Arkansas Rep. Stan Berry, a four-term Republican from Dover, passed away Monday at the age of 71.
House Speaker Brian Evans released a statement Tuesday announcing Berry’s death but did not disclose a cause. Berry represented parts of Pope and Van Buren counties and had served in the House since 2019.
“To me, he wasn’t just a colleague — he was a true friend and someone I genuinely enjoyed being around,” Evans, a Republican from Cabot, said in a statement. “Stan loved Arkansas, and he loved the people of District 44. You could see that in the way he served and the way he treated everyone he met—with kindness, sincerity, and a good sense of humor.”
Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders also shared her condolences with Berry’s family and friends in a statement Tuesday.
“Stan was a solid conservative, a patriotic veteran, a faithful Christian, and a loving husband, father and grandfather,” Sanders wrote. “It was a pleasure to serve the people of the River Valley and all of Arkansas alongside him and work to make our state a better place to call home.”
Berry first won election to the Legislature in 2002, serving three terms in the House before he unsuccessfully ran for a state Senate seat. He returned to the House after voters elected him again in 2018.
During last year’s session, he co-sponsored several measures that became law, including legislation to criminalize unlawful squatting, permit nitrogen gas executions, and allow the state to withhold funding from state-supported colleges and universities that host a Confucius Institute or a Chinese cultural center.
Senate President Pro Tempore Bart Hester, a Republican from Cave Springs, said Berry “was a friend to everyone he met” and added that “his loss will be felt in the Legislature and in his community.”
Before serving in the Legislature, Berry spent time in the National Guard and held roles on Dover’s city council and school board. He also served on the Tri-County Water Commission, which supports Pope, Yell, and Logan counties.
Berry became the second Arkansas lawmaker to die in office within the past year, following the death of Republican Sen. Gary Stubblefield of Branch at age 74 in September. When a lawmaker dies or resigns, the governor’s office issues a proclamation declaring a vacancy.
His death leaves Republicans with a 79-20 majority in the state House. Lawmakers are set to reconvene next month for the fiscal session, which will primarily focus on the state’s budget.
Berry had been running unopposed for reelection in November. Officials have yet to determine the next steps to ensure representation for his district in the 2027 legislative session.