Concerns about LEARNS Act, abortion make some GOP-held Arkansas legislative races competitive

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Democratic candidates for state legislative seats in Central and Northwest Arkansas are focusing on education, reproductive rights and working-class issues in their efforts to unseat Republican incumbents, and they say voters from both parties are responding.

Since the 2022 elections, the Legislature’s Republican supermajority and Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders have enacted the wide-ranging LEARNS Act, lowered individual and corporate tax rates and doubled down on their support for the state’s near-total abortion ban.

“I’ve met people that have told me that they’re registered Republicans, but they will be voting for the other side this time … because of LEARNS or because of abortion,” said Maureen Skinner, a Conway therapist and the Democratic candidate for Central Arkansas’s Senate District 17.

Skinner is challenging two-term incumbent Sen. Mark Johnson, a Ferndale Republican. Drawn after the 2020 U.S. Census, Senate District 17 covers western Pulaski County and southeastern Faulkner County.

Johnson’s constituency did not include Conway or Faulkner County when he was first elected in 2018. The same year, Skinner challenged Conway’s Republican then-senator, Jason Rapert. She lost by less than 10 percentage points, a closer margin than Johnson’s 2022 reelection win.

Skinner said the Democratic Party of Arkansas is far more organized than it was in 2018, when it was “in shambles.” The party has 72 candidates running for state legislative seats this year, with 55 in contested races.

“Filing this many candidates is impressive” for a party coming up on a decade of minority status, said John Davis, a University of Arkansas associate professor of political science who has studied the state’s shifts in political power.

Besides Skinner, four other Democratic candidates in Central and Northwest Arkansas said they’ve won over some Republican voters:

Billy Cook of Fayetteville, who’s challenging freshman Rep. Steve Unger, R-Springdale, in Washington County’s District 19;

Andrew Cade Eberly of Jacksonville, who’s challenging five-term Rep. Karilyn Brown, R-Sherwood, in northeastern Pulaski County’s District 67;

Cassandra Green, who’s challenging freshman GOP Rep. Brandon Achor in Maumelle’s District 71;

James Henry Bartolomei, who’s challenging two-term GOP Rep. Keith Brooks in District 78, covering northern Saline County, western Pulaski County and the outskirts of Little Rock where they both live. All four House challengers said they have never run for office before.

The five districts are all in suburban areas of the state, and polling data shows that districts with “relatively large numbers of suburban voters” could make Republicans’ reelection bids competitive this year, Davis said.

If districts with a history of close elections result in Democratic wins, Republicans could lose their legislative supermajority, though it “isn’t the most likely outcome,” Davis said.

“While this would not change the overall balance of the General Assembly all that much, as the Republicans would still have a solid majority, breaking the GOP supermajority could have a substantive impact on the legislative process in the state,” he said.

Achor, Brooks and Johnson have not faced close races in the past. However, all three and Unger were among the 80 co-sponsors of the LEARNS Act last year, with Brooks as a primary sponsor alongside Sen. Breanne Davis, R-Russellville. The law changed many aspects of Arkansas’s public education landscape and has been a cornerstone of the campaigns of several Democratic challengers, including Green, who has worked in education for 28 years.

“It’s important, for decisions that are made in regard to education policy, that people who are in it every day have a voice at the table, because creating policy and law and implementing [them] are two different things,” said Green, the Little Rock School District’s coordinator of district alternative learning programs.

Cook said the state Democratic Party recruited him to run because he has his “finger on the pulse of a lot of working-class issues,” such as affordable housing and access to health care. He advocates for both as part of the grassroots Arkansas Community Organizations.

He has knocked on more than 3,000 doors in District 19 since beginning his campaign, he said, and housing issues are a key element of his platform. Arkansas’s laws regarding tenants’ rights have been criticized as among the nation’s weakest.

Unger declined an interview with the Advocate. Less than half of District 19 eligible voters cast ballots in the 2022 race, which Unger won by 646 votes, so this year’s race is expected to be competitive, Cook said.

