Republicans Hold Three of Arkansas' Four U.S. House Seats as Hill Race Remains Tight

“I’m honored to once again have the trust of the people of Arkansas’s Fourth Congressional District,” Bruce Westerman said in a statement Tuesday night. Three of Arkansas’ four Republican congressmen cruised to reelection, the Associated Press projected, even as Democrats were on track to seize control of both chambers of Congress nationwide.

The wins came in the state’s deep-red 1st, 3rd and 4th districts, where incumbents Rick Crawford, Steve Womack and Westerman all handily dispatched their Democratic challengers. But the night’s real drama sits in central Arkansas, where French Hill remains locked in his closest reelection fight since taking office in 2015 against Democrat Chris Jones — a race the AP had still not called as of Tuesday evening, Yahoo News reported.

The Arkansas results land against a striking national backdrop: Democrats are projected to take control of both the House and Senate after historic wins in traditionally red states such as Texas, Iowa, Kansas and South Carolina.

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Crawford and Westerman Win Big in Trump Country

The AP called the 1st and 4th Congressional Districts early in the night. Crawford, who chairs the House Intelligence Committee, secured a ninth term representing parts of east, south and north Arkansas, fending off both a Democratic and a Libertarian challenger. His district voted for President Donald Trump by more than 45 percentage points in 2024, and Crawford won reelection that year with nearly 73% of the vote — a margin that made Tuesday’s outcome unsurprising. He campaigned on infrastructure for his district and on boosting domestic fertilizer production to support its agriculture-heavy economy.

Westerman, a licensed forester from Hot Springs who has represented the 4th District since 2015, won a seventh term after outraising and outspending his opponent James Russell by large margins. As chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee, he has pushed changes to the National Environmental Policy Act and backed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which he says will help address affordability concerns tied to the ongoing war in Iran. He defeated his 2024 Democratic opponent, Risie Howard, with more than 72% of the vote, and Russell offered his congratulations once the race was called.

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Womack Survives a Field of Repeat Challengers

The AP called the 3rd Congressional District later in the night for Womack, who faced an unusual field: Libertarian Bobby Wilson, his general-election opponent in 2024, and Democrat Robb Ryerse, who lost to Womack in the 2018 Republican primary. Womack, a self-described “institution guy,” was once known for a decade-and-a-half unbroken congressional voting streak — the longest active streak in Congress until a family emergency forced him to miss a vote in November 2025. He had also stoked retirement speculation in 2023 after venting about Republican infighting in a Washington Post interview, only to call that speculation overblown this year.

The 2nd District: Where the National Wave Meets Local Reality

All eyes now turn to the 2nd District, the bluest of Arkansas’ four House seats, covering central Arkansas including most of Little Rock. Redistricting by the majority-Republican state Legislature in 2021 made the map more favorable to Hill, who still won reelection in 2024 with 59% of the vote. Democrats have tried for years to unseat him and have not succeeded so far.

Republicans Hold Three of Arkansas' Four U.S. House Seats as Hill Race Remains Tight — Photo: yahoo.com

This year, Jones hoped to ride a sour national mood toward Republicans, with voters unhappy about the cost of living and high gas prices amid the war in Iran. A Hendrix College and Talk Business and Politics poll in August found Jones with a slim lead over Hill — though within the margin of error. Whether that momentum held through Election Day is exactly what remains unresolved as vote counting continues.

“Our region is one of the most dynamic in the country, and I remain committed to ensuring communities across the district have a strong advocate in Washington who understands their unique needs,” Womack said in a written statement after the AP called his race. “I look forward to continuing to deliver results for the Third District, from securing federal investments to providing unmatched constituent service.”

For Arkansas voters, the practical stakes are concrete: three of their four representatives will return to a Congress where their party may soon be in the minority, and the fourth seat — the one covering the state’s capital — could still shift if Jones closes the gap in the final count.