No winner declared in Arkansas' 2nd District congressional race
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Republican U.S. Rep. French Hill (left) and Democratic candidate Chris Jones. Photos: Courtesy of the campaigns
Republican U.S. Rep. French Hill held a 4,402-vote lead over Democrat Chris Jones at 2pm Wednesday in an Arkansas congressional race that remained too close to call.
- The race is for the 2nd District, which covers eight counties in central Arkansas and includes Little Rock.
Why it matters: A Jones victory would make him the state's first Black member of Congress and break Republicans' hold on Arkansas' congressional delegation.
- It would also be the first time a Democrat has won a statewide or federal election in Arkansas since 2010, signaling to the GOP that even more historically deep-red states won't be safe bets in upcoming elections.
By the numbers: As of 2pm Wednesday, Jones had a majority only in Pulaski County, where he took 65% of the vote.
- Of the eight counties, 404 precincts in District 2 had reported a total of 250,452 votes, per the Arkansas Secretary of State's Office, and AP estimated 99% of the votes had been counted.
State of play: Even an extremely close U.S. House race does not automatically trigger a recount in Arkansas.
- If outstanding absentee ballots from overseas voters, combined with the number of provisional ballots, aren't enough to change the results, a candidate must petition the county election commissions within two days of the preliminary results to start the recount process.
- If outstanding ballots are enough to change the results, candidates have seven days to petition the county election commissions.
What they're saying: "Every Arkansan who voted deserves to have their voice heard, and every legal vote deserves to be counted," Kimberly Eddings, campaign manager for Chris Jones for Congress, said in a statement Wednesday.
- Jones' spokesperson Stephanie Lane did not respond to a question about the campaign calling for a recount.
The other side: Hill's campaign did not respond to Axios' request for comment.
- "In a blue-filled night across the country, Arkansas remained one of the reddest states in the nation," the Republican Party of Arkansas said in a statement to Axios.
- RPA noted that Republicans maintain the majority in both houses of the state legislature and hold all constitutional offices.
The big picture: Democrats seized control of both chambers of the U.S. Congress on Tuesday, eclipsing their wildest pre-election expectations.
- In Arkansas, the wave broke lower on the ballot: Democrats gained eight state House seats and one state Senate seat, ending the GOP's House supermajority. Still, Republicans have won every statewide and federal race called so far.
What we're watching: If a recount begins, Arkansas law governs the process, but a candidate can still challenge certified results with the U.S. House under the Federal Contested Election Act.