Government of Arkansas | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Polity type | Sub-national administrative division (federated state) |
| Part of | United States of America |
| Constitution | Constitution of Arkansas |
| Legislative branch | |
| Name | General Assembly |
| Type | Bicameral |
| Meeting place | Arkansas State Capitol |
| Upper house | |
| Name | Senate |
| Presiding officer | Leslie Rutledge, President |
| Lower house | |
| Name | House of Representatives |
| Presiding officer | Matthew Shepherd, Speaker |
| Executive branch | |
| Head of state and government | |
| Title | Governor |
| Currently | Sarah Huckabee Sanders |
| Appointer | Election |
| Cabinet | |
| Name | Cabinet of Arkansas |
| Leader | Governor |
| Deputy leader | Lieutenant Governor |
| Headquarters | State Capitol |
| Judicial branch | |
| Name | Judiciary of Arkansas |
| Courts | Courts of Arkansas |
| Arkansas Supreme Court | |
| Chief judge | John Dan Kemp |
| Seat | Little Rock |
| Year | Republican / Whig | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 2024 | 759,241 | 64.20% | 396,905 | 33.56% | 26,530 | 2.24% |
| 2020 | 760,647 | 62.40% | 423,932 | 34.78% | 34,490 | 2.83% |
| 2016 | 684,872 | 60.57% | 380,494 | 33.65% | 65,310 | 5.78% |
| 2012 | 647,744 | 60.57% | 394,409 | 36.88% | 27,315 | 2.55% |
| 2008 | 638,017 | 58.72% | 422,310 | 38.86% | 26,290 | 2.42% |
| 2004 | 572,898 | 54.31% | 469,953 | 44.55% | 12,094 | 1.15% |
| 2000 | 472,940 | 51.31% | 422,768 | 45.86% | 26,073 | 2.83% |
| 1996 | 325,416 | 36.80% | 475,171 | 53.74% | 83,675 | 9.46% |
| 1992 | 337,324 | 35.48% | 505,823 | 53.21% | 107,506 | 11.31% |
| 1988 | 466,578 | 56.37% | 349,237 | 42.19% | 11,923 | 1.44% |
| 1984 | 534,774 | 60.47% | 338,646 | 38.29% | 10,986 | 1.24% |
| 1980 | 403,164 | 48.13% | 398,041 | 47.52% | 36,377 | 4.34% |
| 1976 | 268,753 | 34.93% | 499,614 | 64.94% | 1,029 | 0.13% |
| 1972 | 445,751 | 68.82% | 198,899 | 30.71% | 3,016 | 0.47% |
| 1968 | 189,062 | 31.01% | 184,901 | 30.33% | 235,627 | 38.65% |
| 1964 | 243,264 | 43.41% | 314,197 | 56.06% | 2,965 | 0.53% |
| 1960 | 184,508 | 43.06% | 215,049 | 50.19% | 28,952 | 6.76% |
| 1956 | 186,287 | 45.82% | 213,277 | 52.46% | 7,008 | 1.72% |
| 1952 | 177,155 | 43.76% | 226,300 | 55.90% | 1,345 | 0.33% |
| 1948 | 50,959 | 21.02% | 149,659 | 61.72% | 41,857 | 17.26% |
| 1944 | 63,551 | 29.84% | 148,965 | 69.95% | 438 | 0.21% |
| 1940 | 42,121 | 20.98% | 158,622 | 79.02% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1936 | 32,039 | 17.86% | 146,765 | 81.80% | 619 | 0.34% |
| 1932 | 28,467 | 12.91% | 189,602 | 85.96% | 2,493 | 1.13% |
| 1928 | 77,751 | 39.33% | 119,196 | 60.29% | 746 | 0.38% |
| 1924 | 40,564 | 29.28% | 84,795 | 61.21% | 13,173 | 9.51% |
| 1920 | 71,117 | 38.73% | 107,409 | 58.49% | 5,111 | 2.78% |
| 1916 | 48,879 | 28.73% | 112,211 | 65.97% | 9,014 | 5.30% |
| 1912 | 25,585 | 20.45% | 68,814 | 55.01% | 30,705 | 24.54% |
| 1908 | 56,624 | 37.30% | 87,015 | 57.31% | 8,183 | 5.39% |
| 1904 | 46,860 | 40.25% | 64,434 | 55.35% | 5,127 | 4.40% |
| 1900 | 44,800 | 35.04% | 81,142 | 63.46% | 1,924 | 1.50% |
| 1896 | 37,512 | 25.12% | 110,103 | 73.72% | 1,732 | 1.16% |
| 1892 | 47,072 | 31.78% | 87,834 | 59.30% | 13,211 | 8.92% |
| 1888 | 59,752 | 38.04% | 86,062 | 54.80% | 11,244 | 7.16% |
| 1884 | 51,198 | 40.70% | 72,734 | 57.83% | 1,847 | 1.47% |
