Caroline Grage is a senior studying earth science and sustainability at the University of Arkansas. She is from Fayetteville and is an active member of Students Advocating for the Environment and Zero Hour Arkansas. After graduation, Caroline hopes to pursue a career at a nonprofit.
As Arkansas governor Asa Hutchinson (R) approaches his term limit, Chris Jones (D) and Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R) battle to fill his seat. Arkansas is a historically red state, and Sanders has so far maintained a steady lead in the polls. It appears that one of the largest battles for Jones will be Sanders’ party and name recognition, as she served as press secretary for former President Donald Trump from 2017-2019. Arkansas voted for Trump in both the 2016 and 2020 election, a likely indicator for this year’s election.
Both candidates are focused on education and violent crime, issues that have become increasingly important to Arkansans. Jones hopes to rebuild Arkansas with his PB&J plan: preschool, broadband, and jobs. By providing education and employment and increasing infrastructure across the state, Jones hopes to address the root of many issues Arkansas faces, rather than just addressing the issues at surface level. Jones supports strong law enforcement and prison systems, but wants to prevent incarceration and crime in the first place, which he hopes to do with PB&J. Jones plans to expand on Hutchinson’s teacher pay plan and has the goal to raise minimum teacher pay to $50,000 by the end of his first term. Hutchinson’s plan serves as a sustainable model for this goal, and Jones plans to use system surpluses in part for funding. Jones plans to maintain or cut current tax rates, unlike his opponent Sanders, who hopes to phase out the state income tax entirely.
Sanders also wants to improve Arkansas’ issues with crime and education, but she plans on addressing these issues differently than Jones. Sanders’ plan for education is Arkansas Learns, which stands for literacy, empowerment, accountability, readiness, networking, and safety. Jones plans to focus on accessible preschool and increasing teacher pay, and includes a plan to fund and achieve these goals. Sanders’ plan, while it does include these principles, also focuses on the broader picture of the education system, and fails to specify how these programs will be implemented or funded. Sanders’ crime and public safety plan stands in stark contrast to Jones’, as she plans to increase prison capacity and sentencing.
Prediction: Sanders has nationalized the election by critiquing President Biden and the left’s agenda, while Jones has taken a more localized approach, traveling to all 75 counties to connect with residents across the state. While Jones has been successful in spreading his message and increasing his support throughout his campaign, Sanders will likely replace Hutchinson in this year’s election, because of her association with former President Trump, and Arkansas’ voting history.