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Arkansas gubernatorial election, 2026

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2022
Governor of Arkansas
Ballotpedia Election Coverage Badge.png
Democratic primary
Republican primary
General election
Election details
Filing deadline: November 12, 2025
Primary: March 3, 2026
Primary runoff: March 31, 2026
General: November 3, 2026
How to vote
Poll times:

7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Voting in Arkansas

Race ratings
Cook Political Report: Solid Republican
Sabato's Crystal Ball: Safe Republican
Inside Elections: Solid Republican
Ballotpedia analysis
Federal and state primary competitiveness
State executive elections in 2026
Impact of term limits in 2026
State government trifectas
State government triplexes
Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2026
Arkansas
executive elections
Governor

Lieutenant Governor
Attorney General
Secretary of State
Auditor
Commissioner of State Lands
Treasurer

Arkansas is holding an election for governor on November 3, 2026. The primary is March 3, 2026, and a primary runoff is March 31, 2026. The filing deadline was November 12, 2025.

For more information about the primaries in this election, click on the links below:

Candidates and election results

General election

The primary will occur on March 3, 2026. The general election will occur on November 3, 2026. General election candidates will be added here following the primary.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Governor of Arkansas

Fredrick Love and Supha Xayprasith-Mays are running in the Democratic primary for Governor of Arkansas on March 3, 2026.


Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Governor of Arkansas

Incumbent Sarah Huckabee Sanders is running in the Republican primary for Governor of Arkansas on March 3, 2026.


Candidate Connection = 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.

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Candidate profiles

There are currently no candidate profiles created for this race. Candidate profiles will appear here as they are created. Encourage the candidates in this race to complete Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey so that their profile will appear here.

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 has completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. Ballotpedia is seeking 100 percent participation so voters can learn more about all the candidates on their ballots.

Voting information

See also: Voting in Arkansas

Election information in Arkansas: Nov. 3, 2026, election.

What is the voter registration deadline?

  • In-person: Oct. 5, 2026
  • By mail: Postmarked by Oct. 5, 2026
  • Online: N/A

Is absentee/mail-in voting available to all voters?

No

What is the absentee/mail-in ballot request deadline?

  • In-person: Oct. 30, 2026
  • By mail: Received by Oct. 27, 2026
  • Online: Oct. 27, 2026

What is the absentee/mail-in ballot return deadline?

  • In-person: Oct. 30, 2026
  • By mail: Received by Nov. 3, 2026

Is early voting available to all voters?

Yes

What are the early voting start and end dates?

Nov. 19, 2026 to Nov. 2, 2026

Are all voters required to present ID at the polls? If so, is a photo or non-photo ID required?

N/A

When are polls open on Election Day?

7:30 a.m. - 7:30 p.m. (CT)


General election race ratings

See also: Race rating definitions and methods

Ballotpedia provides race ratings from four outlets: The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, Sabato's Crystal Ball, and DDHQ/The Hill. Each race rating indicates if one party is perceived to have an advantage in the race and, if so, the degree of advantage:

  • Safe and Solid ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge and the race is not competitive.
  • Likely ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge, but an upset is possible.
  • Lean ratings indicate that one party has a small edge, but the race is competitive.[1]
  • Toss-up ratings indicate that neither party has an advantage.

Race ratings are informed by a number of factors, including polling, candidate quality, and election result history in the race's district or state.[2][3][4]

Race ratings: Arkansas gubernatorial election, 2026
Race trackerRace ratings
12/2/202511/25/202511/18/202511/11/2025
The Cook Political Report with Amy WalterSolid RepublicanSolid RepublicanSolid RepublicanSolid Republican
Inside Elections with Nathan L. GonzalesSolid RepublicanSolid RepublicanSolid RepublicanSolid Republican
Larry J. Sabato's Crystal BallSafe RepublicanSafe RepublicanSafe RepublicanSafe Republican
Note: Ballotpedia reviews external race ratings every week throughout the election season and posts weekly updates even if the media outlets have not revised their ratings during that week.

Past elections

The section below details election results for this office in elections dating back to 2014.

