Who is Fred Love and what is Love running on in the 2026 Arkansas Governor race?

Fred Love is the Democratic candidate for Arkansas governor. Arkansas state senator (District 15), Little Rock; won the March 2026 Democratic primary with 81%. Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026.

The race

• The seat: Incumbent Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R) seeking a second term.
• Rating: Solid R (Cook, Inside Elections).
• Polling: Sanders 45, Love 40, Shelby (L) 7, undecided 8 (Talk Business & Politics-Hendrix College, Aug 11 to 12, 2026).

Why Love is behind

• Incumbent in a deep-red state with Trump’s endorsement; won 2022 with 63%.
• Overwhelming money edge: $7.8M raised vs Love’s ~$209K; $4.7M cash on hand vs $2,493 (July 31, 2026).
• Only poll is closer than expected (45 to 40), with Libertarian Shelby at 7%.
• Love attacks Sanders’s LEARNS Act voucher program and proposed Franklin County prison.

What Love is running on

• Education. Would issue an executive order to stop administering EFA vouchers and redirect money to public schools.
• Healthcare. Supports Medicaid expansion to prevent hospital closures and one-year postpartum coverage.
• Crime / prisons. Opposes new prison construction; prioritizes youth jobs and literacy.
• Economy. Workforce preparation, labor unions and apprenticeships.
• Marijuana. Opposes recreational legalization but would defer to voters.

The other candidates

• Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R)
• Colt Shelby (L)

Every race

See every Senate and governor race on the ballot, with each candidate’s chance of winning: the 2026 midterms at a glance.