Both candidates running for House District 70 said they are facing quite the challenge when it comes to educating voters about the anomaly of their race.

While the contest for the open seat in North Little Rock and Sherwood is a special election — a relatively unusual occurrence in its own right — the date of the election occurs the same day as the state’s primary elections.

The special election was triggered by State Rep. Carlton Wing’s, R-North Little Rock, resignation in September, setting up a complicated election campaign, in which the race to succeed Wing is happening the same day voters will go to the polls for the primary election for the upcoming midterms in November.

It means that on March 3, Democrat Alex Holladay, a healthcare administer from North Little Rock, will be asking voters to cast ballots for him in the special election, which is to choose a representative to serve out the remainder of Wing’s term, and in the and the regularly scheduled party primary elections.

The primary election, will determine the Democratic nominee who will run in the Nov. 3 election, to serve a full two-year term as a member of the Arkansas House of Representative, beginning in January 2027.

“I’m not concerned about the race, running it, doing the work, our plans; I’m a little concerned about the confusion of the voters,” Holladay said.

Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders originally set the date for the special election for June 9, but after a lawsuit, a judge ordered Sanders to move the date up of the special election to March 3, allowing the winner to take office before the start of the legislative fiscal session which begins in April.

The special election on March 3 will be the first match up between Holladay and Republican Bo Renshaw, as the candidates could also face one another in the regularly scheduled general election on Nov. 3.

Holladay said the one of the priorities of his campaign is on educating voters saying his focus is to “number one, get the vote, number two educate the voter you got to do it twice.”

“It’s definitely a hurdle, but we’re prepared for it,” Holladay said.

After winning his special primary election — making him the Democratic nominee for the March 3 special election — Holladay will again face Cordelia Smith-Johnson to determine the party’s candidate for the Nov. 3 election.

Holladay easily bested Smith-Johnson in the Jan. 6 special primary election winning 79.6% of the vote.

If there is one thing the candidates agree on, it’s that turnout will be decisive, as voters tend to be less aware of special elections than the regularly scheduled races that come either during the midterms or a presidential election year.

For his part, Renshaw, a physical therapist from North Little Rock, said he feels confident coming into special election.

Unlike Holladay, Renshaw did not have a primary opponent, but did agree with the Democrat that educating voters is one of the main challenges for his campaign.

“It has been confusing to some of the constituents I’ve been talking to,” Renshaw said. “And so I’m doing a whole lot of work on clarification and that District 70 needs to be represented in the fiscal session.”

Renshaw also has a large fundraising advantage over Holladay, having a campaign balance of $52,429 according to his latest campaign finance disclosure, which was for November.

In comparison, Holladay has a campaign balance of just $7,037, although has $6,434 left over from his 2024 race.

“I feel like the fundraisers that I’ve been able to do and the support I’ve been able to get shows faith that I am a candidate that a lot of people want for this district,” Renshaw said.

Holladay said he’s continuing to campaign on the message that won him the Jan. 6 primary against Smith-Johnson, which include free lunches for all Arkansas public school students and opposition to Sanders’ proposed 3,000 bed prison in Franklin County.

Renshaw said he’s campaigning on lowering the costs of health insurance premiums, public safety and education.

One advantage Holladay may have been his experience running for the seat before, Marcus Jones, chair of the Democratic Party of Arkansas said, as Holladay narrowly lost 286 votes against Wing in 2024, one of the closest state legislative races that year.

Jones also added that Democrats outperform Republicans in special election, pointing to a special election in Mississippi in November where Democrats picked up two seats in the state Senate. He said voters are particularly motivated by national chaos and concerns over affordability.

“Democrats see voters going to the polls and voting on those issues that are right in front of them right now and because of that we do expect it’s going to have a really positive outcome and a strong showing for Alex in House District 70,” Jones said in a phone interview.

In response, Drew Martin, the executive director of the Republican Party of Arkansas, said in an email, “Momentum comes from excitement and participation, two things the Democratic Party doesn’t have.”

“Republicans have the momentum coming off of 2025’s massive legislative wins and are energized to continue building on those successes in 2026,” Martin said.

The GOP has super-majorities in both chambers of the General Assembly, holding 80 out of 100 seats in the House of Representatives and 28 out of 35 seats in the Senate. Like the House, the Senate also has one open seat with a special election to fill the vacancy left by the death of State Sen. Gary Stubblefield, R-Branch, also set for March 3.