Skip to main content
The Full Record
Menu

Governor of Arkansas

Colt Shelby

CandidateLibertarian

Race
Governor of Arkansas
Election
2026-11-03
Opponents
Sarah Huckabee Sanders (Republican); Fredrick Love (Democratic)
Research
Basic

Party linenone

No recorded floor votes — not a current legislator in our records.

Said vs. did1 statement · 0 votes

Colt opposes school voucher schemes that redirect public education dollars to private and often unaccountable alternatives.

Public funding for school choice (vouchers / charters)

Compare statements with votes ›

On the ballotGovernor

2026-11-03

Sarah Huckabee Sanders Republicanincumbent
Fredrick Love Democraticchallenger
Colt Shelby Libertarianchallenger

Nominated at the Libertarian Party of Arkansas convention in February 2026.

Said vs. did

Each documented position next to the recorded floor votes we map to the same issue. Votes are compared one at a time; no overall stance is inferred from them.

Public funding for school choice (vouchers / charters)Opposes
Colt opposes school voucher schemes that redirect public education dollars to private and often unaccountable alternatives.

His campaign platform says he opposes school voucher programs that redirect public education dollars; in a June debate he said the voucher program should be scaled back slowly rather than ended outright.[5][6][7]

No recorded floor vote in our key-vote set maps to this issue.

Biography

Colt Shelby is the Libertarian nominee for governor of Arkansas and a resident of Cecil in Franklin County. He sued the state to move up the special election for the late Sen. Gary Stubblefield's seat, in the district where Gov. Sanders proposed a 3,000-bed prison. He calls the LEARNS Act a failure and wants to scale back the voucher program.[1][2][3][4]

Basic profile — the most important sourced facts we found.

Shelby grew up in Cecil, where he lives today, according to his campaign website. Soon after high school he went to work on drilling rigs for Thornton Drilling out of Van Buren, stayed nearly 16 years, and then moved to a large Houston-based oil company.[8]

He married Elizabeth Burt in 2006; they have three children, and the family has owned a farm since 2016, according to his campaign.[8] Shelby says his interest in public service began in 2024, when Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced plans for a 3,000-bed prison near his home.[8]

He advanced from the Libertarian Party convention on February 22, 2026, and after the death of Sen. Gary Stubblefield he sued the state to move up the date of the Senate District 26 special election.[2][4]

Campaign website ↗

In their own words

Priorities

  • Scaling back the voucher program slowly, with an income base, and holding schools accountable.[7][6]
  • Opposing the planned Franklin County prison in favor of expanding existing facilities and county-jail rehabilitation programs.[6]
  • Opening up the state's public records law.[6]

Campaign moneyNo FEC filing summary matched — state candidates file with their state, not the FEC.

Profile: /people/colt-shelby

Compare all 3 candidates side by side ›

Sources cited in this profile

  1. 1.2026 Arkansas gubernatorial election · Wikipedia · 2026-10-21 Reference
  2. 2.Colt Shelby · Ballotpedia · 2026-10-21 Reference
  3. 3.Challengers call Arkansas governor's policy priorities misplaced in debate · Arkansas Advocate · 2026-10-13 News report
  4. 4.Libertarian Party of Arkansas nominates 2026 general election candidates · Arkansas Advocate · 2026-02-23 News report
  5. 5.Full Platform · Colt Shelby for Governor campaign Candidate's own words
  6. 6.Love vows order halting school vouchers if elected Arkansas governor · Arkansas Advocate · 2026-06-26 News report
  7. 7.Challengers call Arkansas governor's policy priorities misplaced in debate · Arkansas Advocate · 2026-10-13 News report
  8. 8.Colt Shelby for Governor · Shelby campaign · 2026-10-21 Candidate's own words