
Tom Cotton
U.S. Senator from Arkansas since 2015. Re-elected in 2026. Next on the ballot in 2032.
U.S. Senator from ArkansasBorn 1977Lawyer
- In office
- 11 yrs
- Since 2015
- Bills became law
- 1
- 97 sponsored, 119th Congress
- Votes missed
- 1.5%
- Chamber median 2.1%
- With party
- 100%
- On votes splitting the parties
- Last margin
- +11.8
- Won 2026
- Next election
- 2032
- Nov 2, 2032
Source: Wikidata, congress-legislators and Open States; 99chambers legislative recordsUpdated Nov 7, 2026, 3:00 PM ET
Committees
119th Congress.
- Senate Committee on Armed ServicesAirlandCybersecurityEmerging Threats and CapabilitiesStrategic Forces
- Senate Committee on Energy and Natural ResourcesEnergyPublic Lands, Forests, and Mining
- Joint Economic Committee
- Senate Select Committee on Intelligence · Chairman
Source: congress-legislators committeesUpdated Nov 7, 2026, 3:00 PM ET
Legislation
Armed Forces and National Security · Became law Apr 2026
Armed Forces and National Security · In committee Aug 2026
Armed Forces and National Security · In committee Jul 2025
Finance and Financial Sector · Introduced Sep 2026
Source: Congress.gov billsUpdated Nov 6, 2026, 3:27 PM ET
Voting record
Where Cotton sits in the U.S. Senate
Cotton is closer to the center than 56% of the chamber's Republicans.
Closest: Todd Young, Kevin Cramer, John Hoeven
Source: 99chambers roll-call scalingUpdated Nov 6, 2026, 5:06 PM ET
With Cotton’s party
- Votes with the chamber's Republicans100%
- Cosponsorships of the other party's bills13%
Black tick: the average of Republicans in the U.S. Senate.
Source: 99chambers legislative scores from roll calls and cosponsorships
Key votes
Votes chosen for their effect, not their side: Cotton’s vote, each party’s majority, and the result. An orange vote differs from most Republicans.
| Date | Bill | Cotton | Rep. majority | Dem. majority | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 5, 2026 | S 2: Secure America Act | Yes | Yes | No | Passed 52–47 |
| Apr 16, 2026 | HJRES 140: Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code,… | Yes | Yes | No | Passed 50–49 |
| Feb 12, 2026 | HJRES 142: Disapproving the action of the District of Columbia Council in approving the D.C.… | Yes | Yes | No | Passed 49–47 |
| Jan 30, 2026 | HR 7148: Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026 | Yes | Yes | No | Passed 71–29 |
| Dec 4, 2025 | HJRES 131: Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code,… | Yes | Yes | No | Passed 49–45 |
Source: 99chambers key votes from Congress.gov, Voteview and Open States roll calls
Career
Offices held, and every time Cotton was on a ballot. Filled marks are general elections won; hollow marks are primaries; an orange outline is a loss.
Source: 99chambers results archive (MEDSL, Klarner, state election offices)
Elections
Margin against the seat’s presidential baseline: how the seat voted for president in the same or nearest year.
| Year | Race | Result | Margin | Seat | +/− |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | U.S. Senate in Arkansas | Won | R+11.8 | R+31.3 | −19.5 |
| 2020 | U.S. Senate, Arkansas | Won | R+33.1 | — | — |
| 2014 | U.S. Senate, Arkansas | Won | R+17.1 | — | — |
| 2012 | U.S. House, AR-4 | Won | R+22.8 | — | — |
Source: 99chambers results archive; 2026: civicAPI (unofficial)Updated Nov 8, 2026, 7:01 PM ET
Campaign money, 2025–26
- Raised
- $7.1M
- Spent
- $9.5M
- Cash
- $5.1M
Source: FEC filings through Oct 14, 2026Updated Nov 3, 2026, 2:14 AM ET
Campaign committees
Open committees can still raise and spend money.
| COTTON FOR SENATE, INC. FEC | Active |
Source: FEC filings through Oct 14, 2026Updated Nov 3, 2026, 2:14 AM ET
Seats Cotton has held
- U.S. Senate, Arkansas · 2015–2027
- U.S. House, AR-4 · 2013–2015
Source: 99chambers results archive
Who Cotton has run against
- Hallie Shoffner (D) · 2026 general, won
- Ricky Dale Harrington Jr. (L) · 2020 election, won
- Mark L. Pryor (D) · 2014 election, won
- Gene Jeffress (D) · 2012 election, won
Source: 99chambers results archive; 2026: civicAPI (unofficial)
In the polls
Included in 7 polls; Cotton’s best result was 58% (U.S. Senate in Arkansas).
Cotton’s polls in the database →How we know Cotton
One person, matched across every source we use.
- Bioguide C001095
- FEC H2AR04083
- Wikidata Q3090307
- Ballotpedia Tom Cotton
- Vote Smart 135651
- GovTrack 412508
- OpenSecrets N00033363
Source: Identity links: Wikidata, congress-legislators, Open States, FECUpdated Nov 7, 2026, 3:00 PM ET