Bryan Norris announces candidacy for Arkansas Secretary of State

Above: Bryan Norris / Image submitted

Political announcement

On Thursday, June 19, 2025, retired U.S. Army First Sergeant Bryan Norris officially announced his candidacy for Arkansas Secretary of State, pledging to restore trust in elections, protect the will of the people, and serve as a watchdog for transparency in state government.

Norris, a decorated combat veteran and lifelong public servant, has quickly emerged as both the election security candidate and the MAGA movement’s choice for Secretary of State. He enters the race with endorsements from national and state leaders in the election integrity movement, including:

• General Mike Flynn, former Trump National Security Advisor
• Mike Lindell, CEO of MyPillow and close ally of President Donald J. Trump
• Justice Michael Gableman, former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice and 2020 election investigator
• Senator Wendy Rogers and Senator Mark Finchem, Trump-endorsed legislators and leaders of Arizona’s election security efforts
• Colonel Conrad Reynolds, Arkansas’s leading advocate for hand-marked, hand-counted paper ballots and chair of the national MESA Task Force

“Bryan Norris is the only one in this race fighting to support the President’s agenda on paper ballots, secure elections, and government transparency,” said General Flynn. “He understands what it means to serve, and he’s ready to fight for the people of Arkansas and for election integrity across the nation.”

Colonel Conrad Reynolds added, “Bryan has the courage to stop Little Rock from bullying counties like Searcy and Independence who want paper ballots. The current Secretary of State, Cole Jester—appointed by Governor Sanders—stood by silently while Searcy County’s election commissioners were banned for 14 years by the State for listening to the will of their voters and holding paper ballot elections that were the most transparent in the USA. Bryan will not let that happen again.”

Senator Finchem said, “I believe that he possesses the intellect and talent, and the commitment to our constitution to get the job done concerning election transparency and security.”

Norris has already made history. In 2024, he led Arkansas’s first successful citizen petition to restore hand-marked, hand-counted paper ballots in Independence County—passed with 63% of the vote. His work has since become a model for counties across the state and has drawn attention from national election reform leaders.

Now, Norris says, it’s time to protect the people’s voice statewide.

“I’m not running to be a politician. I’m running to be an advocate for the people. Arkansans want transparent elections and accountable government. That starts with hand-marked ballots, counted in public view—by people, not machines. And that’s exactly what I will fight for as Secretary of State.”

Norris supports a system where ballots are scanned once through tabulators for an initial count, then publicly hand-counted before results are certified—ensuring public trust without removing technology entirely. This, he says, aligns with what election experts from across the political spectrum support.

To guide the campaign, Norris has partnered with YOENSO, a national creative and strategic advisement firm known for message-first, grassroots-driven political work.

As a veteran, father, and servant-leader, Norris is building a movement—not just a campaign.

To learn more, visit BryanNorris.org.

Political announcement

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