HOPE, Ark. — Arkansas Democrats are making a last-minute pitch to voters frustrated by high costs and political gridlock, even as election forecasters rate the state’s Senate race Solid Republican and its competitive 2nd Congressional District Likely Republican. Democratic Senate nominee Hallie Shoffner has traveled across the state arguing that voters’ needs matter more than party labels. At a campaign stop in Hope on Friday, Oct. 23, she criticized what she called an unproductive Congress dominated by extreme voices and said she wanted to represent Arkansans’ interests in Washington. “We’re the sleeper race,” Shoffner said, predicting that her campaign could surprise observers. Arkansas is among the country’s most conservative states: nearly two-thirds of its voters backed President Donald Trump in 2024, and Republican Sen. Tom Cotton won the state in 2020. Republicans are not treating the contests as a sure thing. They have committed millions of dollars to the Senate race and the 2nd District contest, along with an extensive get-out-the-vote effort. The spending comes as Democrats in several states, including Kansas, Iowa, Ohio and Texas, see more competitive Senate races on the 2026 map. Shoffner, a multigenerational farmer, says rising costs and trade policies helped push her family to close its farming operation in 2025. She has made agriculture and affordability central to her campaign, presenting herself as an outsider to a political establishment she says has ignored rural communities. “This race isn’t about Democrats or Republicans or independents,” she said. “This is a values alignment.” She added that national politicians from both parties had failed to address the needs of Arkansas residents. In the 2nd District, Democratic nominee Chris Jones is challenging longtime Republican Rep. French Hill. Jones, who lost a 2022 gubernatorial race to Republican Sarah Huckabee Sanders, has support from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and has received visits and endorsements from prominent Democrats. Jones said voters are struggling with the cost of gas and groceries and are disappointed that promises made by the Trump administration have not been fulfilled. He pointed to pledges to lower prices, end foreign wars and tackle corruption, saying voters who supported the administration expected results. “Folks are hurting,” Jones said. “Prices are way too high.” He acknowledged that Hill’s district became more Republican after redistricting following the 2020 Census, making the race difficult for Democrats. Jones also cited increased Black voter participation as a potential factor in Southern races. He said some voters may be more motivated after a Supreme Court decision weakened part of the Voting Rights Act and renewed concerns about representation. Arkansas did not redraw its congressional districts after that ruling, though the state’s 2021 map divided Little Rock in a way that made Hill’s district more Republican. Whether dissatisfaction with prices and incumbents can overcome Arkansas’ strong Republican lean remains uncertain. For now, Democrats are betting that a focus on local concerns can draw support across party lines, while Republicans are spending heavily to protect their seats.