U.S. Senate · Arkansas
Jeff Wadlin
CandidateLIB
- Race
- U.S. Senate · Arkansas
- Result
- Tom Cotton, projected winner
- Opponents
- Tom Cotton (R); Hallie Shoffner (D)
- Research
- Basic
Party linenone
No recorded floor votes — not a current legislator in our records.
Said vs. did5 statements · 0 votes
I oppose broad tariffs that raise the cost of equipment, fertilizer, fuel, and household goods while inviting retaliation against Arkansas rice, soybeans, poultry, cotton, and other exports.
Broad tariffs on imported goods
Compare statements with votes ›On the ballotU.S. Senate
2026-11-03
| Tom Cotton R | incumbent |
| Hallie Shoffner D | challenger |
| Jeff Wadlin LIB | challenger |
Advanced from the Libertarian Party's February 22, 2026 state convention.
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.
I oppose broad tariffs that raise the cost of equipment, fertilizer, fuel, and household goods while inviting retaliation against Arkansas rice, soybeans, poultry, cotton, and other exports.
His campaign issues page says he opposes broad tariffs and favors eliminating them.[4]
No recorded floor vote in our key-vote set maps to this issue.
I support lower taxes on labor, gradual and predictable minimum-wage increases, stronger pathways into skilled careers
His campaign issues page says he supports gradual and predictable minimum-wage increases.[4]
No recorded floor vote in our key-vote set maps to this issue.
I oppose wars of aggression and open-ended military action that Congress has not authorized.
His campaign issues page says he would restore Congress's constitutional war powers and opposes military action Congress has not authorized.[4]
No recorded floor vote in our key-vote set maps to this issue.
But I reject vague bans, arbitrary feature-based classifications, and laws that burden ordinary citizens while criminals ignore them.
His campaign issues page says he supports secure storage around children and rejects bans and feature-based classifications of firearms.[4]
No recorded floor vote in our key-vote set maps to this issue.
People who pose security risks or commit serious crimes should be removed promptly.
His campaign issues page supports prompt removal of people who pose security risks or commit serious crimes, and says enforcement should respect due process and treat families humanely.[4]
No recorded floor vote in our key-vote set maps to this issue.
Biography
Jeff Wadlin, a Libertarian Party candidate and engineer and businessman from Bentonville with an MBA, lost the November 3, 2026 election for the U.S. Senate seat in Arkansas to Tom Cotton. According to his campaign website, he has worked at Caterpillar, Capital One and Sam's Club and runs a consulting business.[1][2][3]
Basic profile — the most important sourced facts we found.
Jeff Wadlin says on his campaign website that he was born in Richmond, Virginia, and moved around Illinois, Arizona and North Carolina before settling in Bentonville, Arkansas, where he is raising three sons.[3] He says he studied aerospace and mechanical engineering at the University of Virginia and earned an MBA from Northwestern.[3] His career, as he describes it, includes working for Caterpillar, co-founding an Illinois online salvage yard for auto parts, working at Capital One's headquarters in Virginia, launching a product development company, running membership nationwide at Sam's Club in Bentonville, and founding his own consulting business.[3]
Wadlin says he previously ran for Justice of the Peace and City Council and sought the Libertarian nomination for U.S. House in 2018 without winning.[3] He advanced from the Libertarian Party of Arkansas convention for U.S. Senate on February 22, 2026.[2] During the campaign, he said he was running because he was worried about where the country was headed and wanted government to leave people alone unless they were harming someone else.[2][3] He received 3.3% of the vote to Tom Cotton's 54.3%, according to unofficial results reported by NBC News.[1]
In their own words
Priorities
- "My first economic priority is affordability. We should eliminate broad tariffs that raise the price of food, equipment, vehicles, building materials, and household goods"[4]
- "My goal is straightforward: cover everyone, which requires cutting the total cost of healthcare roughly in half over time."[4]
- "Protect democracy. Defend personal liberty. Create broad-based prosperity."[4]
Statements, quoted without a stance
- Expand public health coverage
“My goal is straightforward: cover everyone, which requires cutting the total cost of healthcare roughly in half over time.”[4]
On his campaign issues page
- Raise taxes on high earners or corporations
“I support a progressive tax system in which those with greater wealth contribute more, while working families are not disproportionately burdened by regressive taxes on wages and basic necessities.”[4]
On his campaign issues page
- Require documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote
“Any new citizenship-documentation requirement must be implemented carefully, with adequate time, funding, and practical assistance for local election officials and individual voters.”[4]
On his campaign issues page, in a passage about the SAVE Act
- Protect legal access to abortion
“After the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision, abortion policy is governed primarily by the states, and I do not intend to make it the centerpiece of my campaign for federal office.”[4]
On his campaign issues page
- Loosen zoning rules to build more housing
“Federal policy should reduce financing and infrastructure barriers while leaving zoning primarily to state and local governments, encouraging more housing construction.”[4]
On his campaign issues page
- Faster transition away from fossil fuels
“Climate change is real, human activity contributes to it, and it’s affecting all of us, especially farmers.”[4]
On his campaign issues page
Campaign money$29K raised · 27% from individuals · FEC through 2026-06-30
Totals this cycle
Bars share one scale (raised = full). Cash on hand can include money carried over from earlier cycles.
Who gave
- Individuals $7,749
- Own money & loans $21K
Largest committee contributions
No direct contributions from PACs or other committees in the FEC’s bulk data.
Direct contributions only; outside spending is not included. Individual donors are itemized in the FEC’s receipts. All itemized receipts ↗ FEC filing ↗
Profile: /people/jeff-wadlin
Compare all 3 candidates side by side ›
Sources cited in this profile
- 1.U.S. Senate · Arkansas results 2026 · NBC News News report
- 2.Jeff Wadlin · Ballotpedia Reference
- 3.About · Jeff Wadlin for U.S. Senate campaign website Candidate's own words
- 4.Issues | Join the Movement for Change · Jeff Wadlin campaign website Candidate's own words