LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders revised the timeline for the special election to fill the late Sen. Gary Stubblefield’s District 26 seat after facing criticism from both parties and candidates.

Stubblefield, who represented the River Valley district, died on Sept. 2. On Friday, Sanders initially set the special primary for March 3, 2026, and the general election for Nov. 3, leaving the seat vacant for over a year instead of the usual 150-day window, drawing bipartisan criticism.

By Friday evening, she revised the timeline: the primary remains March 3, but the general election will now be June 9, 2026 — 256 days from when the second announcement was made.

Sanders said the initial decision was to "save taxpayer money, streamline the process for election off

See Full Page