Similarly, Brown won reelection in 2022 by 510 votes in another race with low turnout compared to previous ones. She’s faced a challenger in five of her six runs for the House.

Eberly is a 25-year-old Army veteran and cybersecurity professional.

“I’m hoping to provide a new perspective in the Legislature,” he said. “I feel like we could really use that, and that’s been a message that’s been really well received.”

Bartolomei, an attorney, said he’s running partly because of “the lack of checks and balances” resulting from Republicans holding every state constitutional office in addition to the legislative supermajority.

“Total control doesn’t make for very good government because oftentimes it basically turns the Legislature into a rubber stamp,” Bartolomei said.

Education policy The LEARNS Act of 2023 raised teachers’ starting annual salaries from $36,000 to $50,000, created a new school voucher program, employed literacy coaches to raise third-graders’ reading levels, mandated community service for high school students and repealed the Teacher Fair Dismissal Act, among other things.

The amount of moving parts in the law confuses voters, Green said.

“When I tell constituents about my background, the first thing they say is, ‘Oh, you know about LEARNS, tell me a little bit more about it because I don’t really understand it,’” she said.

The state helped public school districts pay for the salary increases to an extent, but not entirely, which strains district budgets and provides less support for veteran educators, Green said.

She and other Democrats have expressed concerns that increased voucher usage will strain public school districts’ budgets, especially in rural areas. Districts receive per-student state and local tax revenue, and they have to partially support the mandatory pay raises alongside schools’ existing activities.

House District 78 families who send their children to public schools object to their tax dollars being sent “away from our neighborhood schools to out-of-state for-profit companies” regardless of party affiliation, Bartolomei said.

Brooks said funding public schools to the best of the state’s ability will be a priority if he is reelected. He also said he is proud to have been a lead sponsor of LEARNS and regularly hears from constituents about both benefits and critiques of the law.

“For me, the process of LEARNS really started in the 2021 session, looking at what options we had to improve opportunities and access for kids who may not feel like they’re being served best where they are,” Brooks said.

Supporters of the voucher program have said it most benefits students with disabilities, who were eligible for the program in its first year.

Unger’s campaign website mentions his support for school choice and “the right for homeschooled students to compete for scholarships.”

Sanders has said LEARNS was the state’s biggest investment in public education in years. Johnson echoed this statement and said the law was “bold” and “way overdue.”

Johnson and Achor both said school districts with declining student populations should consider where they might be falling short. If they have “a lot of fat in a lot of their budgets and a reduction in the students they serve,” districts might benefit from budget cuts, Johnson said.

“Saying that people, if given a choice, would leave sounds like you’re not meeting their needs,” Achor said.

Green disagreed, saying many Maumelle voters support public schools even if they send their children to private schools or don’t have children at all.

“One of the reasons behind the voucher system was for parents to have options, to go to a school that’s performing [well] instead of being stuck going to failing schools,” Green said. “…No one is talking about how to support those schools that people are leaving because they are [graded] D or F.”

Cook and Skinner both said LEARNS is unpopular among the teachers they have met while campaigning, and Cook said LEARNS has reduced “the quality of the learning they’re able to give our students.”

Skinner added that Arkansas has a teacher shortage due to people leaving the profession, which is a more pronounced problem in rural areas with fewer schools, both public and private.

“Everybody knows a teacher, and everybody that I’ve talked to, Republican and otherwise… they see that as problematic for rural schools,” she said.

Bartolomei said a robust public school system draws businesses into communities and fosters economic growth.

Brown did not co-sponsor the LEARNS Act but voted for it on the House floor. She said people’s concerns that vouchers would lead families to “abandon the public school system” are unlikely to come true, and “competition helps schools across the board.”

“People think that the state should not be supporting parochial schools or supporting religion,” Brown said. “… The money is not spent on frivolous things that it was not intended for. It’s to educate children. It does not support religion.”

KARK reported in September that some voucher-related expenses classified by the state as “supplies” included technology often used for video gaming. The Department of Education has since put cost limits on the items in question.

