Recap of the 2026 RPA State Convention
On Saturday, June 6th, nearly 700 Arkansans met in Little Rock for the Republican Party of Arkansas’ biennial 2026 State Convention (the final authority in all party mattersi).
Five hundred eighty-eight (588) Republicans from only 53 of our 75 counties were seated and allowed to vote on the state’s Republican business (conducted in the last 20 minutes of a near six and one-half hour day).
Looking at the numbers, it appears there were approximately 1,000 Republicans elected as State Convention delegates from across all 75 counties. This means that 200 to 300ii Republicans from 22 counties did not attend due to the RPA state officers and staff having 1) not properly directing them ahead of time as to the correct procedure or 2) when the RPA did advise them, telling them they would not be seated (credentialediii). It is estimated there were another 100 delegates present (from halfway across the state) to plead their case for seating but were turned away without being allowed to address the body.
To repeat, following what amounted to a three-hour “debateiv” on the Convention floor, a final body of 588 delegates from 53 of our 75 counties were seated and allowed to conduct the party’s business.
This is the party in Arkansas that holds every statewide constitutional office, supermajorities (exceeding 80%) in both chambers of the state Legislature, and controls 66 of 75 local county governments. The State Convention is the only statewide Republican body made up of local control—with each county sending elected delegates based on a state law calculated formula.
One would expect the RPA Convention – the party’s final authority – to be a meaningful event where all counties across the state would have a voice in setting the party’s direction for the next two years.
Instead, the 2026 Convention became a carefully managed exercise in exclusion.
Blocking Representation
The most visible problem was credentialing. Despite the intent of a state convention to include all 75 Arkansas counties, only 53 were ultimately seated. Twenty-two counties were kept off the roll through a combination of poor guidance from the state party (12), hyper-technical readings of filing deadlines that had never been enforced before (9), and an allegation changed quickly to a conviction of rule-breaking (1). This means 30% of the Republican County committees across the state were refused representation at their own State Convention.
The most egregious credentialing case was Washington County (WCRC), which had elected 55 delegates (filling their entire allotment under Arkansas law). The RPA refused to seat them on the claim that they had not given 10 days’ notice when adopting a nomination and election procedure for their delegates. In reaching this conclusion, the Convention simply mimicked the claim of the Credentials Committee (and Rules Chairman) while ignoring Robert’s Rulesv and not allowing WCRC to present their defense.
It was reported by multiple observers across the floor that when a standing vote was taken on whether Washington County could even speak in its own defense, the first three rows (stacked with establishment-friendly counties) voted “no,” while the overwhelming majority of the room voted “yes.” The chair ruled in favor of the “no’s,” and would not hold a counted vote on the issue despite motions to do so. (It should also be noted here that, fortunately, other contested counties were allowed to offer their defense to the floor. Lawrence County (8 delegates, also charged with rules violation) was ultimately seated. Crawford County (35 delegates) displaced due to a late filing, was also allowed to address the body but failed to gain a pass vote for seating. The other late counties were added to this failure to seat status.
The Central (and Ongoing) Fight: Controlling the Agenda
The central issue at this convention was a simple rules change (or clarification): requiring the State Secretary to include all timely submitted Platform/Resolution and Rules change proposals in the official Call to Meeting or Convention, instead of omitting items the leadership dislikes.
Prior to 2024, the party operated under the common-sense understanding that sending a timely notice to the appropriate secretary or chairman meant your motion would be available for consideration at the specific meeting/convention. However, starting in 2024, the RPA has been reinterpreting the rules to mean that only those motions which are pre-approved will appear in the meeting notice – effectively giving one person (the Secretary or respective Chairman) veto power over the entire party’s agenda.
This is likely why so many “local activists” delegates came to the 2026 Convention: to fix this rule and restore basic fairness. Many wonder if this is also the real reason two “local activists” delegations with high voting numbers (WCRC–55 and CCRC–35) were refused credentialing.
How Business Was Shut Down
The RPA’s strategy was thorough:
- Only one rules change was “recommended” by the Rules Committee – and the change compelling the Secretary to include notice in the Call was not recommended.
- The proposed Standing Rules contained a rigid agenda with no “New Business” slot, and a provision that “no item of business may extend beyond 20 minutes.”
- The inclusion of the rigid agenda in the Standing Rules was extremely confusing to people – when voting, they didn’t realize they were debating the agenda. Standing Rules were adopted, which caused the agenda to become a moot point.
- This rigid agenda limited the business to the one “recommended” rules change.
In the end, the Convention conducted almost no meaningful business. Delegates arrived for the Convention around 8 o’ clock in the morning, the process of forming the Convention concluded around 2pm, and the Convention had adjourned by 2:20pm.
Twenty minutes of “the business of the party” for the next two years.
This is exactly the result that leadership of the Republican Party of Arkansas wanted. We do not have to read any intentions into the credentialing moves or other events. The proposed rules and agenda for the 2026 Convention, which RPA leadership prepared and distributed, clearly states that this non-convention was exactly the outcome they were looking for.
The Bigger Picture
So, who does the Republican Party of Arkansas really represent?
It clearly does not represent the majority of nearly 1,000 people elected by their counties as delegates this year. It does not represent the “local activist members” whose voices are routinely silenced at State Committee meetings. And it does not appear particularly concerned with the will of the broader Republican voter base that keeps giving it overwhelming majorities.
Perhaps that broader Republican voter base should take note.
Summary of all 2026 Convention Business
- Sharon Wright was elected Temporary Chair of the Convention; Clay Hooten was elected Permanent Convention Chair, and Virginia Laliberte was elected Permanent Convention Secretary.
- The following rules change was adopted:
- “Beginning with the 2028 election cycle, a candidate who possesses those qualifications required by the laws of Arkansas and the United States of America, shall affirm his or her concurrence with the principles and objectives of the Republican Party of Arkansas, be registered as a Republican before remitting filing fees, and pay the prescribed filing fees.”
- The results of the recent Republican Primary election were announced.
- The State Committeemen and State Committeewomen elected by their counties were ratified.
