Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jared Henderson released his first campaign ad of the season this morning in advance of the May 22 primary election.

The 30-second spot strikes an upbeat tone and mentions neither incumbent Republican Asa Hutchinson nor Henderson’s primary opponent, Leticia Sanders. Instead, Henderson touts Arkansas’s contributions to the world — Bill Clinton, Maya Angelou, Johnny Cash — and says it’s possible for the state to achieve bigger things.

“As governor, I want the best teachers for every child, make it easier to start a small business and improve rural health care,” he says.


Henderson will face Sanders in a debate this evening hosted by Talk Business and KATV. Though Henderson is considered the favorite in the primary, poll results released Monday by Talk Business / Hendrix College showed him with only a single-digit lead over Sanders among likely Democratic voters in Central Arkansas’s 2nd Congressional District. (The poll didn’t cover the state’s other three congressional districts.) Strikingly, almost 60 percent of those surveyed said they were undecided. Neither candidate has much name recognition, so the release of this new ad may be crucial for Henderson.

With the GOP in firm control of every major political office in the state, it’s extremely likely Hutchinson will win reelection in November. First, though, he faces a primary challenge of his own on May 22 in the form of Jan Morgan, a far-right media personality and gun-rights activist. Polls show Morgan trails Hutchinson by a wide margin.


Early voting for this month’s primary began on Monday and will continue through May 21.

The release from Henderson’s campaign: