Fredrick Love (D) – Arkansas Governor 2026

About

Fredrick Love is a Democratic state senator representing Arkansas' District 15 since 2023, after serving in the state House from 2011 to 2022, including as House minority leader. He won the March 2026 Democratic primary and is challenging Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, campaigning on halting the LEARNS Act school voucher program, protecting Medicaid expansion, raising wages, and opposing the proposed Franklin County prison. He has served in the Legislature since 2011 and is term-limited in the Senate.

Biography sources 6

Positions on Key Issues

Positions of Fredrick Love on key issues
Issue	Stance	Sources
Healthcare	Love advocates for universal healthcare access, stating his belief that it is a right rather than a privilege. He supports protecting Arkansas' Medicaid expansion (ARHOME), warning that cutting Arkansans off Medicaid would close more maternity wards and rural hospitals, and his plan includes expanding mental health services statewide (especially in rural areas), growing telehealth services, and launching a statewide Mental Health App and Hotline.	Issue Spotlight: Gubernatorial candidates on future of Arkansas' Medicaid expansion What's Love got to do with it? A Q&A with Democratic gubernatorial candidate Fred Love Issues - Fred Love for Governor
Economy	Love's economic plan focuses on building opportunity everywhere by investing in small businesses, workforce training, and infrastructure. His plan includes building regional economic hubs, rebuilding water, sewer, broadband, and road infrastructure, expanding entrepreneurship, apprenticeships, and small business support, providing summer youth employment tied to career-readiness certificates, and establishing an Affordable Housing Taskforce at ADFA. He has also proposed cutting the income tax rate for Arkansans earning $50,000 or less from 3.7% to 2.9%.	Issues - Fred Love for Governor What's Love got to do with it? A Q&A with Democratic gubernatorial candidate Fred Love
Climate/Energy	Love has expressed concern about the rapid growth of data centers in Arkansas and their impact on the environment and utility bills, saying he would not actively recruit them and supports moratoriums while their long-term effects are studied. No broader position on climate or energy policy was found.	Love vows order halting school vouchers if elected Arkansas governor Democratic gubernatorial hopeful proposes pause on Arkansas data centers; lawmakers refer his resolution for review
Abortion & Reproductive Health	Love has said "my position on abortion is that a woman has a right to choose." He voted against Senate Bill 591, a bill that would restrict abortions based on the race of the fetus, according to the Arkansas Family Council scorecard, and has a 100% rating from Planned Parenthood Voters of Arkansas (2015).	Democratic primary for Arkansas governor pits state senator against entrepreneur 2025 General Assembly Report - Sen. Fred Love (Democrat) - Senate District 15 Voter Guide Profile for AR Governor candidate - Fred Love
Civil Rights & Equality	Love filed a lawsuit against Pulaski County alleging racial discrimination and a hostile work environment after his resignation as Director of Community Services, claiming he and other African American county employees were paid less than white counterparts. A federal court dismissed the suit in June 2025, ruling that no reasonable juror could find in favor of Love's claims and that the circumstances of his resignation did not support even an inference of discrimination. He has a 100% rating from Planned Parenthood Voters of Arkansas and an 85% rating from Arkansas Citizens First Congress, but no specific policy stances on broader civil rights issues such as LGBTQ+ or voting rights were found.	Court dismisses senator's lawsuit over racial discrimination as baseless Federal judge throws out former Pulaski County employee's lawsuit against county over his dismissal Voter Guide Profile for AR Governor candidate - Fred Love
Tech & AI	Love says he would not actively recruit data centers to Arkansas and supports moratoriums on the projects while officials study their long-term effects on the environment and utility bills. In August 2026 he proposed a resolution to the Arkansas Legislative Council recommending a statewide pause on data center development and opening, which lawmakers referred for review.	Democratic gubernatorial hopeful proposes pause on Arkansas data centers; lawmakers refer his resolution for review Love vows order halting school vouchers if elected Arkansas governor
Local Issues	Love opposes the proposed 3,000-bed Franklin County mega-prison, arguing the answer to overcrowding is more opportunities for young people and improved literacy rather than more prison beds. He also supports strengthening Arkansas' public records law, noting he was one of two senators to vote against the 2023 law that exempted details about the governor's travel and security from FOIA, and he supports repealing it.	Love vows order halting school vouchers if elected Arkansas governor Democratic gubernatorial hopeful proposes pause on Arkansas data centers; lawmakers refer his resolution for review
Education	Love has stated that if elected governor, he would not continue state-run Education Freedom Accounts (EFAs) and would issue an executive order halting the administration of Arkansas' school voucher program, redirecting that money into the public education system. He has also proposed adding a free school lunch program to address Arkansas' food insecurity.	Love vows order halting school vouchers if elected Arkansas governor Democratic nominee for Arkansas governor says he'd end ... Love vows order halting school vouchers if elected Arkansas governor

Review an issue

Healthcare

Love advocates for universal healthcare access, stating his belief that it is a right rather than a privilege. He supports protecting Arkansas' Medicaid expansion (ARHOME), warning that cutting Arkansans off Medicaid would close more maternity wards and rural hospitals, and his plan includes expanding mental health services statewide (especially in rural areas), growing telehealth services, and launching a statewide Mental Health App and Hotline.

Sources:

Issue Spotlight: Gubernatorial candidates on future of Arkansas' Medicaid expansion

What's Love got to do with it? A Q&A with Democratic gubernatorial candidate Fred Love

Issues - Fred Love for Governor

Choose another issue above to review the remaining researched positions.

No public position found: Firearms & Second Amendment, Foreign Policy, Immigration, Election Policy

Background

Career History

State Senator, District 15 2023 – Present

Arkansas State Senate

State Representative 2011 – 2023

Arkansas House of Representatives

Represented District 35 (2011-2013) and District 29 (2013-2023); served as House Minority Leader from 2019 to 2021.

House Minority Leader 2019 – 2021

Arkansas House of Representatives

Elected House Minority Leader in May 2019, succeeding Charles Blake.

Education

University of Arkansas at Little Rock Bachelor of Arts in Political Science

University of Arkansas at Little Rock Master of Public Administration in Public Administration

University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Public Health

Top Donors

Fredrick Love's gubernatorial campaign has raised modest funds relative to the incumbent. As of mid-July 2026, his campaign had raised approximately $193,000, and he raised only about $16,000 in June with roughly $7,500 cash on hand. His campaign finance reports are available through the Arkansas Secretary of State's ethics disclosures.

Sources

What's Love got to do with it? A Q&A with Democratic gubernatorial candidate Fred Love CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTION AND EXPENDITURE REPORT State ... Fred Love Money Profile - OpenSecrets

Voting Record

Love has served in the Arkansas Legislature since 2011, in the House (2011-2022) and Senate (2023-present), where he is Senate Minority Whip and vice co-chair of the Joint Retirement and Social Security Committee. His legislative record includes sponsoring Lux's Law, which prohibits the sale of dead human bodies or parts, and legislation requiring warning labels for hair relaxers containing potentially harmful chemicals. He voted against Senate Bill 591 restricting abortions based on fetal race and was one of two senators to vote against the 2023 law exempting governor's travel and security details from FOIA.

Sources

View full voting record Love vows order halting school vouchers if elected Arkansas governor 2025 General Assembly Report - Sen. Fred Love (Democrat) - Senate District 15

About this research

Data compiled from public sources and analyzed using AI. Last updated October 7, 2026. Visit candidate websites for the most current information.