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Arkansas Secretary of State election, 2022
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| Arkansas Secretary of State |
|---|
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| Democratic primary Republican primary General election |
| Election details |
| Filing deadline: March 1, 2022 |
| Primary: May 24, 2022 Primary runoff: June 21, 2022 General: November 8, 2022 Pre-election incumbent(s): John Thurston (Republican) |
| How to vote |
| Poll times: 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Voting in Arkansas |
| Ballotpedia analysis |
| Federal and state primary competitiveness State executive elections in 2022 Impact of term limits in 2022 State government trifectas State government triplexes Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2022 |
| Arkansas executive elections |
| Governor Lieutenant Governor |
Arkansas held an election for secretary of state on November 8, 2022. The primary was scheduled for May 24, 2022, and a primary runoff was scheduled for June 21, 2022. The filing deadline was March 1, 2022. This was one of 27 elections for secretary of state taking place in 2022. Click here for an overview of these races. All but three states have a secretary of state. Although the specific duties and powers of the office vary from state to state, secretaries of state are often responsible for the maintenance of voter rolls and for administering elections. Other common responsibilities include registering businesses, maintaining state records, and certifying official documents. At the time of the 2022 elections, there were 27 Republican secretaries of state and 20 Democratic secretaries of state.
A state government triplex refers to a situation where the governor, attorney general, and secretary of state are all members of the same political party. Heading into the 2022 elections, there were 23 Republican triplexes, 18 Democratic triplexes, and nine divided governments where neither party held triplex control.
Incumbent John Thurston won election in the general election for Arkansas Secretary of State.
For more information about the primaries in this election, click on the links below:
- Arkansas Secretary of State election, 2022 (May 24 Democratic primary)
- Arkansas Secretary of State election, 2022 (May 24 Republican primary)
Candidates and election results
General election
General election for Arkansas Secretary of State
Incumbent John Thurston defeated Anna Beth Gorman in the general election for Arkansas Secretary of State on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | John Thurston (R) | 67.0 | 600,194 |
 | Anna Beth Gorman (D) | 33.0 | 294,970 | |
| Total votes: 895,164 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Arkansas Secretary of State
Anna Beth Gorman defeated Joshua Price in the Democratic primary for Arkansas Secretary of State on May 24, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Anna Beth Gorman | 58.6 | 52,762 |
 | Joshua Price | 41.4 | 37,280 | |
| Total votes: 90,042 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Arkansas Secretary of State
Incumbent John Thurston defeated Eddie Joe Williams in the Republican primary for Arkansas Secretary of State on May 24, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | John Thurston | 72.1 | 236,974 |
 | Eddie Joe Williams | 27.9 | 91,721 | |
| Total votes: 328,695 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Mark Lowery (R)
Voting information
- See also: Voting in Arkansas
Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey responses
Ballotpedia asks all federal, state, and local candidates to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
No candidate in this race completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey.
Past elections
2018
General election
General election for Arkansas Secretary of State
John Thurston defeated Susan Inman and Christopher Olson in the general election for Arkansas Secretary of State on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | John Thurston (R) | 60.6 | 537,581 |
 | Susan Inman (D) | 36.5 | 323,644 | |
 | Christopher Olson (L) | 2.9 | 25,320 | |
| Total votes: 886,545 (100.00% precincts reporting) | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Arkansas Secretary of State
Susan Inman advanced from the Democratic primary for Arkansas Secretary of State on May 22, 2018.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | | Susan Inman |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Arkansas Secretary of State
John Thurston defeated Trevor Drown in the Republican primary for Arkansas Secretary of State on May 22, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | John Thurston | 52.6 | 100,794 |
 | Trevor Drown | 47.4 | 90,927 | |
| Total votes: 191,721 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2014
| Secretary of State of Arkansas, 2014 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican |  Mark Martin Incumbent |
60.6% | 506,384 | |
| Democratic | Susan Inman | 35.1% | 292,878 | |
| Libertarian | Jacob Holloway | 4.3% | 36,159 | |
| Total Votes | 835,421 | |||
| Election results via Arkansas Secretary of State | ||||
Election analysis
Click the tabs below to view information about demographics, past elections, and partisan control of the state.
- Presidential elections - Information about presidential elections in the state.
- Statewide elections - Information about recent U.S. Senate and gubernatorial elections in the state.
- State partisanship - The partisan makeup of the state's congressional delegation and state government.
- Demographics - Information about the state's demographics and how they compare to the country as a whole.
Presidential elections
Cook PVI by congressional district
| Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index for Arkansas, 2022 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| District | Incumbent | Party | PVI |
| Arkansas' 1st | Rick Crawford |  Republican |
R+22 |
| Arkansas' 2nd | French Hill | Republican |
R+9 |
| Arkansas' 3rd | Steve Womack | Republican |
R+15 |
| Arkansas' 4th | Bruce Westerman | Republican |
R+20 |
2020 presidential results by 2022 congressional district lines
| 2020 presidential results in congressional districts based on 2022 district lines, Arkansas[1] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| District | Joe Biden 
|
Donald Trump 
| ||
| Arkansas' 1st | 28.1% | 69.0% | ||
| Arkansas' 2nd | 42.1% | 55.2% | ||
| Arkansas' 3rd | 36.8% | 60.2% | ||
| Arkansas' 4th | 31.0% | 66.2% | ||
2012-2020
How a state's counties vote in a presidential election and the size of those counties can provide additional insights into election outcomes at other levels of government including statewide and congressional races. Below, four categories are used to describe each county's voting pattern over the 2012, 2016, and 2020 presidential elections: Solid, Trending, Battleground, and New. Click [show] on the table below for examples:
| County-level voting pattern categories | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | |||||||
| Status | 2012 | 2016 | 2020 | ||||
| Solid Democratic | D | D | D | ||||
| Trending Democratic | R | D | D | ||||
| Battleground Democratic | D | R | D | ||||
| New Democratic | R | R | D | ||||
| Republican | |||||||
| Status | 2012 | 2016 | 2020 | ||||
| Solid Republican | R | R | R | ||||
| Trending Republican | D | R | R | ||||
| Battleground Republican | R | D | R | ||||
| New Republican | D | D | R | ||||
Following the 2020 presidential election, 80.4% of Arkansans lived in one of the state's 66 Solid Republican counties, which voted for the Republican presidential candidate in every election from 2012 to 2020, and 19.4% lived in one of eight Solid Democratic counties. Overall, Arkansas was Solid Republican, having voted for Mitt Romney (R) in 2012, Donald Trump (R) in 2016, and Donald Trump (R) in 2020. Use the table below to view the total number of each type of county in Arkansas following the 2020 election as well as the overall percentage of the state population located in each county type.
