Arkansas Mayor’s Brother Claimed $1.8 Billion Powerball Jackpot Won on Christmas Eve

New details have emerged on who won the $1.817 billion Powerball jackpot on Christmas Eve last December.

Since 2021, Arkansas Lottery winners who claim prizes of $500,000 or more have been allowed to remain anonymous for three years. However, elected officials and their immediate family members are barred from using the confidentiality provision, a safeguard intended to preserve public confidence in the integrity of the lottery.

In January, the holder of the Dec. 24 winning Powerball ticket came forward and opted for the one-time pre-tax cash distribution of $834.9 million. At the time, the Arkansas Lottery said the winner chose to remain anonymous, but upon further review, state officials determined that their relation to an elected official meant their identity needed to be made public.

Family Ties

The winner has been identified as Tracy Hartwick, who reported purchasing the life-changing play at the Murphy USA gas station in Cabot. Hartwick is the brother of longtime North Little Rock Mayor Terry Hartwick (D).

The Arkansas Lottery anonymity law requires that the identities of relatives within the second degree of consanguinity be made public.

A Freedom of Information Act request obtained by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette revealed that Tracy Hartwick collected 94% of the cash payout, and Timothy Allen Hartwick, a second brother of the mayor, was given 3%, or roughly $25 million before taxes. The remaining 3% was allocated to a person unrelated to the mayor and therefore was allowed to remain anonymous.

After federal taxes and the state’s 3.9% cut, the ticket’s net payout came to approximately $493.5 million. That means Tracy’s cut was approximately $463.9 million, while the two others each received $14.8 million.

Tracy Hartwick previously owned and operated a small HVAC business. Mayor Hartwick is in his third non-consecutive term, serving as mayor of North Little Rock from 1985 to 1988 before returning to office in 2021.

North Little Rock is the seventh most populous city in Arkansas, with approximately 64,500 residents.

While Tracy was purchasing the Powerball ticket, his mayor brother was being investigated by state police after a high school student accused the politician of inappropriate touching. A special prosecutor cleared the mayor in April 2026, saying the claims didn’t meet the criminal standards for sexual assault or harassment. Hartwick denied the accusations throughout the probe.

Mega Millions and Powerball Drought

Lottery players haven’t been lucky like the Hartwicks in months. The Mega Millions jackpot hasn’t hit since March 17, while the top prize for Powerball hasn’t hit since May 2.

Combined, the prominent interstate lottery games have held 66 drawings without a single ticket matching either jackpot.

The jackpot for tomorrow night’s (July 17) Mega Millions drawing is an estimated $672 million, with the cash option at $293.3 million. Powerball will next be drawn on Saturday, with a jackpot forecasted at $526 million and $233.5 million in cash.