Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Democratic state Sen. Fred Love, and Libertarian Colt Shelby have announced their priorities for Arkansas as they vie for the governorship in the 2026 election. Key issues in their campaigns include healthcare, education, economic affordability, and prison reform, though each candidate presents differing strategies to address these topics.
**Healthcare**
The candidates unanimously agree that healthcare requires urgent attention in Arkansas. Gov. Sanders, seeking a second term, wants to ensure access to affordable, quality healthcare and plans to continue discussions on the future of Arkansas’s Medicaid expansion program. The state recently requested a two-year federal extension after the program was denied for failing to meet new cost-neutrality requirements. Sanders has not specified her preferred path forward but emphasized healthcare as a dominant issue for the next legislative session.
State Sen. Love underscored the state’s reliance on Medicaid and criticized rural hospital closures stemming from financial strains and low reimbursement rates. He advocates expanding Medicaid enrollment to stabilize the healthcare network and prevent unnecessary hospital visits.
Libertarian candidate Shelby expressed hope for the Medicaid extension and endorsed extending postpartum coverage for low-income mothers to a full year, a policy in which Arkansas lags behind other states. Postpartum Medicaid currently ends at 60 days under Arkansas law, a restriction defended by Sanders, who argues other coverage options are available.
**Education**
Education remains central to Gov. Sanders’s platform as she defends the controversial 2023 LEARNS Act. The legislation raised the minimum teacher salary to $50,000, launched a statewide school voucher program, and made sweeping changes to public education. While Sanders celebrates improvements in student test scores, critics worry about the growing cost and impact on public schools. The voucher program allows state funds to be used for private school tuition and other educational expenses, which Sanders argues expands parental choice.
Sen. Love opposes the voucher program, arguing it threatens the viability of public schools in rural areas, where schools often serve as major employers. If elected, Love said he would use executive authority to eliminate the program, citing constitutional provisions granting the governor executive power. Sanders dismissed this as legally untenable.
Shelby proposed scaling back the voucher program by establishing income-based eligibility requirements. He also emphasized focusing on local decision-making within the education department and appointing department leaders familiar with Arkansas schools.
**Affordability and Economic Measures**
Addressing economic strain, the candidates outlined plans to ensure affordability for Arkansans. Sanders emphasized continued efforts to phase out the state’s income tax responsibly, following tax cuts implemented during her first term. She argued this would allow residents to keep more of their money during tough economic times.
Shelby, a drill site manager, supports eliminating the used car sales tax and aligning Arkansas’s standard deduction rate with federal levels. He also advocates increased state funding for county governments, enabling local control over infrastructure investments to strengthen local economies.
Love encouraged fostering skilled trades by engaging youth and offering retraining initiatives for older workers. He also stressed the importance of attracting businesses that provide livable wages. While praising the state’s $11 minimum wage, Love argued it must rise further to ease the financial challenges families face.
**Prison Reform**
The candidates proposed different solutions to the state’s overcrowded prisons. Gov. Sanders defended her focus on expanding prison capacity, highlighting 1,500 additional beds added to existing facilities and her support for building a new prison in Franklin County. However, logistical and financial challenges have delayed the project. She also expressed interest in rehabilitative programs aimed at reducing recidivism.
Love opposed the Franklin County prison project, emphasizing the need for systemic reform rather than increased incarceration capacity. He advocated for reentry programs, better compensation for counties housing state inmates, and expanded mental health services. Love also linked improved literacy rates to potential long-term reductions in crime.
Shelby called for evaluating the Protect Arkansas Act, legislation signed by Sanders in 2023 to increase sentences for violent offenders. He argued the law could lead to higher costs without improving public safety. Instead, Shelby supports strengthening reentry programs and expanding existing county facilities to address localized crime challenges.
The race for Arkansas’s governorship showcases a spectrum of approaches to the state’s pressing challenges, with voters poised to decide which vision aligns best with their priorities.