Wilson Dominates in District 1 Election

Staves Resident Wins GOP Nomination; Will Face Democrat Butler in Nov. 3 Election

  • WILSON CELEBRATES WIN - Angel Jacobs of Rison (left) snaps a photo of Harrell Wilson (fourth from the left against the wall) with his wife, children and grandchildren after he won Tuesday’s State Senate District 1 special primary election. He now faces Eudora Mayor Tomeka Butler, the uncontested Democratic nominee, in a special election on Nov. 3.
    WILSON CELEBRATES WIN - Angel Jacobs of Rison (left) snaps a photo of Harrell Wilson (fourth from the left against the wall) with his wife, children and grandchildren after he won Tuesday’s State Senate District 1 special primary election. He now faces Eudora Mayor Tomeka Butler, the uncontested Democratic nominee, in a special election on Nov. 3.

    RISON - Harrell Wilson of the Staves community scored a convincing victory in Tuesday’s special primary election over Laura “Missy” Wardlaw of Hermitage to earn the Republican nomination to replace Ben Gilmore of Crossett for the State Senate District 1 seat.

    Wilson defeated Wardlaw, the wife of term-limited state representative Jeff Wardlaw, by a 3,111 (64.95 percent) to 1,679 (35.05 percent) margin, according to the election returns posted by the Arkansas Secretary of State’s office. 

    He will now face Eudora Mayor Tomeka, the Democratic nominee for State Senate District 1, in the Nov. 3 special general election.

    Gilmore, who was among those at Wilson’s watch party at the Cleveland County Fairgrounds in Rison Tuesday night, stepped down in June to accept a job as a senior adviser for State Attorney General Tim Griffin. The winner of November’s general election will complete the remainder of Gilmore’s term, which ends in January 2029.

    District 1 encompasses a large portion of Southeast Arkansas, making it one of the largest geographic legislative districts in the state. It includes all of Cleveland, Ashley, Bradley and Chicot counties was well as parts of Drew, Grant, Jefferson and Lincoln counties. 

    Wilson captured the vote in all but Wardlaw’s home county of Bradley County, which she won by 14 votes. He took Cleveland County by a 794 (76.35 percent) to 246 (23.65 percent) margin.

    Voter turnout among the eligible voters in State Senate District 1 was 10.39 percent. In Cleveland County, 22.89 percent of the eligible voters turned out.

    “It’s hard running a campaign, especially with a district this big,” Wilson said Tuesday night as he celebrated his victory. “You’ve got to get out and hit it.”  He estimated he put about 6,000 miles on his vehicle throughout the 50-day campaign leading up to Tuesday’s election.

    While Wilson has served on the Cleveland County School Board since 2012, he said this was the first time he had ever run in a contested race. 

    He cr…