Wikipedia

Hallie Shoffner

Hallie Shoffner (born 1987 or 1988) is an American farmer and businesswoman who is the Democratic Party candidate in the 2026 United States Senate election in Arkansas. Raised in Shoffner, Jackson County, Arkansas, Shoffner is a sixth-generation farmer who, in 2025, closed her farm due to economic hardship.

Hallie Shoffner
Born1987 or 1988 (age 37–38)
Education
Occupations
  • Farmer
  • businesswoman
Political party
Democratic
Spouse
Michael Sullivan
​
(m. 2015)​
Children1
WebsiteCampaign website

After closing her farm, Shoffner decided to challenge incumbent Senator Tom Cotton (R). Her economically-populist campaign has centered on the working class, especially the economy, affordability, healthcare, food security and renewing infrastructure.

Early life and career

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Hallie Shoffner was born in 1987 or 1988 to John and Wendy Shoffner, shortly after moving back from Texas, and grew up on a family farm in Shoffner, a community near Newport, Arkansas, named for her family.[1][2] After graduating from Newport High School, she earned a bachelor's degree in Spanish[3] at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, on a full ride Robert Harvest Scholarship[4][5] before attending the Clinton School of Public Service in Little Rock where, in 2011, she received her Master's of Public Service.[6][7] She later studied at the Universidad Complutense in Madrid.[4] During her time at the Clinton School, she "developed a fundraising strategy and donor database" for the Centro de Promoción y Defensa de Derechos Sexuales y Reproductivos (PROMSEX), a nonprofit organization that combats gender inequality in Peru.[8] She previously worked in India with Apne Aap Women Worldwide and in Seattle with Environment Washington.[7]

In 2016, Shoffner returned to her family's farm and took it over, founding a farm research company called Delta Harvest. She additionally oversees SFR Seed, which her mother founded in 1988.[9] In 2022, she was honored by Garden & Gun as a champion of conservation, employing sustainable agricultural techniques.[10] As the CEO of Delta Harvest, she received the 2024 Top Producer of the Year Next Gen Award from AgWeb[9] and was featured in World Wildlife magazine's spring 2026 issue;[11] Yale Climate Connections covered Shoffner's sustainable techniques in 2024.[12] She is a board member of the Arkansas Foodbank[13] and served as executive director of the Seis Puentes Education & Research Center in North Little Rock from 2011 to 2012.[7][14] In 2013, she was hired as an associate account executive at Advantage Communications, Inc.[3] In January 2024, she was announced as one of 60 Presidential Leadership Scholars.[15][16] Circa 2024, she launched Foodwise, which works with brands to pilot partnerships with women and minority farmers.[9][17] In 2025, due to financial loss, Shoffner decided to close the farm, and entered the race for Arkansas's class 2 U.S. Senate seat.[18]

Politics

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2026 U.S. Senate Democratic primary results by county
  Shoffner
  •   50–60%
  •   60–70%
  •   70–80%
  •   80–90%
  •   90–100%
  Dunbar
  •   50–60%
  •   60–70%
  •   80–90%

Shoffner was the deputy manager of Tracy Steele's 2012 campaign for mayor of North Little Rock.[3]

After closing her family farm due to financial losses, Shoffner decided to challenge incumbent Senator Tom Cotton, whom she criticizes for voting against the 2013 and 2018 Farm Bills.[19] An economic populist, her campaign has focused on the economic situation of the working class,[20] stating, "We live in an economy that helps corporations and politicians, and that does not work for real Arkansans."[21]

