State Sen. David Wallace of Leachville on Tuesday beat Manila doctor Tommy Wagner Jr. in the Republican primary in Senate District 19.
In the other contested Senate primary on Tuesday, state Sen. Steve Crowell of Magnolia handily defeated Hope businessman Mark Silvey in the Republican primary in Senate District 3.
Wallace will be unopposed in the Nov. 5 general election because no other candidate has filed to run in the Senate District 19. Crowell will face Libertarian candidate David Lutmer of Washington in the general election.
Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders endorsed Wallace and Crowell in their GOP primaries.
With an estimated 65% of the votes counted in Senate District 19, the unofficial returns were:
Wallace 3,995
Wagner 1,217
Wallace said Tuesday night in a written statement that “I want to thank all the folks who voted for me, and I will continue to work hard for all the constituents of District 19.
“I [would] like to also praise Dr. Tommy Wagner on a race well ran,” he said. “I am honored to continue serving as your State Senator.”
Wagner said Tuesday night in a written statement that “I’d like to thank all my supporters and congratulate Senator Wallace on his win.
“I may not have won the race, but I feel like I won the respect of so many,” he said.
Wallace has served in the state Senate since 2017 after ousting Democratic state Sen. David Burnett of Osceola in the 2016 election. He served in the state House of Representatives from 2015-2017, and served two stints on the Leachville City Council.
He represents Senate District 19, which includes all of Mississippi County, most of Poinsett County and part of Craighead County, not including Jonesboro and Nettleton.
Wagner has been owner of Wagner Medical Clinic in Manila, specializing in family practice since 2005. He previously oversaw the launch of two startups, Farm-Source Ag and FarmSource Marketing, and as chief executive officer of Wilson City LLC helped revitalize the Wilson community.
In his bid to oust Wallace, Wagner said he offered voters in their northeast Arkansas district a new generation of leadership, and he vowed that he would bring “my common-sense approach” to issues in the Legislature.
Wallace charged that “At best he is a RINO [Republican in Name Only].”
He added that “in fairness Tommy did vote Republican in the primary race between Wes Wagner and Johnny Rye during the [2016] primary.”
Wagner responded that he is proud Republican who has been appointed by the past two Republican governors.
He is the brother of former state Rep. Wes Wagner of Manila, who was elected to the state House of Representatives as a Democrat in 2012 and lost his bid for re-election to Wallace in 2014. Wes Wagner switched to the Republican Party in 2015 and lost a primary in 2016 to now-state Rep. Johnny Rye, a Republican from Trumann who also switched from the Democratic Party.
Tommy and Wes Wagner’s parents, the late Tommy Wayne Wagner Sr. and Charolette Wagner, each served in the state House of Representatives as Democrats.
Through Feb. 24, Wallace reported raising $241,549.04 in contributions, loaning his campaign $40,000 and spending $215,972.42 for the primary, leaving $94,118.99 in his campaign treasury.
Through Feb. 24, Wagner reported raising $179,004 in contributions, loaning his campaign $70,000 and spending $188,865.17 for the primary, leaving $60,138.83 in his campaign treasury.
SENATE DISTRICT 3
With an estimated 94% of the votes counted, unofficial returns were:
Crowell 7,564
Silvey 2,974
Senate District 3 includes Clark, Columbia, Lafayette and Nevada counties and parts of Hempstead, Hot Spring and Pike counties.
Crowell said Tuesday night in a written statement that “I appreciate Republican Primary voters for placing their trust in me again this cycle.
“It’s an honor to serve in the state Senate, and I look forward to continuing to work for our district and keeping the focus on real issues that impact working Arkansans,” he said.
Silvey said in a written statement that “I concede to his victory.”
Crowell has served in the state Senate since 2023. In the 2022 primary election, he ousted Republican state Sen. Charles Beckham of McNeil.
He is president and owner of SL Crowell Properties, which manages residential and commercial property and forestland. He previously served eight years on the Magnolia City Council.
Silvey is pastor at Mount Olive Baptist Church in Rosston and owns a lawn care business called Silvey Lawncare. He also has a carpentry and remodeling business and a small farm operation.
In his bid to defeat Crowell, Silvey said he would give Senate District 3 a consistent conservative who “will represent the people rather than big money corporations, PACS and lobbyists.”
But Crowell countered that “I have shown that I am a senator who will listen to what is going on in our communities and who has worked to solve the real issues in front of us.”
Through Feb. 24, Crowell reported raising $115,362.20 in campaign contributions and spending $51,814.51, leaving $89,036.54 in his primary campaign treasury. Silvey reported raising $19,192 in campaign contributions and spending $17,058.79 through Feb. 24, leaving $2,133.21 in his primary campaign treasury