Arkansas Senate Republicans on Thursday selected Sen. Jimmy Hickey, R-Texarkana, to be their nominee for Senate president pro tempore from 2021-2023.
The Senate on Friday morning is scheduled to select the successor to Senate President Pro Tempore Jim Hendren, R-Sulphur Springs, during its organizational session in advance of the regular session starting Jan. 11.
In a secret ballot in April, the 35-member Arkansas Senate selected Hickey as the Senate president pro tempore designate. The 26-member Senate Republican caucus had previously chosen Sen. Bart Hester, R-Cave Springs, as their nominee for the post.
Senate Republican leader Scott Flippo, R-Mountain Home, said the Senate Republican caucus voted Thursday afternoon for Hickey to be their nominee for Senate president pro tempore over state Sen. Blake Johnson, R-Corning.
“The vote was not disclosed,” Flippo said.
Hickey referred questions about the caucus’ decision to Flippo.
Johnson said, “We just got done with the caucus meeting. I’m not going to to speak on that.”
Hester said he didn’t run to be the Senate Republicans’ nominee for president pro tempore because “I can count” votes.
“The thought was, maybe a third candidate would shake things up, and that didn’t turn out to be,” he said.
The Arkansas Senate will be comprised of 28 Republicans and seven Democrats starting in the 2021 regular session. Crossett Republican Ben Gilmore ousted Democratic Sen. Eddie Cheatham of Crossett, and McNeil Republican Charles Beckham upended Democratic Sen. Bruce Maloch of Magnolia.