Skinner, Bartolomei and Eberly all expressed concerns about how the voucher program will be funded when it becomes available to all students next school year.

“They can’t tell you how they’re going to pay for it, but they also won’t tell you how it’s being spent,” Eberly said.

Abortion access and maternal health Green said her career has taught her that students need support systems outside the classroom in order to succeed academically, especially for children that have experienced trauma.

The only exception to Arkansas’ abortion ban, in effect since June 2022, is to save the life of the pregnant person. Green said the ban is “cruel” and should contain exceptions for rape and incest, since she has seen firsthand the impact of these situations on children.

“At no time is it okay for a young girl to be pregnant by someone that is violating her,” Green said.

Democratic lawmakers introduced bills in 2023 that would have added exceptions for rape, incest and fatal fetal anomalies. Republicans voted down all three bills in committee.

A citizen-led ballot measure that would have included all three exceptions in a limited constitutional right to abortion will not be on the November ballot after Secretary of State John Thurston and the Arkansas Supreme Court disqualified some of the signatures on a technicality.

Cook and Achor both agreed with Green that the abortion ban should have certain exceptions. Achor said he believes the state has a responsibility to protect pregnant Arkansans in dangerous circumstances.

“When you look at situations of rape, abuse and incest … if pro-choice individuals wanted to come to the table and discuss the protection of the life of the mother, I think the majority of legislators would come to that table,” Achor said.

Brown said her convictions lead her to “stand on the side of that unborn life,” but state policymakers should work to “break down the barriers that keep that child from becoming a self-actualizing adult.”

“If you make an exception [to the abortion ban], those people who want to take advantage of that exception will find a way,” she said.

Brooks and Johnson both said their stances on exceptions would depend on the language of any legislation introduced.

Arkansas has one of the nation’s highest maternal mortality rates and the third highest infant mortality rate, according to the Arkansas Center for Health Improvement.

Eberly said he would rather legislate solutions to these issues, such as affordable health care and financial support for families, than the legality of abortion itself since the public has the power to put the issue on the ballot.

“We’re the most dangerous state in America to be pregnant,” he said. “If you made it cheaper to be able to have children [and] make it safer to be able to get through the process of being pregnant and delivering a child, [people] will take care of it themselves.”

Johnson said the state’s “obstetrics deserts” are concerning and warrant a legislative response. Some of Arkansas’s 75 counties do not have hospitals, while only 34 hospitals in the state have labor and delivery units. The Bradley County Medical Center in Warren and Unity Health Newport both lost their maternity wards this year.

Skinner said one of her reasons for seeking office is the “terrifying” state of women’s rights in Arkansas. While campaigning, she has met “religious people that believe no life is theirs to take, but also … it’s not their place to decide for someone else,” she said.

Bartolomei said he has met voters with a similar mindset on abortion. He also said House District 78 is home to medical professionals who can confirm the struggles of recruiting new physicians into Arkansas since the 2022 reversal of Roe v. Wade. Fewer medical residents have sought to practice in states with abortion bans since then, according to a study released in May by the Association of American Medical Colleges Research and Action Institute.

Sanders and other state officials have said educating pregnant Arkansans about the care they need is vital to protecting their health, and Brooks said he agreed.

Unger said last year that he staunchly opposes abortion but disapproved of a law authorizing a “monument to the unborn” on Capitol grounds.

Cook said abortion access has been a frequent topic of discussion while campaigning and gives voters “a sense of urgency to go to the polls.”

“This election in November is going to be one of our last shots, since the ballot measure was shot down, to make our voices heard on this issue,” he said.

Other issues The idea of running for office again after 2018 initially “made me want to throw up in my mouth,” Skinner said, but she decided to take the chance this year because “fighting for myself is hard, but fighting for other people is pretty easy.”

Low-income District 17 residents are “worried about housing and the economy and how to just survive,” and Republicans’ focus on unrelated issues such as LGBTQ+ people’s driver’s licenses is “a slap in the face [to] people who are trying to put food on the table,” Skinner said.

