BIOGUIDE C001095 · FEC S4AR00103
Tom Cotton
U.S. Senator (since 2015)RINCUMBENT
- Race
- U.S. Senate · Arkansas
- Result
- Tom Cotton, projected winner
- Opponents
- Hallie Shoffner (D); Jeff Wadlin (LIB)
- Research
- Basic
Party line14 votes tracked
With party = voted the same way as most Republicans who voted.
Said vs. did4 statements · 14 votes
My bill will ensure these criminals are swiftly deported
Expand immigration enforcement and deportations
Compare statements with votes ›On the ballotU.S. Senate
2026-11-03
| Tom Cotton R | incumbent |
| Hallie Shoffner D | challenger |
| Jeff Wadlin LIB | challenger |
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.
My bill will ensure these criminals are swiftly deported
Introduced the Deportation Acceleration Act in January 2026, which would make any noncitizen convicted of a felony or two misdemeanors automatically deportable and subject them to expedited removal.[4]
I urge all senators to vote for the SAVE America Act.
In a March 18, 2026 Senate floor speech, urged senators to pass the SAVE America Act and cited public support for requiring proof of citizenship to vote.[7]
No recorded floor vote in our key-vote set maps to this issue.
Operation Epic Fury was well within the president’s constitutional authority and duty as commander-in-chief to defend Americans.
In a March 18, 2026 Senate floor speech, urged colleagues to reject a war powers resolution on Iran, saying the strikes were within the president's constitutional authority as commander-in-chief.[8]
- NOWar Powers Resolution on Iran (S.J. Res. 59, 2025-06-27), a motion to bring a war powers resolution on Iran to a vote.[9]
- NOWar Powers Resolution on Venezuela (S.J. Res. 90, 2025-11-06), a motion to bring a war powers resolution on Venezuela to a vote.[10]
2 of 2 votes point the same way as the statement
Cosponsored S. 9, the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act (119th Congress), which would bar transgender girls and women from girls' and women's school sports programs that receive federal funds.
Documented position[11]
No recorded floor vote in our key-vote set maps to this issue.
No statement on this issue in our sources.
No statement on this issue in our sources.
- YESOne Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1, 2025-07-01), which reduced federal Medicaid spending and added Medicaid work requirements.[6]
No statement on this issue in our sources.
- YESOne Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1, 2025-07-01), which phased out Inflation Reduction Act clean-energy tax credits.[6]
No statement on this issue in our sources.
- YESOne Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1, 2025-07-01), which made the 2017 individual tax rates, including the 37% top rate, permanent.[6]
Biography
Tom Cotton is the Republican U.S. Senator from Arkansas and won re-election on November 3, 2026. A Harvard-educated lawyer and Army infantry officer who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, he worked as a management consultant, served one term in the U.S. House, and has been in the Senate since 2015, where he chairs the Select Committee on Intelligence and the Senate Republican Conference.[1][2][3]
Basic profile — the most important sourced facts we found.
Tom Cotton was born in Dardanelle, Arkansas, in 1977. According to his official Senate biography, he grew up on his family's cattle farm in Yell County and graduated from Dardanelle High School.[1][2] He earned a bachelor's degree in government from Harvard University in 1998 and a J.D. from Harvard Law School in 2002.[1][2] He worked as a law clerk for the U.S. Court of Appeals and in private law practice before leaving the law after the September 11 attacks to join the Army, according to his official biography.[1][2]
Cotton served nearly five years on active duty in the U.S. Army (2004-2009) as an infantry officer, including combat tours in Iraq with the 101st Airborne and in Afghanistan with a Provincial Reconstruction Team, and service with The Old Guard at Arlington National Cemetery. His decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, the Combat Infantryman Badge and the Ranger Tab.[1][2] Between leaving the Army and entering Congress he worked for McKinsey & Co. as a management consultant and, per Ballotpedia, also as a farmer.[1][2] He then served one term in the U.S. House of Representatives for Arkansas's 4th District (2013-2015).[1][2]
