Arkansas House of Representatives elections
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This page displays election information for the Arkansas House of Representatives.
Elections
Arkansas state representatives serve two-year terms, with all seats up for election every two years. Arkansas holds elections for its legislature in even years.
2026
Elections for the Arkansas House of Representatives will take place in 2026. The general election is on November 3, 2026.
2024
Elections for the Arkansas House of Representatives took place in 2024. The general election was on November 5, 2024. The primary was March 5, 2024, and the primary runoff was April 2, 2024. The filing deadline was November 14, 2023.
In the 2024 elections, the Republican majority in the Arkansas House of Representatives decreased from 82-18 to 81-19.
| Arkansas House of Representatives | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 5, 2024 | After November 6, 2024 | |
| Democratic Party | 18 | 19 | |
| Republican Party | 82 | 81 | |
| Total | 100 | 100 | |
2022
Elections for the Arkansas House of Representatives took place in 2022. The general election was on November 8, 2022. A primary was scheduled for May 24, 2022, and a primary runoff was scheduled for June 21, 2022. The filing deadline was March 1, 2022.
In the 2022 elections, Republicans increased their majority in the Arkansas House of Representatives from 78-22 to 82-18.
| Arkansas House of Representatives | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 8, 2022 | After November 9, 2022 | |
| Democratic Party | 22 | 18 | |
| Republican Party | 78 | 82 | |
| Total | 100 | 100 | |
2020
Elections for the office of Arkansas House of Representatives took place in 2020. The general election was held on November 3, 2020. A primary was scheduled for March 3, 2020, and a primary runoff was scheduled for March 31, 2020. The filing deadline was November 11, 2019.
In the 2020 elections, Republicans increased their majority in the Arkansas House of Representatives from 75-23 to 78-22.
| Arkansas House of Representatives | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
| Democratic Party | 23 | 22 | |
| Republican Party | 75 | 78 | |
| Vacancy | 2 | 0 | |
| Total | 100 | 100 | |
2018
Elections for the Arkansas House of Representatives took place in 2018. An open primary election took place on May 22, 2018.[1] A primary runoff election took place on June 19, 2018. The general election was held on November 6, 2018. The candidate filing deadline was March 1, 2018.[2]
In the 2018 elections, Republicans increased their majority in the Arkansas House of Representatives from 75-24 to 76-24.
| Arkansas House of Representatives | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 6, 2018 | After November 7, 2018 | |
| Democratic Party | 24 | 24 | |
| Republican Party | 75 | 76 | |
| Vacancy | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 100 | 100 | |
2016
Ballotpedia's analysis revealed that only 42 of the 100 seats up for election in 2016 involved competition between Democrats and Republicans. This made it numerically impossible for Democrats to take control of either Arkansas legislative chamber in 2016.
The reason for the low competition was that candidates were in safe districts for their parties. Between 1972 and 2014, an upward trend in uncontested state legislative elections occurred.
The Democratic Party of Arkansas focused its 2016 efforts on the state’s House of Representatives. Without the numbers to win the state Senate, H.L. Moody, communications director for the Democratic Party of Arkansas, told Ballotpedia that the party’s goal was to “start building back where we can,” beginning with the House.
Ballotpedia spoke to political analyst Richard Winger, who said that the early primary deadline for the 2016 elections was a possible factor as well, making it difficult for Democrats to recruit candidates early.
The primary election was held on March 1, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing period began at noon local time on November 2, 2015, and ended at noon local time on November 9, 2015.[3] All 100 House seats were up for election in 2016.
Heading into the election, Republicans held a 64-34 majority. Republicans gained nine seats in the election, giving them a 73-27 majority.
| Arkansas House of Representatives | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 7, 2016 | After November 8, 2016 | |
| Democratic Party | 34 | 27 | |
| Republican Party | 64 | 73 | |
| Independent | 1 | 0 | |
| Vacancy | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 100 | 100 | |
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2014Elections for the Arkansas House of Representatives took place in 2014. A primary election took place on May 20, 2014; a runoff election took place where necessary on June 10, 2014. The general election was held on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was March 3, 2014. All 100 House seats were up for election in 2014. Heading into the election, Republicans held a 51-48 majority. Republicans gained 13 seats in the election, giving them a 64-36 majority.
2012Elections for the office of Arkansas House of Representatives took place in 2012. The primary election was held on May 22, 2012, and the general election was held on November 6, 2012. The candidate filing deadline was March 1, 2012. All 100 House seats were up for election in 2012. Heading into the election, Democrats held a 54-46 majority. Democrats lost five seats in the election, giving Republicans a 51-49 majority.
