Tom Cotton was born in Dardanelle, Arkansas in 1977. He earned a bachelor's degree in government from Harvard University in 1998, and a J.D. from Harvard in 2002. Cotton served in the United States Army from 2004 to 2009. He also worked as a law clerk, a lawyer, a management consultant, and a farmer. Cotton served in the United States House of Representatives from 2013 to 2015. Republican incumbent Tom Cotton is seeking a third term.
Tom Cotton is a sixth-generation Arkansan who was born and raised on his family's cattle farm in Yell County. An Army veteran, he served in Iraq and Afghanistan, and has served Arkansas in the U.S. Senate since 2015.
Hardline stance advocating zero illegal immigration
Cotton is known for his hardline stance on immigration, advocating for reducing green-card numbers, capping refugee admissions, ending chain migration, and prioritizing immigrants with valuable skills. He also strongly supports the Trump-era deportation and enforcement policies, maintaining that immigration represents a crisis requiring strict federal action.
Supports tax cuts and opposes excess federal spending
Cotton's campaign website mentions inflation as an issue that matters to him and touts his support of tax cuts in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025.
Opposed extending ACA subsidies
Cotton told THV11 in November that he opposed extending Affordable Care Act subsidies that would have prevented many Americans' insurance premiums from increasing. He said he believed the subsidies had no mechanism of ensuring they served only low-income Americans. "Its formal title, the Affordable Care Act, belies the reality because it's not affordable for Arkansas families," Cotton said.
Members of Congress with party leadership roles often do not participate in the legislative process in the same way as other Members of Congress. Since Cotton was busy being Senate Republican Conference Chair, the metrics of legislative activity listed below may not apply.
| Bill | Title | Vote | Date | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Farm Bill | Farm Bill (2018, 2024) | Nay | Noting that Cotton has twice voted against the Farm Bill, Shoffner said she'll fight for a Farm Bill that gives farmers "room to breathe." | |
| One Big Beautiful Bill Act | Tax cuts and spending law (2025) | Yea | All six members of Arkansas' federal delegation, including Cotton, voted in favor of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which will make permanent 2017 tax cuts and provide billions to carry out the president's plans to crack down on immigration and increase defense spending. The bill could add $3.4 trillion to deficits over the next decade, according to estimates by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. |
Cotton's social media maintains a formal, policy-focused tone consistent with his official campaign messaging, emphasizing conservative governance and Trump alignment.
Cotton is out of touch and does not support farmers
The candidates are focused on issues like inflation, cost of living, and leadership, with Shoffner portraying Cotton as out-of-touch with the struggles of everyday Arkansans.