Jonesboro, AR – (JonesboroRightNow.com) – Nov. 5, 2024 – Republican incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan has won the State Senate District 20 seat by over 6,000 votes.

Sullivan received 59.45% of the vote, while his opponent, Democrat Erika Askeland, received 38.17%.

His term will begin Jan. 13. This will be Sullivan’s second term in the State Senate. He was first elected in 2020. From 2015 to 2021, Sullivan served as representative for the 53rd district in the Arkansas House of Representatives.

His first priority will be getting on the Education Committee. The Senate will meet tomorrow to determine who goes on what committee.

“I think education is going to be huge, and I just look forward to working with the governor and other senators to move us forward educationally,” Sullivan said.

In addition, he plans work to implement legislation that would regulate field burning. He said resolving the “smoke issue” would be a “high priority.”

Sullivan said Jonesboro is a “generally conservative community,” and that him working on issues important to voters won him the election.

“I work on things that are important to our people,” Sullivan said. “I know because they’re the ones who bring who bring me the legislation and kind of set the agenda for what’s important.”

Despite the loss, Askeland said she was proud of the “clean campaign” she ran and that it didn’t resort to rhetoric that divides the people of District 20.

“Of course, there’s a little bit of disappointment whenever it comes to voter turnout, but I am confident in the people of Jonesboro making the right directions for the next four years to ensure there’s accountability in our representation,” Askeland said. “I strongly believe that with us banding together and deciding that unity is stronger than division, we’re going to see good things for Arkansans in the future.”

She added that this “was not the end of the fight,” and that she planned to run for State Senate again in 2028.

State Senate District 20 includes most of Jonesboro, the western parts of Nettleton, and all of Bono, Pleasant Grove and Herndon Township.