The Libertarian Party of Arkansas will host a gubernatorial forum on Thursday evening featuring four candidates who are seeking the party’s nomination for governor in the 2026 election.
The gubernatorial forum will begin at 7:30 PM CT on February 12 and will be streamed virtually over Zoom, with a simultaneous livestream on the Libertarian Party of Arkansas’ Facebook page. The party also plans to upload a recording of the event online. The event will give candidates an opportunity to introduce themselves ahead of the party’s 2026 state convention, scheduled for February 20–22 in Little Rock, where delegates will formally nominate a gubernatorial candidate.
Four candidates are expected to participate, several of whom have previously run for office in Arkansas with the Libertarian Party. According to the party, confirmed participants include Gary Huskey, Michael Kalagias, Marc Rosson, and Colt Shelby. The forum will be moderated by Steve Brawner, an Arkansas-based independent journalist and syndicated columnist with Talk Business & Politics.
The decision of who to nominate as the Libertarian candidate for governor is of utmost importance to the Libertarian Party,” the party said in a statement. “Under Arkansas election laws, the percentage of votes cast for Governor determine whether or not a party can continue to be a part of the political process going forward.”
To retain recognized party status, which the Libertarian Party of Arkansas regained following a successful petition drive last November, and to secure ballot access beyond the 2026 election cycle, the party’s eventual nominee must earn at least three percent of the vote. Meeting that threshold would also qualify the party to hold a primary election in future races.
This is probably the most candidates to ever seek the Libertarian Party of Arkansas’ nomination for Governor.