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Arkansas

New development:What to expect in Arkansas state and presidential primaries

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump will compete for votes in Arkansas on Tuesday but not against each other. At least not yet.

Both front-runners are already eyeing a rematch of the 2020 presidential election, and the race in Arkansas as well as 15 other states holding contests on Super Tuesday could put them both within arm’s reach of clinching their parties’ respective presidential nominations. Arkansas will also hold primaries for state and local offices, including for U.S. House, the state legislature and state Supreme Court.

In the GOP primary in Arkansas’ 3rd District, incumbent Steve Womack is seeking an eighth term but faces a challenge from the right from state Sen. Clint Penzo.

Trump’s main opponent on the Arkansas primary ballot is former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley. On the Democratic side, Biden faces challenges from U.S. Rep. Dean Phillips of Minnesota and self-help author Marianne Williamson, who suspended her campaign Feb. 7 only to “unsuspend” it and reenter the race three weeks later. Both Trump and Biden have won every contest of the primary campaign so far by wide margins.

A win on Tuesday would mark Biden’s second consecutive victory in an Arkansas presidential primary and a third consecutive for Trump. Arkansas has held Super Tuesday primaries in four of the past five presidential campaigns.

Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson will also appear on the Republican primary ballot, even though he ended his campaign in January after the candidate line-up was locked in. He was the latest in an almost uninterrupted streak of current or former Arkansans to run for president

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