Fredrick Love, 2026 Arkansas Governor Democratic candidate
Fredrick Love
DEMOCRATIC
Arkansas State Senate (D)
2023 – Present
Arkansas state flag

Arkansas 2026 GOVERNOR FORECAST

Sarah Huckabee Sanders, 2026 Arkansas Governor Republican candidate
Sarah Huckabee Sanders*
REPUBLICAN
Governor (R-AR)
2023 – Present

2026 Arkansas Governor Forecast:

The Pollsmax 2026 Arkansas Governor forecast currently gives Republican Sarah Huckabee Sanders a 97.9% chance of defeating Democrat Fredrick Love. Pollsmax projects Sanders to receive 60.8% of the vote compared with 39.3% for Love, a projected Republican margin of 21.5 percentage points. The model currently rates the race as Solid Republican. The forecast is updated using 100,000 simulations incorporating polling and race fundamentals. See the Pollsmax forecast methodology.

The 2026 Arkansas governor election features Democrat Fredrick Love and Republican Sarah Huckabee Sanders. Incumbent governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders is seeking reelection to a second term, having served in the governor's mansion since 2023. In 2024, Donald Trump won Arkansas by 30.6%, and Republicans are expected to easily retain the state's governorship in 2026. Arkansas voters will decide whether to extend the incumbent party's control of the governor's mansion or move the state in a new direction.

Year
2026
Race
Governor
State
Arkansas
Democratic candidate
Fredrick Love
Republican candidate
Sarah Huckabee Sanders
Incumbent / open seat
Sarah Huckabee Sanders
Forecast rating
Solid R
Projected vote
39.3% D / 60.8% R
Projected margin
R +21.5
Forecast odds
2.1% D / 97.9% R
Forecast last updated
12:00 AM on September 30, 2026
Polling average
42.0% D / 43.0% R
Polling average margin
R +1.0
Polling last updated
12:00 AM on August 18, 2026
Polls included
1
Latest poll
J.L. Partners (R) — August 18, 2026