Republicans lose five Northwest Arkansas House seats in Nov. 3 election

Five Republican state representatives in Northwest Arkansas lost their seats Tuesday night, with Democratic challengers unseating incumbents in Benton and Washington counties by margins ranging from 197 votes to more than 4,000, according to unofficial results from the Nov. 3 general election, Talk Business & Politics reported.

The election results show Democrats winning five of the ten contested House races in a two-county area, reversing decades of Republican dominance. The losses come as the Arkansas General Assembly prepares to convene for the 2027-28 term, leaving the GOP with a reduced grip on the Northwest Arkansas delegation even as Republicans held five other seats in the region.

Close Races Decide the Night’s Outcome

The tightest contest came in Benton County’s District 10, where first-time candidate Jacob Allen, a Democrat from Bentonville, defeated incumbent Rep. Mindy McAlindon, R-Centerton, by just 197 votes out of 11,649 cast. McAlindon, who serves as the Republican Party’s national committeewoman for Arkansas, fell short with 5,726 votes to Allen’s 5,923, according to figures reported by both Talk Business & Politics and the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

In District 11, which straddles the Benton-Washington county line, Rey Hernandez, D-Rogers, defeated incumbent Rep. Rebecca Burkes, R-Lowell, 3,331 to 3,041. The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette noted this was the third time Hernandez and Burkes faced each other, with Burkes winning the first two matchups.

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Mitchell Smith, D-Bentonville, unseated Rep. Scott Richardson, R-Bentonville, in District 13 with 54.98% of the vote, while Daniel Holtmeyer, D-Rogers, took District 15 from incumbent Rep. John Carr, R-Rogers, 4,280 to 3,676. In Washington County, Jamie Atkinson, D-Fayetteville, defeated Rep. Steve Unger, R-Springdale, in District 19 by a margin of 5,092 to 4,029—a seat Democratic state chairman Marcus Jones had declared “flippable” at the party’s quarterly meeting in Springdale in March, according to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

Republicans Hold Five Seats Despite the Losses

Not all incumbents fell. Five Republican representatives secured reelection in contested races. Rep. Nick Burkes, R-Bentonville, won a second term in District 14 over Timothy Heron Jr., D-Bentonville, 5,288 to 4,923. Rep. Kendon Underwood, R-Cave Springs, defeated Letisha Hinds, D-Cave Springs, in District 16 with 58.26% of the vote. In Washington County, Rep. Kendra Moore, R-Lincoln, beat independent Laura Marsh of Fayetteville in District 23, 6,035 to 4,557, while Rep. Chad Puryear, R-Goshen, held District 25 against Courtney King, D-Elkins, 7,119 to 3,956.

On the Democratic side, Rep. Diana Gonzales Worthen, D-Springdale, cruised to reelection in District 9 with 69.53% of the vote against Matthew Goff, R-Springdale. The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette noted that Worthen had won the only House seat gained by Democrats statewide in 2024, making her retention a bright spot for the party in an otherwise challenging cycle.

A Special Election Fills McCollum’s Vacant Seat

Voters also decided a special election in District 8 to fill the remainder of former Rep. Austin McCollum’s term, which ends Jan. 11. Republican Kara Armas of Pea Ridge defeated Democrat Parker Stohlton of Bella Vista, 7,063 to 4,764, to serve out the final months of the term. The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported that McCollum resigned Aug. 5 from the House after his Aug. 1 arrest on charges of assaulting his wife; he had not filed for reelection to the House, instead running unopposed for Benton County judge. Armas’ husband, Brian Armas, R-Pea Ridge, will take office for the full 2027-28 term on Jan. 11 after running unopposed in both the primary and general election.

What the Shift Means for Northwest Arkansas

The results leave Northwest Arkansas with a split delegation heading into the 2027-28 legislative session. Republicans kept five seats, but the defeat of five incumbents—including McAlindon, a top party official—proves the region’s political balance has shifted from a predictable Republican advantage. The districts that flipped cover much of Benton County’s population centers, including parts of Bentonville, Rogers, Centerton, Lowell, and Springdale, as well as north-central Washington County including Fayetteville.

Several races in Northwest Arkansas were decided by close margins, particularly the 197-vote difference in District 10.

With no contested Senate races in the region this year, five House seats in Northwest Arkansas changed party control.