Arkansas State Rep. Austin McCollum (R) was arrested Saturday on charges including aggravated assault, first-degree false imprisonment, and domestic battering, prompting bipartisan calls from state and federal officials for him to resign from office and end his campaign for Benton County judge.
McCollum, who has served in the Arkansas House since 2017, won the Republican primary for the county judge seat in March and was the only candidate listed for the November general election, the Arkansas Advocate reported.
According to the arrest affidavit, McCollum’s wife alleged that during an argument Aug. 1, he threw her onto a bed during the incident and placed his knee on the back of her neck, restricting her airway after refusing to allow her to leave the bedroom.
She sustained several injuries, including a split eyebrow and two injured fingers.
The affidavit also stated that deputies observed blood on McCollum’s arms, legs, hands, and knuckles.
According to the document, McCollum declined to answer questions from a deputy about the injuries, which the affidavit said were consistent with “punching someone repeatedly.”
The affidavit states the alleged actions led investigators to file charges, including aggravated assault on a family or household member, first-degree false imprisonment, and third-degree domestic battery.
McCollum was booked into the Benton County Jail.
Following news of the arrest, several Republican officials who had previously supported McCollum’s campaign called for him to step aside.
Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R) said the allegations were “appalling” and called on McCollum to resign from office and end his county judge campaign if the allegations are accurate.
U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton also said the allegations were troubling and urged McCollum to resign and withdraw from the race, 5 News reported.
Arkansas House Speaker Brian Evans announced he was removing McCollum from all House leadership positions, including his committee vice-chairmanship, and stripping him of related membership privileges and benefits.
Evans said he was calling on McCollum to resign from the Arkansas House or he would convene the chamber to take further action.
Attorney General Tim Griffin and Lt. Gov. Leslie Rutledge also withdrew their support for McCollum and called for him to leave both the Legislature and the county judge race.
Griffin said McCollum should resign immediately, while Rutledge said she was withdrawing her endorsement and that the allegations were serious and disturbing.
The Republican Party of Benton County said it was monitoring developments and described the allegations as troubling while noting that McCollum is entitled to due process under the legal system.
The organization said elected officials are expected to meet high standards of conduct and said it would continue following the legal process.
McCollum represents Arkansas House District 8, which includes parts of Pea Ridge and Rogers.
Before seeking the county judge position, he served multiple terms in the state Legislature and previously held leadership roles in the House.
During his county judge campaign, he received endorsements from several Republican officials, including Sanders, Griffin, Cotton, and Benton County Sheriff Shawn Holloway.
The Benton County judge serves as the chief executive of county government.
McCollum’s arrest has raised questions about his political future, though officials had not announced any formal steps regarding his campaign at the time of reporting.
Arkansas law includes procedures for filling a party nomination vacancy under certain circumstances, including a nominee’s death, serious illness, filing for another office or leaving the district.
The charges against McCollum remain allegations, and he is entitled to the presumption of innocence as the case moves through the legal process.
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