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Republican Tom Cotton, left, greets supporters at his election night party in Hot Springs, Ark., Tuesday, May 22, 2012. Cotton won his party's nomination in the race for Congress in Arkansas' 4th district. Danny Johnston, Associated Press
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U.S. Congressional candidate Beth Anne Rankin visits with supporters at an election watch party in Magnolia, Ark., May 22, 2012. Tom Cotton, an Army veteran and management consultant, defeated Beth Anne Rankin and John Cowart by a large enough margin to a Aaron Morris, Banner-News, Associated Press
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Scott Ellinton, Arkansas First Congressional District Democratic primary candidate, speaks to media Tuesday, May 22, 2012, at his campaign headquarters in Jonesboro, Ark. The Jonesboro Sun, George Jared, Associated Press
By Associated Press

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Democratic candidates for congressional seats in eastern and southern Arkansas are headed to a runoff election next month.

Army veteran Tom Cotton defeated Beth Anne Rankin Tuesday to win the Republican nomination for an open congressional seat in southern Arkansas.

But State Sen. Gene Jeffress and Q. Byrum Hurst will face each other in the June 12 runoff for the Democratic nomination in the same seat.

In eastern Arkansas, prosecutor Scott Ellington will head to the runoff with state Rep. Clark Hall.

The congressional matchups dominated voting Tuesday, and turnout was light as Arkansas lacked any major statewide races.

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Voters also cast ballots in 33 contested state legislative primaries and a state Supreme Court race. Presumptive nominee Mitt Romney and President Barack Obama won the state's mostly meaningless presidential primaries.

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