Arkansas state legislative special elections, 2015
In 2015, one seat was vacated and filled by a special election in the Arkansas State Legislature. The following district had a vacancy in 2015:
- State Senate District 16: The seat was vacant following Michael Lamoureux's (R) appointment as Gov.-elect Asa Hutchinson's (R) chief of staff and transition director.
Breakdown of 2015 special elections
In 2015, the reasons prompting state legislative special elections were as follows:
- 38 due to appointment, election or seeking election to another position
- 14 due to a retirement
- 15 due to the incumbent accepting another job
- 1 due to an invalidated 2014 election result
- 1 due to a disqualification in the 2014 elections
- 9 due to a death
- 6 due to legal issues
- 3 due to moving
- 2 due to filling a remaining term
The partisan breakdown for vacancies were as follows:
- 42 Democratic seats
- 46 Republican seats
- 1 Independent seat
Note: This table reflects information for elections that were held and not total vacant seats.
| Partisan Change from Special Elections | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of Vacancy | After Special Election | |
| Democratic Party | 42 | 38* | |
| Republican Party | 46 | 50* | |
| Independent | 1 | 1 | |
| Total | 89 | 89 | |
*In 2015, Democrats lost nine seats in special elections, but gained six seats. Republicans lost five seats in special elections, but gained eight seats.
*Although Edwin Gomes won election to the Connecticut State Senate as a Working Families Party candidate, after swearing in he was listed as a Democratic senator.
*Although Diane Richardson won election to the New York State Assembly as a Working Families Party candidate, after swearing in she was listed as a Democratic representative.
*Although Jay Mathis won election to the Mississippi House of Representatives as a Nonpartisan candidate, after swearing in he was listed as a Republican representative.
How vacancies are filled
If there is a vacancy in the Arkansas General Assembly, the governor must call for a special election to fill the vacancy. The election must be called by the governor without delay.[1][2] For all special elections in the Senate, the county that first established the district is responsible for conducting the election.[3] If the special election is to fill a House seat, the county board of election commissioners representing the vacant district conducts the election.[4][5]
See sources: Arkansas Stat. Ann. § 7-11-103 and Arkansas Cons. Art. 5, § 6
Special elections
April 14, 2015
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Thomas Akin, Stan Berry and Greg Standridge faced off in the Republican primary on January 13, 2015. No Democratic candidates filed to run.[6] Because no candidate received more than 50 percent of the vote, the top two vote-getters, Berry and Standridge, met in a runoff election on February 10, which Standridge won.[7][8] Standridge was unoppposed in the special election on April 14.[9] The seat was vacant following Michael Lamoureux's (R) appointment as Gov.-elect Asa Hutchinson's (R) chief of staff and transition director.[10] A special election for the position of Arkansas State Senate District 16 was called for April 14. A primary election took place on Jaunary 13, 2015, with a runoff on February 10. Because candidates from only one party filed to run, the primary became the special election. The filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was December 1, 2014.[11]
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See also
- State legislative special elections, 2015
- Arkansas State Senate elections, 2014
- Arkansas House of Representatives elections, 2014
- Arkansas State Senate elections, 2012
- Arkansas House of Representatives elections, 2012
- Arkansas State Legislature
Footnotes
- ↑ Arkansas Legislature, "Arkansas Code - Unannotated," accessed February 9, 2021 (Statutes, 10-2-118)
- ↑ Arkansas Legislature, "Arkansas Code - Unannotated," accessed February 9, 2021 (Statutes, 10-2-119)
- ↑ Arkansas Legislature, "Arkansas Code - Unannotated," accessed February 9, 2021 (Statutes, 10-2-120(a)(1))
- ↑ Arkansas Legislature, "Arkansas Code - Unannotated," accessed February 9, 2021 (Statutes, 7-11-103(a))
- ↑ Arkansas Legislature, "Arkansas Code - Unannotated," accessed February 24, 2025 (Statutes, 7-11-105 1 (a)-(c))
- ↑ Arkansas Secretary of State, "Special Election for Senate District 16," accessed December 3, 2014
- ↑ Arkansas Secretary of State, "Official primary election results," accessed February 25, 2015
- ↑ Arkansas Secretary of State, "Official primary runoff election results," accessed March 18, 2015
- ↑ arkansasonline.com, "1-candidate election nets 110 ballots," accessed April 16, 2015
- ↑ Arkansas Business, "Michael Lamoureux Resigns to Work for Asa Hutchinson," November 11, 2014
- ↑ The Republic, "Arkansas governor sets April 14 special election to fill vacant state Senate seat," November 21, 2014
