See how the ‘No Kings’ protests could have a major impact on the election
March’s “No Kings” protests were the second largest in U.S. history. What does that mean for Republicans in the midterm elections?
The Arkansas runoff election was a head-on battle between Republicans.
Kim Hammer won the Republican nomination for the state’s top election in a heated runoff election on Tuesday, March 31, according to the Associated Press and NBC News. Mr. Hamer will now run in the November election for the top position in the state government, which is responsible for running smooth and fair elections. This position has received particular attention given President Donald Trump’s focus on election administration in light of the midterm elections in the fall.
Here’s what you need to know about the runoff elections and what the Republican battles mean for Trump’s policies.
Why was there a runoff election?
In the Republican primary for Secretary of State held on March 3, no candidate received more than 50% of the votes, so the election proceeded to a runoff. Mr. Norris received 34.3% of the vote and Mr. Hammer received 33.5%, according to the Associated Press and Decision Desk Headquarters.
The rematch on March 31 was a close one, with Mr. Hammer receiving 50.6% of the vote and Mr. Norris receiving 49.4%, according to the Associated Press and NBC News.
Hammer will now face Democrat Kelly Grapp and Libertarian Michael Packo in the November election. The winner will replace incumbent Cole Jester, who was removed from the race because he was appointed by Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders. State law says people appointed to elected office cannot run for office themselves.
Paper ballots and “salty words”
In the days leading up to the runoff, Mr. Hammer and Mr. Norris tried to show voters how they intended to assess Mr. Trump’s mission in the election. The president has been pushing to eliminate mail-in voting and targeted voting technology in recent weeks as part of a broader review of election operations across the country to combat what he sees as threats to election security.
State Sen. Hamer, from Benton, aligned himself with the established Republican Party in Arkansas through the support of prominent state officials, including Sens. Tom Cotton and Sanders, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported. Mr. Hammer’s campaign website outlines his approach to fighting “weak election protections and outside influences” surrounding previous state ballot measures on abortion and marijuana legalization.
Norris, on the other hand, is positioning himself as an alternative to the political establishment. A military veteran, he is the 1st District representative on the Arkansas Republican State Committee. He is endorsed by MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell. Norris supports paper ballots rather than voting machines, according to his campaign website.
Norris has been in the spotlight in recent weeks after social media posts containing profanity against the U.S. senator resurfaced, according to the Democrat-Gazette. He told the outlet that he used “salty language” but said he did not remember the content of the post.
Both candidates are currently being reviewed by the Arkansas Ethics Commission for transparency and disclosure related to campaign finance, according to the Democratic Gazette.
A litmus test for Trump?
Elections are held at the state level, with the Secretary of State ensuring fair and secure administration. However, President Donald Trump has increasingly advocated federal control over election practices, most recently signing an executive order on March 31 that placed federal control over mail-in voting.
Hammer supports Trump’s election policies, and his campaign website states, “As Secretary of State, I will work to enforce election laws passed by Congress and executive orders issued by Governor Sanders and President Trump.” Mr. Hammer also enacted state-level laws that would allow for hand-counting of ballots.
Mr. Hamer is likely to lead in the Republican-dominated state. Arkansas hasn’t elected a Democratic secretary of state since Charlie Daniels, who served from 2003 to 2011, according to state records.