| 1880 | 41,661 | 38.66% | 60,489 | 56.13% | 5,622 | 5.22% |
| 1876 | 38,649 | 39.87% | 58,086 | 59.92% | 211 | 0.22% |
| 1872 | 41,373 | 52.17% | 37,927 | 47.83% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1868 | 22,112 | 53.68% | 19,078 | 46.32% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1860 | 0 | 0.00% | 5,357 | 9.89% | 48,795 | 90.11% |
| 1856 | 0 | 0.00% | 21,910 | 67.12% | 10,732 | 32.88% |
| 1852 | 7,404 | 37.82% | 12,173 | 62.18% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1848 | 7,587 | 44.93% | 9,301 | 55.07% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1844 | 5,604 | 36.99% | 9,546 | 63.01% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1840 | 5,160 | 43.58% | 6,679 | 56.42% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1836 | 1,334 | 35.92% | 2,380 | 64.08% | 0 | 0.00% |
The State government of Arkansas is divided into three branches: executive, legislative and judicial. These consist of the state governor's office, a bicameral state legislature known as the Arkansas General Assembly, and a state court system. The Arkansas Constitution delineates the structure and function of the state government. Since 1963, Arkansas has had four seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. Like all other states, it has two seats in the U.S. Senate.
The state was historically part of the Solid South, and was a one-party state dominated by Democrats. Arkansas was the only state in the nation not carried by Republicans at least once between 1876 and 1968, although it voted for segregationist George Wallace in 1968. It was the only Deep South state carried by Lyndon Johnson in 1964, just following the passage of the Civil Rights Act, however, Democratic support did weaken after this. The state voted Republican for the first time in 100 years in 1972, and became a swing state, voting for the national winner in every election from 1972 to 2004.[2] In 2008, the state continued in rightward turn in the 21st century, when Democrat Barack Obama became the first Democrat to win the presidency without carrying the state. Democrats lost the state legislature in 2012 and lost control of all statewide and congressional offices by 2014.[3]
Reflecting the state's large evangelical population, the state has a strong socially conservative bent. The 1874 Arkansas Constitution established Arkansas as a right to work state (a provision then directed against union organizers). In the early 21st century an initiative to restrict same-sex marriage passed by a 3:1 margin, although the United States Supreme Court overrode this in 2015 with its Obergefell v. Hodges decision.[4][5] Abortion in Arkansas is illegal except when it is necessary to save the life of the mother.[6]
- ^ Leip, David. "Presidential General Election Results Comparison – Arkansas". US Election Atlas. Retrieved January 1, 2023.
- ^ "Arkansas Presidential Election Voting History - 270toWin".
- ^ Davis, John C. (2024). From Blue to Red: The Rise of the GOP in Arkansas. University of Arkansas Press. ISBN 978-1-68226-244-3.
- ^ "HB1004". arkleg.state.ar.us. Retrieved March 16, 2024.
- ^ "The Latest: Arkansas counties begin to issue same-sex marriage licenses". 4029 TV. June 26, 2015. Retrieved March 16, 2024.
- ^ Blumenthal, Paul (2022-06-14). "These States Will Ban Abortion Now That Roe Is Overturned". HuffPost. Retrieved 2022-06-24.