by Antoinette Grajeda, Arkansas Advocate
June 3, 2026
Retired Russellville dispatcher and volunteer firefighter Bill Teeter won the Republican nomination Tuesday for an Arkansas River Valley area state House seat that had been held by the late Rep. Stan Berry.
Because no candidates from other parties filed to run for the House District 44 seat, Teeter will be unopposed in November’s general election to serve a two-year term representing the district, which includes portions of Pope and Van Buren counties.
“I’m overwhelmed and humbled all at the same exact time,” Teeter said Wednesday.
Teeter also earned enough votes to advance to a June 30 runoff with Nikki Phillips in a separate special election to serve the remainder of Berry’s term, which ends in January. But Phillips told the Advocate Wednesday she plans to bow out of the runoff so Teeter can start learning about his new position.
Berry, who held the seat since 2019, died in March. Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders called both special elections to address Berry’s vacant seat, which left Republicans with a 79-20 majority in the state House.
Teeter and Phillips received 31% and 26% of the votes, respectively, in the four-way race to serve the remainder of Berry’s term, according to unofficial results from the Secretary of State’s office. Both Republicans are first-time candidates.
Candidates for late Arkansas lawmaker’s seat tout tax cut support
Teeter previously told the Advocate he wanted to responsibly lower the state’s income tax and support senior citizens who live on a fixed income if he was elected.
“Congratulations to Bill, I know he’ll do great,” Phillips, a hair stylist who owns a salon and spa in Russellville, said.
Although Phillips was disappointed by the loss, the 35-year-old mother said she still has plenty of time to seek office again, and will enjoy time with family right now.
“It was a good experience,” Phillips said. “I learned a lot. We worked really, really hard. I have no regrets.”
Teeter retired last summer after stints as a volunteer firefighter, 911 dispatcher and emergency management administrator. Following Tuesday’s election, the 55-year-old said his son teased him about that retirement being short-lived.
The transition to legislative work was already underway Wednesday as Teeter received calls offering congratulations and information about meetings from state lawmakers, including House Speaker Brian Evans.
Teeter said he’s ready to hit the ground running, and remains interested in tax cuts, an issue that’s top of mind for all lawmakers right now because “everybody needs some relief.”
“Education’s always a big one, conservation’s also another big one in my mind,” he said. “We got to keep our Natural State natural.”
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.
