Jane-Ellen Udouj-Kutchka

Jane-Ellen Udouj-Kutchka is the Democratic candidate for the Arkansas House of Representatives, District 51, in the November 3, 2026 general election, where she faces incumbent Republican Cindy Crawford.[1][2] A Fort Smith native and former software developer, she ran for the same seat in 2024.[1][3]

Jane-Ellen Udouj-Kutchka was born in Fort Smith, Arkansas, and earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, in 1990, according to Ballotpedia.[1] In a 2024 Ballotpedia survey, she said she graduated from Fort Smith Northside, spent 27 years as a software developer for Acxiom, and worked at a small business in Van Buren; she is married and she and her husband raised four children in the River Valley.[3]

Udouj-Kutchka ran for District 51 in 2024 and lost to incumbent Cindy Crawford, 31.8 percent to 68.2 percent.[1] In her 2026 Ballotpedia survey, she listed strong public schools, available health care and transparency in government as her key messages.[3] She said she is committed to representing everyone in the district regardless of party, and that her approach is to "listen first, be fair, and focus on practical solutions."[3]

Researched from the cited sources on 2026-10-21. Not yet independently fact-checked.