April 9th, 2026 Len’s Political Note #803 Kelly Grappe Arkansas Secretary of State
2026 Primary and General Election
Kelly Grappe
No matter how blue the wave, Arkansas may be immune. We’ll see.
When one party rule is eroded, that erosion sometimes appears at the top. A governor of the non-governing party is elected. Massachusetts elects a Republican governor. Or Tennessee elects a Democratic governor. Even if some balance appears, the fundamentals did not change in either state.
Try making some change down ballot. Arkansas has an open Secretary of State office. Ensuring fair elections is the Secretary of State’s job. From the perspective of Democrats, there is no office more important for expanding the electorate, for creating opportunities for more people to have their say.
Republicans are the governing party in Arkansas. They had three choices, three Republicans running for Secretary of State. A county judge (county executive) and former elected tax collector was one. Campaigning, she exclaimed: “More than ever, Arkansas needs a committed conservative who will fight to keep our elections free from fraud. As Secretary of State, I will ensure that all elections are won by votes of legally registered Arkansas voters. Those who try to cheat at the Arkansas ballot box will be caught and punished for their actions.”
Cathy Hardin Harrison got 31.2% of the primary vote. She came in third out of the three candidate bunch. The other two moved on to the run-off – one having received 33.5% of the primary vote and the other 34.3%.
MAGA Activist Bryan Norris had led the primary with 34.3% of the vote but he lost the run-off 49.4 to 50.6. He lost despite billing himself as Christian, Conservative, and a Veteran. He lost despite his claim that he was about “Service Before Self,” “Truth Above All,” and “Arkansas First.” He lost despite his insistence that he was a Trump ally and had a Plan to Take Back Arkansas.”
It is not entirely clear who Bryan Norris was planning to take Arkansas back from. Bureaucrats, maybe. He filed a federal lawsuit to prevent implementation of the Arkansas statute, authored by his State Senator opponent Kim Hammer that prevented “all non-voters from remaining within 100 feet of a polling place during voting hours.” Norris claimed the statute prevented post-voting polling.
Having eliminated the least extreme candidate in the first round, Arkansas Republicans eliminated the less extreme candidate in the second round. They nominated State Senator Kim Hammer. Hammer is a Missionary Baptist preacher and radio talk show host. In 2020, with other legislators, he sued then governor Asa Hutchinson to eliminate the anti-Covid restrictions he had placed on the state. In 2021, he adopted Trump’s claim that the Presidential election was stolen by the Democrats. Hammer portrayed Democrats as enemies against whom war should be waged. That claim was too much for many Arkansans and Hammer dropped the advertisement. He focused on a proposal to end to early voting. His bill passed the Senate, but failed in the Arkansas House of Representatives.
A sponsor of a proposal to create a monument to the unborn, on issues particular to the office of the Secretary of State, Kim Hammer appears obsessed with the possibility that outsider “liberal billionaires” will manipulate Arkansas into passing constitutional amendments. He fears Arkansas might expand abortion rights, legalize recreational marijuana, abolish school choice, and/or impose “anti-competition mandates” on local businesses. To minimize the dangers he sees from constitutional amendments, he has sought strict limitations on petition canvassers including a requirement that the petitioner warn possible signators that petition fraud is a criminal offense and another requirement that each signator show the petitioner a photo ID that includes his or her signature.
Could Democrat Kelly Grappe defeat this extremist candidate for Secretary of State, a candidate who is the nominee by virtue of a 2.4 point victory over the third place finisher and a 1.2 point victory in the primary run-off?
Kelly Grappe is a marketing professional. She is Head of Learning and Development for Rock Dental Brands – serving over 100 dental clinics in a five state area. Before that, she worked for Verizon Wireless for ten years, completing her time there as Director of Customer Service in the State. And before that, she completed 15 years working for Alltel Wireless as their Customer Service Director.
For fun and profit, while working for Rock Dental Brands, she started her own business – Forevermost Farms. She raised livestock for organic meat production, selling her product mostly on line to local markets and restaurants.
For her civic obligation, she founded Stand Up Arkansas, a grass roots organization dedicated to increasing civic engagement and voter turnout. Now she has engaged herself in a true civics exercise – running for Secretary of State. She leads with a slogan she chose: “People over politics. Always”. She explains “Leadership in [the role of Secretary of State] isn’t about headlines or ideology – it’s about steady, transparent, administration and respect for the law.” Kelly Grappe is a contrast to politician Kim Hammer. Kim Hammer’s idea of civic engagement is to prevent the Arkansas constitution from being amended.
Kelly Grappe came to Arkansas with her family when they moved from Tennessee. She graduated from high school in Arkansas and got her Bachelor’s Degree from Lyons College in Batesville, Arkansas. She has spent her working life in Arkansas and made her home there. She married in Arkansas, raised and adopted a foster child in Arkansas, and has given birth and, with her husband, is raising that child in Arkansas. None of that makes her a genuine local. On the other hand, coming from Tennesseeis not like coming from New York City, say. Help her become Arkansas’ Secretary of State. DONATE.
Other Arkansas races to consider
US Senator. Farmer Hallie Shoffner is targeting sharp elbowed incumbent Tom Cotton DONATE. See Len’s Political Note #786
Arkansas 02 Civic Leader Chris Jones, with his PhD from MIT is targeting six-term incumbent French Hill. DONATE.
Arkansas 03 Pastor and Former Republican Robb Ryerse is targeting eight-term incumbent Steve Womack. DONATE
Secretary of State Races in Other Southeastern States
Alabama
Former Assistant US Attorney Wayne Rogers is seeking this seat which is open because the incumbent is running for Lt. Governor. Either Republican – attorney Caroleene Dobson or activist Christian Horn proposes voter restrictions and other anti-democratic actions. DONATE to Wayne Rogers, he may be helped by a strong Democratic candidate for governor. See Len’s Political Note #779 on the governor race.
Georgia
Everything is in play in Georgia where the field is led by a Democratic US Senator and a strong Democratic candidate for Governor. Four Democrats are running for Secretary of State; five Republicans are running for that office. The primary is May 19. See Len’s Political Note #713 on the Senate race, Len’s Political Note #777 on the Governor race, and Len’s Political Note #794 supporting the two Democratic candidates for the May 19 Georgia Supreme Court election.
South Carolina
No Democratic candidate has surfaced to run against incumbent Republican Secretary of State Mark Hammond who, like most Republicans, seeks to find ways to restrict voting. Too bad. This is a year when a statewide Democratic candidate for the US Senate, Annie Andrews, could make some noise and even bring a down-ballot candidate along. See Len’s Political Note #800