Cotton was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2014, defeating incumbent Democrat Mark Pryor, and was re-elected in 2020 over Ricky Dale Harrington Jr.[1] In the Senate he serves on the Armed Services Committee, the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, and the Joint Economic Committee, and chairs the Select Committee on Intelligence. He is also Chairman of the Senate Republican Conference, the third-ranking position in Senate Republican leadership.[1][2] According to his official biography, he and his wife Anna have two sons, Gabriel and Daniel.[2] He won the November 3, 2026 general election with 54.3% of the vote to Hallie Shoffner's 42.4%, according to unofficial results reported by NBC News.[3]
Recent votes
| Date | Party line | Measure |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-30 | With partyvoted yes | Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026 — Senate passageH.R. 7148 · Bill Passed 71–29 · roll call ↗Democrats 23–24 · Republicans 48–5 |
| 2025-12-17 | With partyvoted yes | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026 — final passageS. 1071 · Motion Agreed to 77–20 · roll call ↗Democrats 28–18 · Republicans 49–2 |
| 2025-11-10 | With partyvoted yes | Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2026 — shutdown-ending voteH.R. 5371 · Bill Passed 60–40 · roll call ↗Democrats 8–39 · Republicans 52–1 |
| 2025-11-06 | With partyvoted no | War Powers Resolution on Venezuela — motion to dischargeS.J. Res. 90 · Motion to Discharge Rejected 49–51 · roll call ↗Democrats 47–0 · Republicans 2–51 |
| 2025-10-30 | With partyvoted no | Resolution to end the global tariff emergencyS.J. Res. 88 · Joint Resolution Passed 51–47 · roll call ↗Democrats 47–0 · Republicans 4–47 |
| 2025-07-01 | With partyvoted yes | One Big Beautiful Bill Act — Senate passageH.R. 1 · Bill Passed 50–50 · roll call ↗Democrats 0–47 · Republicans 50–3 |
| 2025-06-27 | With partyvoted no | War Powers Resolution on Iran — motion to dischargeS.J. Res. 59 · Motion to Discharge Rejected 47–53 · roll call ↗Democrats 46–1 · Republicans 1–52 |
| 2025-06-17 | No votevoted didn't vote | GENIUS Act — Senate passageS. 1582 · Bill Passed 68–30 · roll call ↗Democrats 18–28 · Republicans 50–2 |
Showing the 8 most recent of 14 votes.
All 14 recorded votes
| Date | Party line | Measure |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-30 | With partyvoted yes | Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026 — Senate passageH.R. 7148 · Bill Passed 71–29 · roll call ↗Democrats 23–24 · Republicans 48–5The bill provides full-year discretionary appropriations for federal agencies for the remainder of fiscal year 2026, replacing the stopgap funding enacted after the fall 2025 shutdown. It sets spending levels across defense and non-defense programs through September 2026. |
| 2025-12-17 | With partyvoted yes | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026 — final passageS. 1071 · Motion Agreed to 77–20 · roll call ↗Democrats 28–18 · Republicans 49–2The fiscal year 2026 NDAA authorizes roughly $900 billion in defense spending, including a pay raise for service members and funding for shipbuilding, munitions, and missile-defense programs. This vote sent the House-Senate compromise version to the President, who signed it into law the next day. |
| 2025-11-10 | With partyvoted yes | Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2026 — shutdown-ending voteH.R. 5371 · Bill Passed 60–40 · roll call ↗Democrats 8–39 · Republicans 52–1The bill reopened the federal government after a 43-day shutdown by funding most agencies through January 30, 2026, and providing full-year funding for a smaller group of agencies through September 2026. Eight members of the Democratic caucus joined nearly all Republicans to pass it. |
| 2025-11-06 | With partyvoted no | War Powers Resolution on Venezuela — motion to dischargeS.J. Res. 90 · Motion to Discharge Rejected 49–51 · roll call ↗Democrats 47–0 · Republicans 2–51S.J.Res. 90 would have directed the President to end military hostilities within or against Venezuela that Congress had not authorized, after U.S. strikes on suspected drug-trafficking vessels in the region. A motion to discharge the resolution from committee failed, blocking a vote on final passage. |