| Arkansas county-level statistics, 2020 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solid Republican | 66 | 80.4% | |||||
| Solid Democratic | 8 | 19.4% | |||||
| Trending Republican | 1 | 0.2% | |||||
| Total voted Democratic | 8 | 19.4% | |||||
| Total voted Republican | 67 | 80.6% | |||||
Historical voting trends
Arkansas presidential election results (1900-2020)
- 20 Democratic wins
- 10 Republican wins
- 1 other win
| Year | 1900 | 1904 | 1908 | 1912 | 1916 | 1920 | 1924 | 1928 | 1932 | 1936 | 1940 | 1944 | 1948 | 1952 | 1956 | 1960 | 1964 | 1968 | 1972 | 1976 | 1980 | 1984 | 1988 | 1992 | 1996 | 2000 | 2004 | 2008 | 2012 | 2016 | 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winning Party | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | AI[2] | R | D | R | R | R | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R |
Statewide elections
This section details the results of the five most recent U.S. Senate and gubernatorial elections held in the state.
U.S. Senate elections
The table below details the vote in the five most recent U.S. Senate races in Arkansas.
| U.S. Senate election results in Arkansas | ||
|---|---|---|
| Race | Winner | Runner up |
| 2020 | 66.5% |
33.5%
|
| 2016 | 59.7% |
36.3%
|
| 2014 | 56.5% |
39.4%
|
| 2010 | 58.0% |
36.9%
|
| 2008 | 79.5% |
20.5%
|
| Average | 64.0 | 33.3 |
Gubernatorial elections
- See also: Governor of Arkansas
The table below details the vote in the five most recent gubernatorial elections in Arkansas.
| Gubernatorial election results in Arkansas | ||
|---|---|---|
| Race | Winner | Runner up |
| 2018 | 65.3% |
31.8%
|
| 2014 | 55.4% |
41.5%
|
| 2010 | 64.4% |
33.6%
|
| 2006 | 55.6% |
40.7%
|
| 2002 | 52.0% |
47.0%
|
| Average | 58.5 | 38.9 |
State partisanship
Congressional delegation
The table below displays the partisan composition of Arkansas' congressional delegation as of November 2022.
| Congressional Partisan Breakdown from Arkansas, November 2022 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | U.S. Senate | U.S. House | Total |
| Democratic | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Republican | 2 | 4 | 6 |
| Independent | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Vacancies | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 2 | 4 | 6 |
State executive
The table below displays the officeholders in Arkansas' top four state executive offices as of November 2022.
| State executive officials in Arkansas, November 2022 | |
|---|---|
| Office | Officeholder |
| Governor | Asa Hutchinson
|
| Lieutenant Governor | Tim Griffin
|
| Secretary of State | John Thurston
|
| Attorney General | Leslie Rutledge
|
State legislature
The tables below highlight the partisan composition of the Arkansas State Legislature as of November 2022.
Arkansas State Senate
| Party | As of November 2022 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 7 | |
| Republican Party | 27 | |
| Independent | 1 | |
| Vacancies | 0 | |
| Total | 35 | |
Arkansas House of Representatives
| Party | As of November 2022 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 22 | |
| Republican Party | 78 | |
| Vacancies | 0 | |
| Total | 100 | |
Trifecta control
As of November 2022, Arkansas was a Republican trifecta, with majorities in both chambers of the state legislature and control of the governorship. The table below displays the historical trifecta status of the state.
Arkansas Party Control: 1992-2022
Eleven years of Democratic trifectas • Eight 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
Demographics
The table below details demographic data in Arkansas and compares it to the broader United States as of 2019.
| Demographic Data for Arkansas | ||
|---|---|---|
| Arkansas | United States | |
| Population | 3,011,524 | 331,449,281 |
| Land area (sq mi) | 51,992 | 3,531,905 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White | 75.4% | 70.4% |
| Black/African American | 15.2% | 12.6% |
| Asian | 1.5% | 5.6% |
| Native American | 0.6% | 0.8% |
| Pacific Islander | 0.3% | 0.2% |
| Other (single race) | 2.9% | 5.1% |
| Multiple | 4% | 5.2% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 7.6% | 18.2% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate | 87.2% | 88.5% |
| College graduation rate | 23.8% | 32.9% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income | $49,475 | $64,994 |
| Persons below poverty level | 16.1% | 12.8% |
| Source: population provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "Decennial Census" (2020). Other figures provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2015-2020). | ||
| **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. | ||
See also
| Arkansas | State Executive Elections | News and Analysis |
|---|---|---|
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External links
Footnotes
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