River Valley • Republican Primary Results
The race to fill the late Sen. Gary Stubblefield’s District 26 seat is officially headed to a runoff after no candidate secured a majority in the Republican primary.
District 26 spans Scott, Logan, and Yell counties, plus parts of Sebastian and Johnson counties. In this solidly Republican district, the GOP primary is where the real decision is made.
đź“Š The Results
Out of 6,127 total votes cast, the top two finishers were:
- Wade Dunn (Greenwood) — 37% (2,291 votes)
- Brad Simon (Paris) — 31% (1,896 votes)
The remaining vote was split among:
- Mark Berry — 13%
- Stacie Smith — 9%
- Ted Tritt — 9%
➡️ Dunn and Simon advance to a Feb. 3 runoff.
The runoff winner will face independent candidate Adam Watson in the March 3 special election.
đź‘Ą The Candidates
Wade Dunn is a retired businessman from Greenwood and a former Pepsi manager. He previously owned and sold several companies and ran for state representative in 2022, losing the GOP primary to Lee Johnson. Dunn has been endorsed by Sen. Stubblefield’s family.
Brad Simon, from Paris, owns a pest control company and a decorative outdoor lighting business. This is his first run for public office.
🎯 Where They Stand
Dunn’s priorities
- Eliminate property taxes for veterans and seniors
- Implement DOGE-style cost-cutting in state government
- Stop the proposed Franklin County prison
- Make government more small-business friendly
Simon’s priorities
- Eliminate sales tax on used cars
- Find a fiscally responsible solution to prison overcrowding
- Continue lowering, and eventually phase out, state income taxes
- Protect parental voice in education and ensure strong school funding
🔍 What’s Next
All eyes now turn to Feb. 3, when Republican voters will decide who moves on to the general election. In District 26, that runoff is likely to determine the next state senator.
