Two Republican Party candidates from the Arkansas River Valley announced Monday they will seek their party’s nomination to succeed Gary Stubblefield, the longtime state senator who died earlier this month.
Mark Berry, a former state representative from Ozark, said in a statement on Facebook that Stubblefield left behind “some big shoes to fill.” Berry said his years in state government have given him “knowledge, skills, abilities and legislative relationships” that make him “uniquely qualified” to finish Stubblefield’s term, which runs through 2029.
Brad Simon, a businessman from Paris, also announced Monday he would enter the race for Arkansas Senate District 26, shifting from a previously planned run for the House seat being vacated by Jon Eubanks.
“I’ll be a listener and a fighter for the people of District 26 if they put their faith and trust in me,” Berry said.
Berry, a U.S. Air Force and Arkansas Air National Guard veteran, served as adjutant general of the Arkansas National Guard from 2015 to 2019 and was Secretary of the Military for part of that time. He previously represented Franklin County in the House and chose not to seek reelection last year.
Simon emphasized continuing Stubblefield’s conservative legacy and voiced opposition to the proposed 3,000-bed prison that Sarah Huckabee Sanders supports building in Franklin County.
“While no one can truly replace the late Senator Gary Stubblefield’s legacy of service and leadership, I stand ready to carry forward the work with humility and determination by representing our rural conservative values,” Simon said on Facebook.
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