Overview
Kim Davin Hammer is a Missionary Baptist preacher and politician who has served in the Arkansas Senate since 2019. A Republican, he was previously a member of the Arkansas House of Representatives from 2011 to 2019. He hosts a weekly conservative talk radio show.
Kim Hammer | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Arkansas Senate | |
| Assumed office January 19, 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Jeremy Young Hutchinson |
| Constituency | 33rd district (2019–2023) 16th district (2023–present) |
| Member of the Arkansas House of Representatives from the 28th district | |
| In office January 10, 2011 – January 19, 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Barbara Nix |
| Succeeded by | Jasen Kelly |
| Personal details | |
| Born | August 11, 1958 Damascus, Arkansas, U.S. |
| Party | Republican |
| Education | Trinity College of the Bible and Theological Seminary (BA) |
Kim Davin Hammer (born 11 August 1958) is a Missionary Baptist preacher and politician who has served in the Arkansas Senate since 2019. A Republican, he was previously a member of the Arkansas House of Representatives from 2011 to 2019. He hosts a weekly conservative talk radio show.[1]
Biography
Hammer was a member of the Arkansas House of Representatives for eight years before being elected to the state Senate in 2018.[2] He lives in Benton, Arkansas.[3]
In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic in Arkansas, Hammer was one of several Republican state legislators who sued Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, a fellow Republican, over public health measures that he ordered to prevent the spread of the virus. An Arkansas judge dismissed the suit.[4]
In 2021, Hammer promoted Donald Trump's claim that the 2020 presidential election was "stolen"; after Trump was impeached for a second time, wrote in a Facebook post that Democrats were "enemies" and called for "political war" to be waged against them. Hammer deleted the post after it garnered criticism.[5] In 2021, as part of Republican efforts to restrict voting following Trump's defeat, Hammer introduced a bill to eliminate early voting in Arkansas on the last Monday before Election Day, a measure that voting-rights groups described as voter suppression. The bill passed the Senate on a 19–13 vote, but failed in the state House on a 43–39 vote.[6][7]
In 2021, Hammer opposed the grant of a liquor-sales permit for a new Costco Wholesale in west Little Rock, a portion of which is in his district. Hammer wrote a letter to the director of the Alcohol Beverage Control Division, contending that the public's needs were "being adequately met by these existing businesses."[8] By contrast, Little Rock's mayor and vice mayor supported Costco's permit request.[8] The director initially denied Costco's permit application,[8][9] but this decision was reversed after a successful appeal by Costco to the Control Board directors.[9]
2026 campaign for Secretary of State
Hammer is running for Arkansas Secretary of State in 2026. He faced fellow Republicans Bryan Norris and Cathy Hardin Harrison in the primary election, held on March 3. He placed second, receiving 33.6% of the vote, narrowly trailing Norris, who had received 34.3% of the vote.[10] Because no candidate received a majority of the vote, Hammer advanced to a March 31 runoff against Norris. In the runoff, Hammer narrowly defeated Norris, receiving 50.56% of the vote.[11]
References
- ↑ The Kim Hammer Show Archived 2021-04-18 at the Wayback Machine, KDXE.
- ↑ "Kim Hammer". Arkansas Senate.
- ↑ "Senator Kim Hammer (R) - Arkansas State Legislature". www.arkleg.state.ar.us.
- ↑ John Lynch, Judge rejects suit by Arkansas lawmakers opposing virus orders, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (October 15, 2020).
- ↑ Max Brantley, Sen. Kim Hammer declares 'war' on Democrats in now-removed Facebook post, Arkansas Times (January 16, 2021).
- ↑ Rachel Herzog, House rejects bill to lop day of early voting, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (April 28, 2021).
- ↑ Rachel Herzog, Senate OKs early voting ban on day before election, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (April 23, 2021).
- 1 2 3 Noel Oman, Liquor sales at new Costco in Little Rock hit bump after lawmaker objects, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (May 28, 2021).
- 1 2 John Lynch, Permit to sell liquor disputed, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (July 18, 2021).
- ↑ "2026 Primary REP Secretary of State". Arkansas Election Night Reporting. Archived from the original on June 5, 2026. Retrieved 31 March 2026.
- ↑ "2026 Primary REP Secretary of State". Arkansas Election Night Reporting. Archived from the original on June 5, 2026. Retrieved June 23, 2026.