Lieutenant Governor of Arkansas

	Arkansas Lieutenant Governor
	; ; ;
	General information
Office Type:	Partisan
Office website:	Official Link
Compensation:	$46,705
2025 FY Budget:	$572,202
Term limits:	2 terms
	Structure
Length of term:	4 years
Authority:	Arkansas Constitution, Article 6, Section 1
Selection Method:	Elected
	Current Officeholder(s)
	Lieutenant Governor of Arkansas Leslie Rutledge; Republican Party; Assumed office: January 10, 2023
	Elections
Next election:	November 3, 2026
Last election:	November 8, 2022
	Other Arkansas Executive Offices
	Governor • Lieutenant Governor • Secretary of State • Attorney General • Treasurer • Auditor • Commissioner of Education • Agriculture Secretary • Insurance Commissioner • Commissioner of State Lands • Natural Resources Exec. Director • Labor Director • Public Service Commission

The Lieutenant Governor of the State of Arkansas is an elected constitutional officer, the second ranking officer of the executive branch and the first officer in line to succeed the Governor of Arkansas. The lieutenant governor is popularly elected every four years by a plurality and is limited to two terms.^[1]^[2]

Current officeholder

The current Lieutenant Governor of Arkansas is Leslie Rutledge (R). Rutledge assumed office in 2023.

Authority

The Constitution of Arkansas establishes the office of the lieutenant governor in Article VI, the Executive.

Arkansas Constitution, Article 6, Section 1:

The executive department of this State shall consist of a Governor, Lieutenant Governor...

Qualifications

Per Amendment 6 to the Arkansas Constitution, the lieutenant governor must "possess the same qualifications of eligibility for the office as the Governor."^[3] Under Article 6, Section 11 of the constitution, the governor may not hold any federal office, any civil or military commission, any office in another state or any other office in Arkansas concurrently with the gubernatorial term. Article 6, Section 5 requires the governor to be at least 30 years old, an American citizen and a resident of Arkansas for at least seven years on election day.

Constitution of Arkansas, Amendment 6, Section 5

The Lieutenant Governor shall possess the same qualifications of eligibility for the office as the Governor.

Constitution of Arkansas, Article 6, Section 11

No member of Congress, or other person holding office under the authority of this State, or of the United States, shall exercise the office of Governor, except as herein provided.

Constitution of Arkansas, Article 6, Section 5

No person shall be eligible to the office of Governor except a citizen of the United States, who shall have attained the age of thirty years, and shall have been seven years a resident of this State.

Elections

See also: Gubernatorial election cycles by state

See also: Election of lieutenant governors

Arkansas elects its lieutenant governors during federal midterm election years (e.g. 2018, 2022, 2026, and 2030). Candidates for governor and lieutenant governor run on separate tickets, so it is possible for the two officeholders to be members of different parties. Winners assume office on the second Tuesday in January following the election. If two candidates are tied after the general election, a joint session of the legislature chooses the winner when the General Assembly convenes.

Term limits

In 1998, Arkansans adopted Amendment 73 to the state constitution, which limited all executive department officers to two terms. Whereas some states allow previous officeholders to run again after spending one term out of office, Arkansas does not.^[2]

Arkansas Constitution, Amendment 73-1:

1. Executive Branch.

(a) The Executive Department of this State shall consist of a Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, Treasurer of State, Auditor of State, Attorney General, and Commissioner of State Lands, all of whom shall keep their offices at the seat of government, and hold their offices for the term of four years, and until their successors are elected and qualified.

(b) No elected officials of the Executive Department of this State may serve in the same office more than two such four year terms.

2022

See also: Arkansas lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2022

General election

General election for Lieutenant Governor of Arkansas

Leslie Rutledge defeated Kelly Krout and Frank Gilbert in the general election for Lieutenant Governor of Arkansas on November 8, 2022.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Leslie Rutledge (R)	64.2	577,316
	Kelly Krout (D)	32.1	288,631
	Frank Gilbert (L)	3.7	33,163

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 899,110
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Democratic primary election

The Democratic primary election was canceled. Kelly Krout advanced from the Democratic primary for Lieutenant Governor of Arkansas.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Drew Pritt (D)

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Lieutenant Governor of Arkansas

The following candidates ran in the Republican primary for Lieutenant Governor of Arkansas on May 24, 2022.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Leslie Rutledge	54.0	183,888
	Jason Rapert	14.7	50,063
	Greg Bledsoe	9.9	33,722
	Joseph Wood	8.6	29,277
	Doyle Webb	6.8	23,188
	Chris Bequette	6.0	20,411

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 340,549
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Libertarian convention

Libertarian convention for Lieutenant Governor of Arkansas

Frank Gilbert advanced from the Libertarian convention for Lieutenant Governor of Arkansas on February 20, 2022.

		Candidate
✔		Frank Gilbert (L)

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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