2022

See also: Arkansas gubernatorial election, 2022

General election

General election for Governor of Arkansas

The following candidates ran in the general election for Governor of Arkansas on November 8, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Sarah Huckabee Sanders
Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R)
 
63.0
 
571,105
Image of Chris Jones
Chris Jones (D) Candidate Connection
 
35.2
 
319,242
Image of Ricky Dale Harrington Jr.
Ricky Dale Harrington Jr. (L) Candidate Connection
 
1.8
 
16,690
Jason Tate (Independent) (Write-in)
 
0.0
 
0
Image of Dan Nelson
Dan Nelson (Independent) (Write-in)
 
0.0
 
0
Michael Woodard (Independent) (Write-in)
 
0.0
 
0
Image of Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley (Independent) (Write-in)
 
0.0
 
0

Total votes: 907,037
Candidate Connection = 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 Governor of Arkansas

Chris Jones defeated Anthony Bland, Jay Martin, James Russell, and Supha Xayprasith-Mays in the Democratic primary for Governor of Arkansas on May 24, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Chris Jones
Chris Jones Candidate Connection
 
70.4
 
66,540
Image of Anthony Bland
Anthony Bland
 
9.6
 
9,055
Image of Jay Martin
Jay Martin
 
8.2
 
7,731
Image of James Russell
James Russell
 
6.8
 
6,421
Image of Supha Xayprasith-Mays
Supha Xayprasith-Mays
 
5.0
 
4,725

Total votes: 94,472
Candidate Connection = 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 Governor of Arkansas

Sarah Huckabee Sanders defeated Doc Washburn in the Republican primary for Governor of Arkansas on May 24, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Sarah Huckabee Sanders
Sarah Huckabee Sanders
 
83.1
 
289,249
Image of Doc Washburn
Doc Washburn
 
16.9
 
58,638

Total votes: 347,887
Candidate Connection = 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

Libertarian convention

Libertarian convention for Governor of Arkansas

Ricky Dale Harrington Jr. advanced from the Libertarian convention for Governor of Arkansas on February 20, 2022.

Candidate
Image of Ricky Dale Harrington Jr.
Ricky Dale Harrington Jr. (L) Candidate Connection

Candidate Connection = 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.

2018

See also: Arkansas gubernatorial election, 2018

General election

General election for Governor of Arkansas

Incumbent Asa Hutchinson defeated Jared Henderson and Mark West in the general election for Governor of Arkansas on November 6, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Asa Hutchinson
Asa Hutchinson (R)
 
65.3
 
582,406
Image of Jared Henderson
Jared Henderson (D) Candidate Connection
 
31.8
 
283,218
Image of Mark West
Mark West (L) Candidate Connection
 
2.9
 
25,885

Total votes: 891,509
Candidate Connection = 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 Governor of Arkansas

Jared Henderson defeated Leticia Sanders in the Democratic primary for Governor of Arkansas on May 22, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Jared Henderson
Jared Henderson Candidate Connection
 
63.3
 
67,046
Image of Leticia Sanders
Leticia Sanders
 
36.7
 
38,873

Total votes: 105,919
Candidate Connection = 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 Governor of Arkansas

Incumbent Asa Hutchinson defeated Jan Morgan in the Republican primary for Governor of Arkansas on May 22, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Asa Hutchinson
Asa Hutchinson
 
69.6
 
143,648
Image of Jan Morgan
Jan Morgan
 
30.4
 
62,757

Total votes: 206,405
Candidate Connection = 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

See also: Arkansas gubernatorial election, 2014
Governor of Arkansas, 2014
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Republican Green check mark transparent.pngAsa Hutchinson 55.4% 470,429
     Democratic Mike Ross 41.5% 352,115
     Libertarian Frank Gilbert 1.9% 16,319
     Green Josh Drake 1.1% 9,729
Total Votes 848,592
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.


