Sponsor of Arkansas’ voter ID law running for secretary of state

Rep. Mark Lowery, R-Maumelle, is shown in this file photo.
Rep. Mark Lowery, R-Maumelle, is shown in this file photo.

LITTLE ROCK — The sponsor of Arkansas’ voter ID law said Wednesday that he would challenge the incumbent secretary of state in next year’s Republican primary.

State Rep. Mark Lowery, R-Maumelle, announced he would oppose Secretary of State John Thurston for the Republican nomination. Thurston, the former commissioner of state lands, was first elected to the post in 2018 and is seeking a new term.

Lowery sponsored a 2017 law that reinstated the state’s requirement that voters show photo identification before being allowed to cast a ballot. A previous voter ID law had been struck down by the state Supreme Court, but justices in 2018 upheld Lowery’s revision.

Lowery also sponsored a measure enacted this year that made the requirements for voting more strict. The earlier voter ID law allowed people without identification to cast a ballot if they signed an affidavit affirming their identity. Lowery’s measure removed that option.

Lowery has served in the state House since 2013.

Upcoming Events