In an Arkansas Times op-ed, political writer Morris Duverger said "Shoffner has the best shot of winning a statewide race in Arkansas of any Democrat since Mike Beebe" due to her "anti-system attitude."[22] In August 2025, she published an opinion article in The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette arguing that "tariffs are good . . . but not when used like a sledgehammer against hardworking Arkansas farmers."[23] In January 2026, she attended the 82nd annual Gillett Coon Supper.[24] She defeated Lewisville mayor Ethan Dunbar in the primary in March, with just over 78% of the statewide vote.[25] She spoke in support of trade unions at the 2026 May Day protest in Little Rock.[26] At a June 2026 town hall in Conway, she spoke against super PACs and tax breaks for "the rich",[27] and at another in Hot Springs advocated for reducing healthcare costs and food insecurity.[28] In June, she stated that would support a ban on stock trading for elected officials and that she is not accepting money from corporations.[29]

Personal life

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Shoffner met Michael Sullivan, University of Arkansas at Little Rock-educated co-founder of Sullivan Wright Technologies and former vet tech,[30][31] in 2010. They were married in 2015[32] and have a son, Max Sullivan, born in 2018.[33][34][35] As of 2025, she resides in Little Rock,[34] where she first moved to by 2013.[36] She has a dog, Poppy; in October 2025, she shared on social media that her 15-year-old dog Jack had passed.[37] Shoffner is a Star Trek fan[38] and runs a Substack blog.[39][40] She is fluent in Spanish.[3]

Electoral history

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Democratic primary for the 2026 United States Senate election in Arkansas
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Hallie Shoffner 102,289 78.27
Democratic Ethan Dunbar 28,394 21.73
Total votes 130,683 100.00

