Medicaid Cuts, Expansion Loom Large in Arkansas House Race

Arkansas Advocate reports that the 2026 race between Republican Rep. French Hill and Democratic challenger Chris Jones for the state's 2nd Congressional District is centering heavily on healthcare affordability. Jones is campaigning against federal Medicaid cuts under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which Hill supported and which is projected to cut rural Medicaid spending by $15.5 billion annually over the next decade. More than 800,000 low-income or disabled Arkansans rely on Medicaid, and the state's Medicaid expansion faces an uncertain future after the Trump administration rejected its renewal in July. Election day is Nov. 3, with early voting starting Oct. 19.

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