AR · Senate 2026 · Updated Aug 27, 2026, 2:03 a.m. ET
Arkansas
Rated Solid R
Tom Cotton wins this seat in 99 in 100 simulations. Call it all but certain.
Tom CottonRIncumbent99 in 100- Hallie ShoffnerD1 in 100
Over time
How the forecast has moved
The margin
How close it lands
Each simulation produces a final margin. The curve shows where those margins fall; the tinted areas on either side of even are the futures each party wins.
Under the hood
What's driving the number
The forecast blends a weighted poll average with a fundamentals model: the state's partisan lean, incumbency, the national environment, and fundraising. Positive points favor the Democratic side of the margin; negative favor the Republican side.
- Partisan leanR +29.9
- IncumbencyR +2.5
- National environmentD +5.1
- FundraisingR +1.2
- Fundamentals sayR +28.5
- The polls sayR +9.1
- Blended forecast marginR +21.8
The blend puts 34 percent of its weight on the polls and 66 percent on the fundamentals; polls take over as more arrive and election day nears.
The markets
What the betting markets say
Prediction markets put a price on this seat too: what people are paying for a contract that pays out if Tom Cotton wins, read as an implied probability. Shown for comparison only. This is not betting advice, and market prices never feed the model.
- Tom Cotton winsThis forecast99 in 100
- Tom Cotton winsKalshi93 in 100
- Tom Cotton winsPolymarket94 in 100
Market prices as of Aug 27, 2026, 2:03 a.m. ET
The evidence
The polls, as the model sees them
Every public poll of this race, with the weight the model gave it in the latest run. Weights reward recency, sample size, and pollster track record; the house adjustment corrects each pollster's habitual lean before averaging.
| Poll | Dates | Sample | D–R | Margin | House adj. | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| J.L. Partners | Aug 14–18 | 803 LV | 35–51 | R +16.0 | −1.0 | 60% |
| Hendrix College | Aug 11–12 | 1,217 LV | 47–44 | D +3.0 | — | 32% |
| 2040 Strategy Group (D) | Jul 17–25 | 586 LV | 43–46 | R +3.0 | +0.1 | 8% |
| GrayHouse (R) | Feb 7–9 | 550 LV | 36–58 | R +22.0 | — | <1% |
How the weights, the blend, and the simulation work is spelled out on the methodology page.