By Voters in this rural county delivered a result few political observers expected: a Republican primary victory for a man currently awaiting trial for murder.
Aaron Spencer, a local farmer and Army combat veteran, defeated incumbent Sheriff John Staley in the March 3 Republican primary for Lonoke County sheriff, according to unofficial results finalized March 4. Spencer, who faces a pending second-degree murder charge stemming from a 2024 shooting, captured roughly 54 percent of the vote—about 5,400 ballots—in a three-way race that drew more than 10,000 voters, noted The New York Times.
Staley finished a distant second with roughly 27 percent, or about 2,676 votes, while candidate David Bufford placed third with around 20 percent, about 2,012 votes.
In a county where Republican nominees rarely lose—Donald Trump carried Lonoke County with nearly 76 percent of the vote in 2024—Spencer now enters the general election as the clear favorite against Democratic candidate Brian Mitchell Sr.
The primary drew national attention because of the criminal case hanging over Spencer’s campaign.
In October 2024, Spencer fatally shot 67-year-old Michael Fosler after reportedly discovering Fosler in a vehicle with Spencer’s then-14-year-old daughter. Fosler had previously been arrested months earlier and was out on bail facing several felony charges, including fourth-degree sexual assault, sexual indecency with a child, internet stalking of a child, and electronic facilitation of child sexual abuse.
Prosecutors initially charged Spencer with first-degree murder, but the charge was later reduced to second-degree murder.
Spencer has consistently argued that the shooting occurred after the justice system failed to protect his family. During the campaign he framed the case as an example of institutional breakdown and ran on promises to strengthen law enforcement accountability and child protection.
“I did what any good father would do,” Spencer said in interviews during the race.
His campaign launched in late 2025, setting up a remarkable political confrontation: Spencer challenging the very sheriff whose department arrested him in the 2024 incident.
Supporters rallied around the campaign as a symbol of parental protection and frustration with what they see as lenient bail policies for violent offenders. On social media, some backers described Spencer’s victory as a warning to political and legal institutions that communities want tougher responses to crimes involving children.
Liberal critics see the outcome differently. Legal analysts and some local officials have questioned the implications of electing a sheriff who is currently facing felony charges, raising concerns about the rule of law and the credibility of the office should Spencer ultimately be convicted.
The legal case remains unresolved. Spencer’s trial is still pending, with a pretrial hearing scheduled for later in March. If convicted, legal experts say he could be barred from serving even if he wins the general election.
For now, however, Lonoke County voters have spoken.
In one of the most unusual local elections in recent memory, the man who once sat in the county jail now stands poised to lead the very sheriff’s office that booked him.
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