Hallie Shoffner, a sixth-generation farmer from Arkansas, is running as the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate against incumbent Tom Cotton, motivated by the closure of her family's 2,000-acre farm due to financial unviability and frustration with politicians she feels have stopped listening to constituents. She frames her campaign around being "Arkansas first," criticizing Cotton for voting against the farm bill twice and for being disconnected from the state's needs. Schaffner focuses heavily on agriculture and food security, arguing that Arkansas — the most food-insecure state in the country — could lower food costs by encouraging farmers to grow crops for direct human consumption rather than relying on commodity crops like soybeans that are largely exported. On immigration, she supports legal border security but expresses concern that broad ICE raids are sweeping up long-term community members, particularly farm workers, and advocates for pathways to legal temporary worker programs. The interview also covered tariff policy (she voted for Harris largely over tariff concerns from the 2018 China trade war), the SAVE Act voter registration requirements (which she opposes as burdensome for women who change their names), and social security solvency — with a follow-up interview planned to address gun control.

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