Arkansas – Voters across four counties in western Arkansas returned to the polls Tuesday to decide the Republican nominee for the vacant Senate District 26 seat, concluding a closely watched primary runoff between Wade Dunn and Brad Simon. The runoff election, held on February 3, followed an initial primary in early January that failed to produce a majority winner.
Residents in Franklin, Johnson, Logan and Sebastian counties cast ballots throughout the day, with polls closing at 7:30 p.m. Unofficial results released Tuesday night showed Simon securing a decisive victory, earning 3,629 votes, or 65.07 percent of the total. Dunn received 1,948 votes, accounting for 34.93 percent.
Simon led in all four counties included in the district. He posted his strongest showing in Logan County, where he received 1,524 votes, compared to Dunn’s 382. In Sebastian County, Simon collected 914 votes, while Dunn followed with 797. Franklin County voters gave Simon 698 votes to Dunn’s 535, and in Johnson County, Simon received 493 votes compared to Dunn’s 234.
The runoff became necessary after the January 6 Republican primary ended without either candidate earning more than half of the vote. Tuesday’s results now set the stage for the upcoming special election, where Simon will face Independent candidate Adam Watson on March 3, 2026.
Following the release of the unofficial totals, Simon addressed supporters in a statement posted to Facebook late Tuesday evening.
“I am humbled and deeply grateful for the support our district showed me during this election. I am overwhelmed. Thank you to my wife, my family, friends, and all the volunteers that went above and beyond any level of support I could have imagined.
My phone has hundreds of messages and missed calls since 7:30 this evening. I will respond to each one of you as I am able. Tonight we celebrate. Tomorrow we get back to work. Thank you all and God bless.”
The District 26 Senate seat has remained vacant since September 2025, following the death of Sen. Gary Stubblefield. His passing prompted the special election process, drawing attention from voters eager to see representation restored in the Arkansas Senate.
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Election officials emphasized that the results released Tuesday night remain unofficial and will be finalized following standard certification procedures. Still, the margin of victory leaves little doubt about the outcome of the Republican runoff.
With the primary contest now settled, attention turns to the March special election, where voters will once again head to the polls to determine who will represent Senate District 26. The race is expected to draw continued interest as candidates outline their priorities and campaign across the four-county district in the weeks ahead.