References

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  1. ↑ Wallace, Michelle (May 22, 2005). "Differences in farming change life in Jackson County's Shoffner community". The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Retrieved June 28, 2026 – via PressReader.com.
  2. ↑ Jared, George (December 13, 2022). "Hallie Shoffner returns to her roots; pushes for environmentally friendly farm practices". Talk Business & Politics. Retrieved June 26, 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Advantage Communications, Inc.: Hallie Shoffner Hired as Associate Account Executive". Advantage Communications, Inc. August 8, 2013. Retrieved June 29, 2026.
  4. 1 2 "Six Generations Lost: Local Farmer Speaks on Struggles Facing Rural Arkansas". arstrong.org. April 14, 2025. Retrieved June 26, 2026.
  5. ↑ Lee, Yuna (March 2, 2026). "2026 Arkansas US Senate Democratic primary candidates". KHBS. Retrieved June 26, 2026.
  6. ↑ "Hallie Shoffner". Ballotpedia. Retrieved June 26, 2026.
  7. 1 2 3 "Hallie Shoffner". CoAction. Retrieved June 26, 2026.
  8. ↑ Newton, Patrick (September 8, 2010). "Panel on International Project". Clinton School of Public Service. Retrieved June 26, 2026.
  9. 1 2 3 Kramer, Cheyenne (June 5, 2024). "Next Gen Farmer In Arkansas Recasts The Future". AgWeb. Archived from the original on June 5, 2024. Retrieved June 26, 2026.
  10. ↑ Hickey, Jordan P. (September 19, 2022). "Seed of Change". Garden & Gun. Retrieved June 27, 2026.
  11. ↑ "Food's next frontier in the Delta". World Wildlife Fund. February 12, 2026. Retrieved June 26, 2026.
  12. ↑ Kennedy, Sarah (November 11, 2024). "Meet the Arkansas farmer trying to adapt to the changing climate". Yale Climate Connections. Retrieved June 29, 2026.
  13. ↑ "Hallie Shoffner". Arkansas Foodbank. Retrieved June 26, 2026.
  14. ↑ "Hallie Shoffner". Arkansas Business — Business News, Real Estate, Law, Construction. Retrieved June 26, 2026.
  15. ↑ "2024 Class of Presidential Leadership Scholars Announced | Presidential Leadership Scholars". Presidential Leadership Scholars. January 25, 2024. Retrieved June 29, 2026.
  16. ↑ Newton, Patrick (February 12, 2024). "Shoffner Selected to Presidential Leadership Scholars". Clinton School of Public Service. Retrieved June 29, 2026.
  17. ↑ Jared, George (May 8, 2024). "Foodwise to develop and source specialty rice varieties". Talk Business & Politics. Retrieved June 29, 2026.
  18. ↑ "Newport farmer Hallie Shoffner to challenge U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton in 2026 race". Stuttgart Daily Leader. July 15, 2025. Retrieved June 26, 2026.
  19. ↑ Mitchell, George "Clay". "Sixth-generation farmer enters Senate race, blasts Cotton on farm bill". Southwest Times Record. Retrieved June 26, 2026.
  20. ↑ Platt, Ainsley; Vrbin, Tess (November 5, 2025). "2026 Elections: Candidates for Arkansas' federal and state seats begin filing to run". Mountain Home Observer. Retrieved June 26, 2026.
  21. ↑ Brawner, Steve (July 15, 2025). "Loss of family farm leads Shoffner to challenge Sen. Cotton". Arkadelphian. Retrieved June 26, 2026.
  22. ↑ Duverger, Morris (November 26, 2025). "Hallie Shoffner's going to make Tom Cotton sweat". Arkansas Times. Retrieved June 26, 2026.
  23. ↑ Shoffner, Hallie (August 22, 2025). "Tariffs can work when used as a scalpel, not a sledgehammer". The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Retrieved June 26, 2026.
  24. ↑ "82nd annual Gillett Coon Supper draws Cotton, Shoffner, other notables". The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. January 10, 2026. Retrieved June 26, 2026.
  25. ↑ "Arkansas U.S. Senate Primary Election Live Results 2026". AP News. March 3, 2026. Retrieved June 26, 2026.
  26. ↑ Ansell, Nathan (May 2, 2026). "Democratic Senate candidate Shoffner attends May Day rally in Little Rock, pledges support for unions". The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Retrieved June 26, 2026.
  27. ↑ Price, Dylan (June 9, 2026). "U.S. Senate candidate Hallie Shoffner holds Conway town hall". Yahoo News. Retrieved June 26, 2026.
  28. ↑ Leigh, James (June 25, 2026). "WATCH | Hallie Shoffner talks lowering healthcare costs, feeding Arkansans during Hot Springs stop". Hot Springs Sentinel Record. Retrieved June 26, 2026.
  29. ↑ Jared, George (June 28, 2026). "Hallie Shoffner is racing against the odds for U.S. Senate". Talk Business & Politics. Retrieved June 28, 2026.
  30. ↑ "About". Sullivan Wright Technologies. Retrieved June 27, 2026.
  31. ↑ "About Sullivan Wright Technologies | Cybersecurity Solutions". Sullivan Wright Technologies. Retrieved June 27, 2026.
  32. ↑ Post by Hallie Shoffner (@farmherhallie). Facebook. 2026-05-25. Retrieved 2026-06-27.
  33. ↑ Phelps, Joel (July 15, 2025). "Loss of family farm leads Shoffner to challenge Sen. Cotton". Retrieved June 26, 2026.
  34. 1 2 "Arkansas' 2026 election cycle will feature several rematches, returning candidates". White River Now. November 13, 2025. Retrieved June 26, 2026.
  35. ↑ Metthe, Thomas (March 3, 2026). "Photo". The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Retrieved June 26, 2026.
  36. ↑ "Shoffner left family farm for life in capital city | Arkansas Democrat Gazette". www.arkansasonline.com. May 26, 2013. Retrieved June 29, 2026.
  37. ↑ Post by Hallie Shoffner (@farmherhallie). Facebook. 2025-10-17. Retrieved 2026-06-26.
  38. ↑ "NEA C-Suite: Hallie Shoffner". Talk Business & Politics. September 24, 2024. Retrieved June 26, 2026.
  39. ↑ Shoffner, Hallie. "About - Hallie Shoffner". Substack. Retrieved June 26, 2026.
  40. ↑ Substack. "Hallie Shoffner". Substack. Retrieved June 26, 2026.
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