Arkansas 4 is located in the southwest corner of the state, and its population is 71% White, 24% Black, and 3% Hispanic. Though Mike Ross (D) won the 2002 to 2010 elections, the district has otherwise voted for the Republican candidate. The current incumbent, Bruce Westerman (R), won the 2014 and 2016 elections. He earned his bachelor's degree in engineering from the University of Arkansas and his master's degree in forestry from Yale University. He previously served as the Majority Leader of the Arkansas House of Representatives. In Congress, he served on the Committee on the Budget, Committee on Natural Resources, Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, and the Republican Study Committee. In this year's election, his opponent is Hayden Shamel (D), a Hot Springs teacher and chair of the Garland County Democratic Party.