The table below details the 10 districts with the smallest margin of victory in the November 6 general election in 2012.
2010Elections for the office of Arkansas House of Representatives took place in 2010. The primary election was held on May 18, 2010, and the general election was held on November 2, 2010. The candidate filing deadline was March 8, 2010. All 100 House seats were up for election in 2010. Heading into the election, Democrats held a 71-28 majority. Democrats lost 16 seats in the election, giving them a 55-45 majority.
In 2010, candidates running for the House raised a total of $5,568,912 in campaign contributions. Their top 10 contributors were:[4]
2008Elections for the office of Arkansas House of Representatives consisted of a primary election on May 20, 2008, and a general election on November 4, 2008. All 100 House seats were up for election in 2008. During the 2008 election, the total value of contributions to House candidates was $5,071,811. The top 10 contributors were:[5]
2006Elections for the office of Arkansas House of Representatives consisted of a primary election on May 5, 2006, and a general election on November 7, 2006. All 100 House seats were up for election in 2006. During the 2006 election, the total value of contributions to House candidates was $4,666,062. The top 10 contributors were:[6]
2004Elections for the office of Arkansas House of Representatives consisted of a primary election on May 18, 2004, and a general election on November 2, 2004. All 100 House seats were up for election in 2004. During the 2004 election, the total value of contributions to House candidates was $3,956,366. The top 10 contributors were:[7]
2002Elections for the office of Arkansas House of Representatives consisted of a primary election on May 21, 2002, and a general election on November 5, 2002. All 100 House seats were up for election in 2002. During the 2002 election, the total value of contributions to House candidates was $2,775,317. The top 10 contributors were:[8]
2000Elections for the office of Arkansas House of Representatives consisted of a primary election on May 23, 2000, and a general election on November 7, 2000. All 100 House seats were up for election in 2000. During the 2000 election, the total value of contributions to House candidates was $2,748,032. The top 10 contributors were:[9]
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Historical party control
Republicans won control of the Arkansas House of Representatives in 2012. In 2024, they won an 81-19 majority.
The table below shows the partisan history of the Arkansas House following every general election from 1992 to 2024. All data from 2006 or earlier comes from Michael Dubin's Party Affiliations in the State Legislatures (McFarland Press, 2007). Data after 2006 was compiled by Ballotpedia staff.
Arkansas House of Representatives election results: 1992-2022
| Year | '92 | '94 | '96 | '98 | '00 | '02 | '04 | '06 | '08 | '10 | '12 | '14 | '16 | '18 | '20 | '22 | '24 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democrats | 89 | 88 | 86 | 76 | 72 | 70 | 72 | 75 | 71 | 55 | 49 | 36 | 27 | 26 | 22 | 18 | 19 |
| Republicans | 10 | 12 | 14 | 24 | 28 | 30 | 28 | 25 | 28 | 45 | 51 | 64 | 73 | 74 | 78 | 82 | 81 |
Before 1992
Democrats held the chamber between 1874 and 2012. The Democratic majority did not fall below 95 seats from 1900 to 1978.
Trifecta history
A state government trifecta is a term that describes single party government, when one political party holds the governor's office and has majorities in both chambers of the legislature in a state government. Between 1992 and 2023, Arkansas was under the following types of trifecta control:
- Democratic trifecta: 1992-1996, 2007-2012
- Republican trifecta: 2015-2023
- Divided government: 1997-2006, 2013-2014
Arkansas Party Control: 1992-2025
Eleven years of Democratic trifectas • Eleven years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.
| Year | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governor | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
| Senate | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
| House | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
Footnotes
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "State Primary Election Systems," accessed May 29, 2017
- ↑ Arkansas Secretary of State, "2018 Election Dates," accessed August 29, 2017
- ↑ Arkansas Secretary of State, "2016 Election Dates," accessed November 17, 2015
- ↑ Follow the Money, "Arkansas House 2010 Campaign Contributions," accessed April 21, 2015
- ↑ Follow the Money, "Arkansas 2008 Candidates," accessed May 28, 2013
- ↑ Follow the Money, "Arkansas 2006 Candidates," accessed May 28, 2013
- ↑ Follow the Money, "Arkansas 2004 Candidates," accessed May 28, 2013
- ↑ Follow the Money, "Arkansas 2002 Candidates," accessed May 28, 2013
- ↑ Follow the Money, "Arkansas 2000 Candidates," accessed May 28, 2013
