Jul 17, 2025 - News

Northeast Arkansas farmer to challenge Cotton

Alex Golden

screenshot of candidate — Hallie Shoffner, in a screenshot taken from her campaign announcement video. Screenshot: hallieshoffner.com

Hallie Shoffner, a sixth-generation farmer from Newport, announced she will seek the Democratic nomination for Republican Sen. Tom Cotton's seat, AP reported.

The big picture: Cotton unseated Democratic Sen. Mark Pryor in 2014 and handedly won re-election in 2020. He announced he will run again in 2026 and has President Trump's endorsement.

What they're saying: "I'll cut taxes for blue-collar workers, fight to restore Medicaid, save Social Security, cut the deficit, and be radically focused on bringing costs down for regular people," Shoffner said in a release, according to AP.

What's next: Candidates may file to run in November. The primary elections will be in March followed by the general election in November 2026.

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Northeast Arkansas farmer to challenge Cotton

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