Licensed Professional Counselor and Retired CEO Jannie Cotton to Serve as Interim Chair of Arkansas Democratic Party; Executive Committee Approves Vacancy Rules of Procedure[...]

LITTLE ROCK - Democratic Party of Arkansas Vice Chair Jannie Cotton will assume the role of Interim Chair effective July 15, 2025, overseeing the party prior to the Chair's election at our next State Committee meeting.

"We are so thankful for Chair Tennille's leadership, and the party is in a far better position than we were when he took over," said Vice Chair Jannie Cotton. "I am grateful for the opportunity to lead our party during this transition period. Our future could not be brighter. Arkansas Democrats are ready to step up, do the work, and hold Republicans accountable at the ballot box in 2026."

The Democratic Party of Arkansas Executive Committee approved the vacancy procedures for the upcoming Chair's election, following the July 15 resignation of Chair Grant Tennille. The Democratic Party of Arkansas will hold elections within 60 days, in accordance with party rules. The Executive Committee met on July 10, 2025, to establish the following procedures :

• August 4, 2025 (12:00 noon): Deadline to file notice of candidacy
• August 8, 2025 (7:00 p.m.): Deadline to submit nominating petitions (requiring signatures from at least 10 State Committee members)

The State Committee meeting to elect a new Chair will be on Saturday, August 16 at 2 PM in Little Rock at the Four Points Sheraton (925 S. University Ave).

The election procedures laid out by the Executive Committee will be as follows:

• Only candidates with 10 signatures from State Committee members will appear on the ballot
• No nominations from the floor will be accepted
• Voting will be conducted by electronic mechanism or paper ballot
• If no candidate receives a majority on the first ballot, additional rounds will be held
• Beginning with the third ballot, the candidate with the fewest votes will be eliminated

Upon Chair Tennille's resignation and prior to the election, Jannie Cotton will serve as the Interim Chair of the party, bringing four decades of leadership in mental health and public service to the role. In 2018, she retired as CEO of Professional Counseling Associates (PCA) in North Little Rock, where she served for 20 years, including 13 years as CEO. As the first Black woman in Arkansas to serve as Chief Executive Officer of a significant mental health organization with six locations across Pulaski, Lonoke, and Prairie Counties, Cotton has worked with children and families for 39 years as a licensed professional counselor. She holds a bachelor's degree in child development from the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff and a master's degree in counseling from the University of Central Arkansas. She ran for State Representative in District 67, which contains parts of Sherwood and Jacksonville, in 2020 and 2022.

In addition to serving as Vice Chair of the Arkansas Democratic Party and as a member of the Democratic National Committee, Cotton was recently appointed to the DNC's Standing Resolution Committee by Chair Ken Martin and elected as Vice President of the Southern District of the Association of State Democratic Committees. She is a lifetime member and the former Second Vice President of the Arkansas Democratic Black Caucus. She has been recognized with numerous awards, including the 2025 National Unsung Hero Award and the Senator Erma Hunter Brown Leadership Award. A 33-year colon cancer survivor and proud mother of three daughters-LaKisha and identical twins, Apryle and Adria, Cotton is known for her advocacy on behalf of cancer survivors, those experiencing mental illness, and vulnerable populations throughout Arkansas.

The Democratic Party of Arkansas will release additional information about the candidates for Chair at the end of the filing period.