Gov. Sanders leans on first term in reelection pitch

Driving the news: In an interview with Axios before her "Capital for a Day" stop in Siloam Springs last week, Sanders said the harder work now is implementation.

• "Passing the legislation is the easy part," Sanders said in a line she would repeat at a gathering later. "The implementation is the really important piece."

State of play: Sanders is running for a second term against Democratic state Sen. Fred Love and Libertarian Colt Shelby in the Nov. 3 general election.

What she said: Sanders said education would remain "a huge priority," pointing to her landmark education law Arkansas LEARNS and saying the state needs to "really continue on the accountability piece."

She also said she wants another tax cut.

• "Our economy is extremely strong, and I think we're in a good position to do that again early next year," she said.
• Two days after the conversation, the state announced it closed fiscal 2026 with a $655 million surplus.

On prisons: Sanders said she still believes Franklin County is the best site for a new facility, despite legislative and local resistance.

• "The demand isn't going away," she said.
• Arkansas is expanding capacity in existing facilities while also focusing on a recidivism reduction pilot program, she noted.
• "The goal isn't to lock people up and … throw away the key," she said. "The goal is — when it can be done — rehabilitate."

County jails cannot provide the programming inmates need, Sanders said.

• "You can't do [rehabilitation services] in a county jail, and you certainly can't run 75 different programs," she said.
• Northwest Arkansas' growth means the region will eventually need more prison capacity, Sanders said.

On China: The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette in June reported that internal emails and court records showed Sanders administration officials pushed Chinese Communist Party-focused messaging about Risever Machinery even after state officials had concluded the Jonesboro manufacturer appeared to be complying with Arkansas law.

• Sanders said her office had an internal messaging struggle over the China-related enforcement.
• Sanders said Arkansas should take a more aggressive stance toward China-linked land ownership and business operations in the state, including farms, critical infrastructure and areas near military bases. "I don't think we're being hard-line enough, frankly," Sanders said.

Asked whether that approach precludes the state from performing due diligence, Sanders said, "You always want to go through the process."

On Trump: Sanders said President Trump has changed the GOP by bringing working-class voters more firmly into the party.

• "He's remade it," she said, calling Trump "the most dominant voice still in the Republican party, without question."

On the midterms: Sanders said Republicans should not assume the political environment will be easy.

• Her advice: "Run like you're 20 points behind; leave nothing on the field."

On voting rights: Asked about conservative women who have suggested giving up the right to vote or moving to one vote per household, Sanders rejected the idea.

• "I think that women fought hard to have the right to vote," she said. "I'm not giving up mine, and I don't think other women should give up their rights to them."

On SNAP: Sanders defended the state's new restrictions on soda and candy purchases through food benefits, formerly known as food stamps. Some opponents say it could create food deserts in rural areas and result in more long-term hunger.

• "Just because something is going to be hard, and just because there's going to be some bumps along the way, doesn't mean it's not the right thing," she said.

What we're watching: Whether Sanders' record in education law and tax cuts will overcome some of her first-term controversies like Podiumgate and the now-stalled Franklin County prison project.