See also: Presidential voting trends in Arkansas and The Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index

Cook PVI by congressional district

Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index for Arkansas, 2026
District Incumbent PVI
Arkansas' 1st Rick Crawford R+23
Arkansas' 2nd French Hill R+8
Arkansas' 3rd Steve Womack R+13
Arkansas' 4th Bruce Westerman R+20

2024 presidential results by 2026 congressional district lines

2024 presidential results in congressional districts, Arkansas
District Kamala Harris Democratic Party Donald Trump Republican Party
Arkansas' 1st 26.0% 72.0%
Arkansas' 2nd 41.0% 57.0%
Arkansas' 3rd 36.0% 61.0%
Arkansas' 4th 29.0% 69.0%
Source: The Downballot

2016-2024

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 2016, 2020, and 2024 presidential elections: Solid, Trending, Battleground, and New. Click [show] on the table below for examples:


Following the 2024 presidential election, 81.2% of Arkansans lived in one of the state's 67 Solid Republican counties, which voted for the Republican presidential candidate in every election from 2016 to 2024, and 18.4% lived in one of 7 Solid Democratic counties. Overall, Arkansas was Solid Republican, having voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016, Donald Trump (R) in 2020, and Donald Trump (R) in 2024. Use the table below to view the total number of each type of county in Arkansas following the 2024 election as well as the overall percentage of the state population located in each county type.

Historical voting trends

Arkansas presidential election results (1900-2024)

  • 20 Democratic wins
  • 11 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 2024
Winning Party D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D AI[5] R D R R R D D R R R R R R R

This section details the results of the five most recent U.S. Senate and gubernatorial elections held in the state.

U.S. Senate elections

See also: List of United States Senators from Arkansas

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
2022 65.7%Republican Party 31.1%Democratic Party
2020 66.5%Republican Party 33.5%Libertarian Party
2016 59.7%Republican Party 36.3%Democratic Party
2014 56.5%Republican Party 39.4%Democratic Party
2010 58.0%Republican Party 36.9%Democratic Party
Average 61.3 35.4

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
2022 63.0%Republican Party 35.2%Democratic Party
2018 65.3%Republican Party 31.8%Democratic Party
2014 55.4%Republican Party 41.5%Democratic Party
2010 64.4%Democratic Party 33.6%Republican Party
2006 55.6%Democratic Party 40.7%Republican Party
Average 60.7 36.6
See also: Party control of Arkansas state government

Congressional delegation

The table below displays the partisan composition of Arkansas' congressional delegation as of October 2025.

Congressional Partisan Breakdown from Arkansas
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 October 2025.

State executive officials in Arkansas, October 2025
Office Officeholder
Governor Republican Party Sarah Huckabee Sanders
Lieutenant Governor Republican Party Leslie Rutledge
Secretary of State Republican Party Cole Jester
Attorney General Republican Party Tim Griffin

State legislature

Template:ArkansasStateLeg26

Trifecta control

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

The table below details demographic data in Arkansas and compares it to the broader United States as of 2023.

Demographic Data for Arkansas
Arkansas United States
Population 3,011,524 331,449,281
Land area (sq mi) 51,991 3,531,905
Race and ethnicity**
White 70.9% 63.4%
Black/African American 14.9% 12.4%
Asian 1.6% 5.8%
Native American 0.6% 0.9%
Pacific Islander 0.1% 0.4%
Other (single race) 3% 6.6%
Multiple 8.7% 10.7%
Hispanic/Latino 8.8% 19%
Education
High school graduation rate 88.6% 89.4%
College graduation rate 25.1% 35%
Income
Median household income $58,773 $78,538
Persons below poverty level 16% 12.4%
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 2018-2023).
**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.

Gubernatorial elections in 2026

There are 36 gubernatorial seats on the ballot in 2026.

See also

Arkansas State Executive Elections News and Analysis
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Arkansas State Executive Offices
Arkansas State Legislature
Arkansas Courts
20262025202420232022202120202019201820172016
Arkansas elections: 20262025202420232022202120202019201820172016
Party control of state government
State government trifectas
State of the state addresses
Partisan composition of governors

External links

Footnotes

  1. Inside Elections also uses Tilt ratings to indicate an even smaller advantage and greater competitiveness.
  2. Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Nathan Gonzalez," April 19, 2018
  3. Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Kyle Kondik," April 19, 2018
  4. Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Charlie Cook," April 22, 2018
  5. American Independent Party