Local students elected to state leadership at Arkansas Boys State 2026

Students were elected by their peers to state office on Thursday, May 28, as part of the 85th annual session of Arkansas Boys State, where students build a mock government, including the state constitutional offices: governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general, auditor, land commissioner, treasurer, and chief justice and associate justices of the Arkansas Supreme Court.

The 14 students elected to state office won their party's primary races for state office before advancing to the general election where they defeated their opposing party's opponent. More than 150 students ran for state office at Arkansas Boys State 2026.

More than 500 of the state's brightest young men are attending Arkansas Boys State, an immersive leadership and civic engagement experience sponsored by the American Legion. This summer's 85th annual session runs May 24-29 at the University of Central Arkansas in Conway.

During their week at Arkansas Boys State, these students, known as "delegates," are assigned a political party, city, and county. Throughout the week, delegates, from the ground up, administer this mock government as if it were real: they run for office, draft and pass legislation, solve municipal challenges, and engage constituents. By the week's end, the delegates have experienced civic responsibility and engagement firsthand while making life-long memories and friends.