Chris Jones on Tuesday won the Democratic nomination for governor of Arkansas to advance to the November general election.
Jones of Little Rock beat attorney and former state Rep. Jay Martin, businesswoman Supha Xayprasith-Mays, businessman James “Rus” Russell III and educator Anthony Bland, all of Little Rock.
At 8:42 p.m., the Associated Press called the race for Jones.
With 51 of 2551 precincts reporting, the unofficial vote totals in the Democratic primary were:
Jones 21,822
Jay Martin 1,698
Supha Xayraisth-Mays 1,294
Anthony Bland 1,843
James “Rus” Russell III 1,458.
Jones of Little Rock is a former executive director of the Arkansas Regional Innovation Hub, a physicist and a minister.
Jones will face Republican candidate Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Libertarian candidate Ricky Dale Harrington Jr. of Pine Bluff in the Nov. 8 general election.
The winner of the general election will succeed Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson, who has been governor since 2015.
The governor’s salary is $158,739 a year.