by Andrew DeMillo, Arkansas Advocate
April 2, 2026
Bryan Norris announced Thursday he’s requested recounts in multiple Arkansas counties after losing the Republican runoff for secretary of state to Kim Hammer by fewer than 1,000 votes.
Norris was defeated by Hammer, a state senator, in Tuesday’s runoff election with Hammer receiving about 50.6% of the vote.
Norris, an Army veteran, did not say in which counties he’s requested a recount and did not immediately return a call Thursday morning. Hammer said he’s been notified by election officials in Saline and Baxter counties.
“This is not about being a sore loser,” Norris said in a news release. “This is about the voters of Arkansas who deserve to know with absolute certainty that every ballot was counted correctly.”
Hammer won Saline County, his home county, by 2,051 votes while Norris won Baxter by 42 votes.
“It’s allowed in the process, so we recognize it and honor it,” Hammer said. “At the end of the day I think I’ll still have a win in my column and we’ll just let the process play out and go through it.”
Saline County will hold its recount at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, according to the county clerk’s office. Baxter County’s will be held Friday at 1 p.m., County and Circuit Clerk Canda Reese said.
Under Arkansas law, the cost of the recount must be paid by the candidate requesting it and the candidate is refunded if the outcome of the election is altered. The amount charged cannot exceed either 25 cents per vote cast in the precincts where the recount is requested or $2,500 for the entire county, whichever is less.
Norris, an advocate of paper ballots, ran on a vow to audit voting systems after each election. Hammer, who has served in the Legislature since 2011, sponsored several restrictions on voting and the initiative process.
The Republican nominee will face Democrat Kelly Grappe and Libertarian Michael Pakko in the November election.
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Arkansas Advocate is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Arkansas Advocate maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Andrew DeMillo for questions: info@arkansasadvocate.com.
