State Rep. Austin McCollum, R-Bentonville, resigned his House seat Wednesday (Aug. 5) after being arrested this weekend for a domestic violence incident at his home. He made no mention of his intentions to remain or step down as the GOP nominee for Benton County Judge. “Please accept this as my resignation from the Arkansas House of Representatives, effective Wednesday, August 5, 2026. Rep. McCollum’s resignation is the appropriate step and protects the integrity of the House of Representatives as the legal process moves forward.” State law says a party nominee must die, become ill or move away from a district in order to resign.