Arkansas

Senator Kim Hammer advances to runoff in race for Arkansas Secretary of State

Published

1 month ago

March 12, 2026

Senator Kim Hammer advances to runoff in race for Arkansas Secretary of State

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KATV) — Arkansas voters are heading toward a Republican runoff in the race for Secretary of State — the statewide office responsible for overseeing elections, maintaining voter records, and managing business filings.

Army veteran Bryan Norris and State Senator Kim Hammer emerged as the top two candidates in the Republican primary and will now face each other March 31.

For Hammer, the campaign builds on 16 years of experience in the Arkansas legislature — eight years in the House and eight years in the Senate. He says that background would allow him to immediately step into the role if elected.

“I will be able to hit the ground running,” Hammer said. “Because we will come out of an election and we’re going to go right into a general session.” He says without his experience, “That is a big learning curve — you’re drinking out of a water hose.”

A central focus of Hammer’s campaign has been election security. He argues Arkansas already ranks among the strongest states in the country when it comes to protecting elections.

“We are number one in the nation as far as election integrity and security, and you don’t get that way without fighting for it,” Hammer said.

But some of Hammer’s recent legislative work has also sparked debate — particularly changes to the state’s citizen-led ballot initiative process.

During the 2025 legislative session, Hammer sponsored a package of bills that altered how ballot initiatives are placed before voters. The initiative process allows Arkansans to propose amendments to the state constitution through petition drives.

Under the new laws, petition canvassers must verify identification and read the ballot title to voters before collecting signatures.

Hammer says those changes were prompted by complaints from voters who felt they had been misled while signing petitions.

“People were being misled,” Hammer said. “People were calling the Secretary of State’s office wanting their name taken off the ballot initiative because the title was confusing and people were out there misleading others about what the initiative said.”

Hammer says the goal was to better protect Arkansas’s constitution.

“Our Constitution should be one of the most sacred documents that governs us,” he said. “Maybe the bigger question people should be asking is why some want to make it so easy to change our Constitution.”

Supporters of the legislation say the new requirements increase transparency in the petition process. But critics argue the rules could make it more difficult for grassroots organizations to place issues on the ballot — particularly proposals involving abortion rights or marijuana policy.

Hammer disagrees with that characterization.

“We didn’t make it any more difficult to change,” he said. “We just brought it to a higher standard.”

The senator has also voiced support for stronger voter verification policies similar to the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, backed by former President Donald Trump.

“We have a good system in place, but it will be better when we add these other features to it,” Hammer said. “You can’t safeguard your voter rolls too much.”

If elected Secretary of State, Hammer says his goal would be to maintain stability in the office responsible for overseeing Arkansas elections.

“My job is not to come in and blow the place up,” he said. “My job is to come in and govern and make a smooth transition, because that’s what the people of Arkansas expect.”

The Republican runoff between Hammer and Norris later this month will determine who advances in the race for Arkansas Secretary of State.

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Arkansas

Arkansas State Police investigating fatal shooting in Wynne

Published

6 hours ago

April 15, 2026

Press Room

Arkansas State Police investigating fatal shooting in Wynne

WYNNE, Ark. (KAIT) – Arkansas State Police are investigating a fatal shooting Tuesday at the intersection of C Street and Fitzhugh Circle in Wynne.

Cindy Murphy, communications director at the Arkansas Department of Public Safety, confirmed the shooting but did not provide additional details, including the identity of the victim or whether a suspect was in custody.

“We’re working on a release that will hopefully include additional information,” she said.

Murphy said the Wynne Police Department asked ASP’s Criminal Investigation Division to investigate.

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Arkansas

No. 36 Men’s Tennis Opens SEC Tournament Against No. 26 Kentucky

Published

18 hours ago

April 15, 2026

Press Room

No. 36 Men’s Tennis Opens SEC Tournament Against No. 26 Kentucky

Avri Kamplain
April 14, 2026

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The No. 36 Arkansas men’s tennis team (16-13) travels to College Station, Texas to begin postseason play at the 2026 SEC Men’s Tennis Tournament. The Razorbacks will face No. 26 Kentucky (16-12) in the first round on Wednesday, April 15 at 2 p.m. CT.

Arkansas and Kentucky met earlier this season on March 8 in Fayetteville, where the Razorbacks earned a 4-3 victory. Arkansas enters the tournament ranked No. 36 in the latest ITA team rankings, led by No. 20 Jakub Vrba in singles. In doubles, the duo of Eric Padgham and Ben Weintraub come in at No. 30 nationally.

Kentucky comes into the matchup ranked No. 26 with a 16-12 overall record. The Wildcats feature multiple ranked players, including Eli Stephenson at No. 21 and Nicolas Arseneault at No. 54 in singles, along with Jack Loutit at No. 82. In doubles, Kentucky is highlighted by the No. 17 pair of Loutit and Stephenson, as well as No. 83 Nicolas Arseneault and Matt Rankin.

The winner of the Arkansas/Kentucky match will advance to face No. 6 Georgia on Thursday.

Live stats and video links are available on the men’s tennis schedule page.

For the latest information on all things Arkansas Men’s Tennis, follow the Hogs on social media by liking us on Facebook (Arkansas Razorback Men’s Tennis) and following us on Twitter and Instagram (@RazorbackMTennis).

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Arkansas

Shepherd confirmed as federal judge in Arkansas’ Western District – Talk Business & Politics

Published

1 day ago

April 14, 2026

Press Room

Shepherd confirmed as federal judge in Arkansas’ Western District – Talk Business & Politics

John Thomas Shepherd of El Dorado has been confirmed by the U.S. Senate to be a U.S. District judge in the Western District of Arkansas, according to the offices of U.S. Sens. John Boozman and Tom Cotton, R-Ark.

Shepherd is a native of El Dorado and graduate of Rice University and the University of Arkansas School of Law in Fayetteville, where he was managing editor of the Arkansas Law Review.

He was a partner at Shepherd & Shepherd in El Dorado and also served as a prosecuting attorney, and later judge, for the Arkansas Circuit Court’s 13th Judicial District. He is a member of the Federalist Society, according to a press release from Cotton’s office.

His brother, Matthew Shepherd, is a partner in the El Dorado law firm and is a former speaker of the Arkansas House of Representatives. Their father is Federal Judge Bobby Shepherd who sits on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.

“I am pleased to congratulate John Thomas Shepherd on his confirmation and am confident he will serve with the same integrity, professionalism and sound judgment he has demonstrated throughout his career,” noted a statement from Boozman’s. “We are grateful for his deep commitment to public service and the rule of law.”

Shepherd succeeds U.S. District Court Judge Susan Hickey who has been on the bench since October 2011. She was chief judge of the district between 2019 and 2025. The U.S. District Court for the Western District of Arkansas includes 34 counties stretching from Texarkana and El Dorado to Fayetteville and Fort Smith.

Shepherd is the second Western District judge to be confirmed so far in 2026. David Clay Fowlkes, the former U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas, was confirmed in early February to be a federal judge in the Western District of Arkansas. He succeeded U.S. District Court Judge P.K. Holmes III, and will be in the Fort Smith office.

Other judges now in the Western District are Chief Judge Timothy Brooks (Fayetteville bench), Magistrate Judge Christy Comstock (Fayetteville), Magistrate Judge Mark Ford (Fort Smith), and Magistrate Judge Spencer Singleton (El Dorado).

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