns, appearing at a candidate’s home without warning is unacceptable.
“Political violence and intimidation have no place in our democracy,” Shoffner said.
In her statement, Shoffner emphasized that political disagreements should be handled through public discussions, campaign events, town halls, community meetings, phone calls, and emails rather than through actions that could make candidates or their families feel unsafe.
She said the incident was especially troubling because her husband and son were affected by something they did not choose to be part of.
“As a wife and mother, this is deeply disturbing and personal,” Shoffner said in her statement. “My husband and our son did not choose to run for office. They deserve the same sense of safety and peace in our home that every Arkansas family deserves in theirs.”
Shoffner said she remains committed to continuing her campaign and traveling throughout Arkansas to meet with voters. She added that the incident would not stop her from having conversations with residents or discussing issues important to communities across the state.
The candidate’s full statement described the encounter and outlined her concerns about political intimidation:
“This weekend, an individual with what appeared to be a weapon came to our home seeking a member of our campaign team. My husband turned the individual away who then left without further incident. We are grateful that my family is safe and appreciate the swift response of the Little Rock Police Department as they continue investigating what occurred.
Public service comes with scrutiny, tough questions, and passionate disagreement. I welcome that. I chose to run for the United States Senate because I believe Arkansas deserves leaders who are willing to listen, engage, and have difficult conversations when you are asking someone to entrust you with their vote.
But there is a line that should never be crossed.
Campaign events, town halls, community meetings, phone calls, and emails are the appropriate places to share concerns or disagreements, not showing up unannounced at someone’s home. Public officials, candidates, and their families should all be able to feel safe where they live.
As a wife and mother, this is deeply disturbing and personal. My husband and our son did not choose to run for office. They deserve the same sense of safety and peace in our home that every Arkansas family deserves in theirs.
Political violence and intimidation have no place in our democracy. We can disagree passionately without inflicting fear and menace into our neighborhoods or our homes.
I remain committed to traveling our state, listening to Arkansans, and having honest conversations about the challenges we face. This incident will not deter me from doing the work the people of Arkansas deserve.”
Shoffner also called on people from all political backgrounds to reject intimidation and support respect and safety for candidates, public officials, and their families.
“I ask everyone, regardless of party or viewpoint, to reject intimidation and reaffirm that respect, decency, and the safety of our families are values we all share as Arkansans. That is the kind of state, and the kind of country, we should continue building together,” she said.
The incident comes during Shoffner’s campaign for a seat in the U.S. Senate, where she is seeking to represent Arkansas. While political campaigns often involve strong disagreements and public debate, Shoffner said she believes those conversations should happen in public forums rather than through actions that create fear at people’s homes.
Authorities have not released further information about the investigation, and no additional details about the person involved have been made public.