| 2025-10-30 | With partyvoted no | Resolution to end the global tariff emergencyS.J. Res. 88 · Joint Resolution Passed 51–47 · roll call ↗Democrats 47–0 · Republicans 4–47S.J.Res. 88 terminates the national emergency the President used to impose broad tariffs on imports from most countries under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. Unlike an earlier April 2025 attempt, this resolution passed the Senate, though it still required House and presidential action to take effect. |
| 2025-07-01 | With partyvoted yes | One Big Beautiful Bill Act — Senate passageH.R. 1 · Bill Passed 50–50 · roll call ↗Democrats 0–47 · Republicans 50–3H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, extends and expands the 2017 tax cuts, adds new deductions for tips, overtime pay, and seniors, and increases border security and defense spending. It reduces projected Medicaid and SNAP spending and adds new work requirements; Vice President Vance cast the tie-breaking vote. |
| 2025-06-27 | With partyvoted no | War Powers Resolution on Iran — motion to dischargeS.J. Res. 59 · Motion to Discharge Rejected 47–53 · roll call ↗Democrats 46–1 · Republicans 1–52S.J.Res. 59 would have directed the President to end U.S. military hostilities against Iran that Congress had not authorized, following U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities earlier that month. A motion to discharge the resolution from committee failed, preventing a vote on final passage. |
| 2025-06-17 | No votevoted didn't vote | GENIUS Act — Senate passageS. 1582 · Bill Passed 68–30 · roll call ↗Democrats 18–28 · Republicans 50–2The GENIUS Act creates a federal regulatory framework for payment stablecoins, requiring issuers to hold reserves backing their tokens on a one-to-one basis and comply with new disclosure and licensing rules. It was the first major piece of cryptocurrency legislation to clear Congress. |
| 2025-04-30 | With partyvoted no | Resolution to end the global tariff emergencyS.J. Res. 49 · Joint Resolution Defeated 49–49 · roll call ↗Democrats 46–0 · Republicans 3–49S.J.Res. 49 would have terminated the national emergency the President declared in April 2025 to impose broad tariffs on imports from most U.S. trading partners. The resolution failed on a tied 49-49 vote. |
| 2025-03-14 | With partyvoted yes | Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025 — Senate passageH.R. 1968 · Bill Passed 54–46 · roll call ↗Democrats 2–45 · Republicans 52–1The bill funded the federal government through the remainder of fiscal year 2025, largely at prior-year spending levels, averting a shutdown. It also extended several expiring health and other program authorizations. |
| 2025-02-13 | With partyvoted yes | Confirmation of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as HHS SecretaryPN Kennedy · Nomination Confirmed 52–48 · roll call ↗Democrats 0–47 · Republicans 52–1The Senate confirmed Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to serve as Secretary of Health and Human Services, overseeing federal health, food-safety, and drug-regulatory agencies. Senator Mitch McConnell was the only Republican to vote against the nomination. |
| 2025-02-04 | With partyvoted yes | Confirmation of Pamela Bondi as Attorney GeneralPN Bondi · Nomination Confirmed 54–46 · roll call ↗Democrats 1–46 · Republicans 53–0The Senate confirmed Pamela Bondi, Florida's former attorney general, to serve as U.S. Attorney General, leading the Justice Department. The vote fell largely along party lines. |
| 2025-01-24 | With partyvoted yes | Confirmation of Pete Hegseth as Secretary of DefensePN Hegseth · Nomination Confirmed 50–50 · roll call ↗Democrats 0–47 · Republicans 50–3The Senate confirmed Pete Hegseth, a former Fox News host and Army National Guard officer, to serve as Secretary of Defense. Vice President JD Vance cast the tie-breaking vote after three Republican senators joined all Democrats in voting against the nomination. |
| 2025-01-20 | With partyvoted yes | Laken Riley Act — Senate passageS. 5 · Bill Passed 64–35 · roll call ↗Democrats 12–35 · Republicans 52–0The Laken Riley Act requires the Department of Homeland Security to detain undocumented immigrants who are arrested, charged, or convicted for theft, burglary, or certain violent crimes. It also allows state attorneys general to sue the federal government over certain immigration enforcement decisions. |
On the record
Official actions: bills, executive acts, filings and court records.
