Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin Hires State Sen. Ben Gilmore; GOP Senate Majority Reaches 28-7
June 26, 2026 | Rose Bud, White County, Arkansas
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Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin announced the hiring of State Sen. Ben Gilmore to serve as a senior adviser, the reporter stated. The appointment is set to take effect July 1.
The hire returns Gilmore to Griffin’s staff after an earlier stint working in communications and policy during Griffin’s time as lieutenant governor. Griffin praised Gilmore’s work across two terms representing parts of South Arkansas, including areas of Jefferson County; the transcript identifies Gilmore as the lead sponsor of a law described there as the "Arkansas P Protect Act." The transcript wording of that law’s name may reflect a transcription error; the act is reported here as named in the Media transcript.
With Gilmore’s forthcoming departure from the Senate, Republicans will hold a 28–7 majority, the transcript reports. Asked about the timing of any special election to fill the seat, a governor’s office spokesperson said the office had no announcement and did not say when it would declare the seat vacant.
The announcement does not include details on who will run for the seat or the timeline for a vacancy declaration. The immediate next procedural milestone is the governor’s determination of whether and when to call a special election to fill the Senate seat vacated by Gilmore’s move to the attorney general’s office.
No direct quotes were recorded in the transcript of the announcement; all reporting in this article is drawn from the provided Media transcript.
The hire returns Gilmore to Griffin’s staff after an earlier stint working in communications and policy during Griffin’s time as lieutenant governor. Griffin praised Gilmore’s work across two terms representing parts of South Arkansas, including areas of Jefferson County; the transcript identifies Gilmore as the lead sponsor of a law described there as the "Arkansas P Protect Act." The transcript wording of that law’s name may reflect a transcription error; the act is reported here as named in the Media transcript.
With Gilmore’s forthcoming departure from the Senate, Republicans will hold a 28–7 majority, the transcript reports. Asked about the timing of any special election to fill the seat, a governor’s office spokesperson said the office had no announcement and did not say when it would declare the seat vacant.
The announcement does not include details on who will run for the seat or the timeline for a vacancy declaration. The immediate next procedural milestone is the governor’s determination of whether and when to call a special election to fill the Senate seat vacated by Gilmore’s move to the attorney general’s office.
No direct quotes were recorded in the transcript of the announcement; all reporting in this article is drawn from the provided Media transcript.
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