Despite large spending and unprecedented numbers of open seats and candidates, voters in Northwest Arkansas and the River Valley returned all serving legislators seeking another term or at least didn't fire them yet.
Arkansas Senate Revenue and Taxation Committee Chairman Bill Sample of Hot Springs is the highest-profile state legislator among the five Republican state lawmakers who lost in Tuesday's primary election.
One Republican challenger took down an incumbent state senator, while two other incumbents will face runoffs in an attempt to keep their seats in the state legislature.
Though early voting has been higher than expected in parts of the state, the Arkansas secretary of state's office is sticking with its forecast that about 20% of the state's 1.7 million registered voters will cast a ballot in Tuesday's primary election, with a U.S. Senate seat and the governor's office at the top of the ticket.