- actionCurrently chairs the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and sits on the Committee on Armed Services (Subcommittees on Airland, Cybersecurity, Emerging Threats and Capabilities, and Strategic Forces), the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, and the Joint Economic Committee.[14]
Campaign money$6.2M raised · 73% 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 $3.2M
- PACs & committees $1.1M
- Party $62K
Largest committee contributions
- NRSC Party$62K
- Oorah! Political Action Committee PAC$10K
- Altria Group, Inc. Political Action Committee (Altriapac) PAC$10K
- Boots Political Action Committee PAC$10K
- American Bankers Association PAC (Bankpac) PAC$10K
- Common Sense for America PAC PAC$10K
- Walmart Inc. PAC for Responsible Government PAC$10K
- Jobs, Freedom, and Security PAC PAC$10K
- Heartland Values PAC PAC$10K
- Big Sky Opportunity PAC PAC$10K
Direct contributions only; outside spending is not included. Individual donors are itemized in the FEC’s receipts. All itemized receipts ↗ FEC filing ↗
Profile: /people/tom-cotton
Where they stood out
Voted against most of their party on 2 of 829 party-divided votes on file.
Motion to Table Lee Amdt. No. 4236; To strike all earmarks.
A yes vote set aside (tabled) Amendment 4236 to H.R. 7148, which would have struck all earmarks from the bill. (AI-written)
What it does: Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026 This bill provides appropriations to several federal departments and agencies for the remainder of FY2026 and provides continuing FY2026 appropriations for the Department of Homel…
Voted yes · most Republicans voted no · Democrats 45–0, Republicans 18–33
Jan 30, 2026Official record ↗
Motion to Proceed to S. Con. Res. 22; A concurrent resolution setting forth the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2026 and setting forth the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2027 through 2035.
A yes vote began Senate consideration of S.Con.Res. 22, the fiscal year 2026 congressional budget resolution. (AI-written)
What it does: This concurrent resolution establishes the congressional budget for the federal government for FY2026 and sets forth budgetary levels for FY2027-FY2035.
Voted no · most Republicans voted yes · Democrats 0–45, Republicans 36–13
Sep 16, 2025Official record ↗
Their votes on the most contested roll calls
The votes in their chamber that came out closest and most divided by party, among those they voted on. How we rank
- Yes
With most of their party · Agreed to 46–45 · Yes 45–No 45 · Democrats 0–43, Republicans 45–0
May 11, 2026Official record ↗
- Yes
With most of their party · Passed 49–47 · Yes 47–No 47 · Democrats 0–45, Republicans 47–0
Feb 12, 2026Official record ↗
- No
With most of their party · Rejected 46–49 · Yes 46–No 46 · Democrats 44–0, Republicans 0–46
Jan 15, 2025Official record ↗
- Yes
With most of their party · Confirmed 48–47 · Yes 48–No 47 · Democrats 0–45, Republicans 48–0
Jul 23, 2026Official record ↗
- Yes
With most of their party · Confirmed 50–47 · Yes 48–No 47 · Democrats 0–45, Republicans 48–0
Feb 5, 2026Official record ↗
Compare all 3 candidates side by side ›
Sources cited in this profile
- 1.Tom Cotton · Ballotpedia Reference
- 2.About Tom · Office of Sen. Tom Cotton Official record
- 3.Arkansas U.S. Senate election results 2026 · NBC News News report
- 4.Cotton Introduces Bill to Protect Arkansans from Criminal Migrants · Office of Senator Tom Cotton · 2026-10-03 Official record
- 5.Roll call: Laken Riley Act — Senate passage · U.S. Senate · 2025-01-20 Official record
- 6.Roll call: One Big Beautiful Bill Act — Senate passage · U.S. Senate · 2025-07-01 Official record
- 7.Floor Speech on SAVE America Act · Office of Senator Tom Cotton · 2026-10-03 Official record
- 8.Floor Speech Opposing War Powers Resolution · Office of Senator Tom Cotton · 2026-10-03 Official record
- 9.Roll call: War Powers Resolution on Iran — motion to discharge · U.S. Senate · 2025-06-27 Official record
- 10.Roll call: War Powers Resolution on Venezuela — motion to discharge · U.S. Senate · 2025-11-06 Official record
- 11.S. 9, the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act (Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act of 2025) — sponsors and cosponsors · Congress.gov Official record
- 12.Roll call: Resolution to end the global tariff emergency · U.S. Senate · 2025-04-30 Official record
- 13.Roll call: Resolution to end the global tariff emergency · U.S. Senate · 2025-10-30 Official record
- 14.Tom Cotton · Ballotpedia Reference