Filing fees for political offices across the country typically are set by statute and collected by state government. In Arkansas, however, political parties both set and collect the filing fees. These largely private clubs establish the rules for participation, and the machine sometimes operates with little popular oversight.

Case in point: Recently, the Executive Committee of the Republican Party of Arkansas dramatically increased its filing fees for the 2026 election. The price to run for governor hurdled from $15,000 to $40,000. The cost to run for U.S. Senate was doubled from $20,000 to $40,000. And the Executive Committee keystoned the party-imposed tax to run for lieutenant governor and attorney general from $12,500 to $25,000.

To run in the GOP primary for one of the state's four congressional districts, the fee remains unchanged. Huzzah! But only because it doubled in 2023 to $30,000. Doh!

The........

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