Sanders and Republican lawmakers have said cutting individual income tax rates will put more money in the pockets of average Arkansans. Unger’s campaign website presents his support for tax cuts as a reason to support him.

Critics have said the cuts only benefit high earners. Brown rejected this statement as a “talking point of the opposition,” while Eberly said corporate tax cuts don’t alleviate the struggles of low-income people.

“This is a district of hardworking people and people that have served their country,” Eberly said, referring to District 71’s proximity to the North Little Rock Air Force Base. “They’re just looking for an opportunity, not a handout.”

Eberly said “the deciding factor” in a competitive race will be his face-to-face interactions with voters. He gave an example of a conservative with whom he “had a great conversation” after knocking on his door.

“He said [he’s] a Republican, but because of the conversation we had and the fact that somebody actually showed up for once, he would be voting for me,” Eberly said.

Other challengers agreed that visibility matters when trying to unseat incumbents. Cook and Bartolomei said they looked forward to debating their opponents, but Unger and Brooks each did not participate in public forums scheduled for Oct. 8 in their respective districts.

Cook said he hopes his campaign “resonates with everyday people,” and he has talked to voters “on their front porches whether they live in an apartment complex or in a really nice subdivision.”

Bartolomei said the first thing voters usually ask him is which party he belongs to, and though he tells them he’s a “moderate Democrat,” he hopes voters prioritize his values over his party label.

“Before they slam the door in my face [and say] ‘I’ll never vote for a Democrat,’ when I start actually talking about the issues that are important to me … they pause and reflect and say, ‘Listen, I think I will consider voting for you,’” he said.

Yet Arkansas voters tend to vote along party lines and have stronger disdain for the party they do not support than enthusiasm for the one they do, said Davis, the political science professor.

“Straight-ticket voting and negative partisanship advantage the state’s political status quo — Republicans,” he said.

Achor said his sole term in the House has made him optimistic “that there are actual opportunities to make a difference” as an elected official.

Green said she will work across the aisle if elected and support policies based on empathy, which she said is lacking in the Legislature.

“I really believe empathy will help guide lawmakers in making decisions not only centered for themselves or a party, but making decisions that are best for all Arkansans,” she said. “A lot of what we see now, a lot of the issues that we’re discussing, aren’t really party-driven [but are] morality-driven.”

Campaign finances

The Arkansas Advocate also compiled information on campaign fundraising and spending for each of the races covered in the article. Here are the funds raised, spent and remaining as of Oct. 17 for candidates in this story, according to the secretary of state’s campaign finance website. (Contributions and expenditures reflect funds raised since the March primary. Balances reflect total campaign funds this election cycle.)

Senate District 17

Sen. Mark Johnson (R)

Contributions: $115,677

Expenditures: $40,756

Balance: $282,343

Maureen Skinner (D)

Contributions: $35,861

Expenditures: $10,693

Balance: $31,684

House District 19

Billy Cook (D)

Contributions: $13,868

Expenditures: $3,379

Balance: $10,539

Rep. Steve Unger (R)

Contributions:$30,540

Expenditures: $17,559

Balance: $67,025

House District 67

Rep. Karilyn Brown (R)

Contributions: $19,430

Expenditures: $4,010

Balance: $33,479

Andrew C. Eberly (D)

Contributions: $20,411

Expenditures: $6,572

Balance: $15,872

House District 71

Rep. Brandon Achor (R)

Contributions: $35,975

Expenditures: $19,690

Balance:$16,285

Cassandra Green (D)

Contributions: $10,926

Expenditures: $5,035

Balance: $7,768

House District 78

James H. Bartolomei (D)

Contributions: $39,309

Expenditures: $10,406

Balance: $37,878

Rep. Keith Brooks (R)

Contributions: $52,275

Expenditures: $28,549

Balance: $41,581 Arkansas Advocate is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Arkansas Advocate maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Sonny Albarado for questions: info@arkansasadvocate.com. Follow Arkansas Advocate on Facebook and X.

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Concerns about LEARNS Act, abortion make some GOP-held Arkansas legislative races competitive

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