Arkansas State Senate District 16
| Arkansas Senate District 16 | ||
 | ||
| Current incumbent | Breanne Davis  | |
| Population | 84,332 | |
| Race | 90.5% White, 3.4% Pacific Islander, 2.2% Black, 0.8% Asian, 0.8% Native American[1] | |
| Ethnicity | 6.9% Hispanic | |
Arkansas' sixteenth state senate district is represented by Republican Senator Breanne Davis, who won a special election on May 22, 2018.
As of the 2010 census, a total of 84,332 civilians reside within Arkansas' sixteenth state senate district.[2] Arkansas state senators represent an average of 83,312 residents.[3] After the 2000 Census, each member represented 76,383 residents.[4]
About the office
Members of the Arkansas State Senate are elected to four-year terms with term limits. The Arkansas legislature is one of 16 state legislatures with term limits. Arkansas senators are subject to term limits of no more than 12 consecutive years with the opportunity to return after a four-year break.[5]
Service in the state legislature is part-time. In the first election after the census, all 35 seats are up for election. The Senators "shall divide themselves into two classes, by lot, and the first class shall hold their places for two years only, after which all shall be elected for four years." Arkansas legislators assume office on the second Monday of January following their election.[6]
Qualifications
Article 5, Section 4 of the Arkansas Constitution states: "No person shall be a Senator or Representative who, at the time of his election, is not a citizen of the United States, nor any one who has not been for two years next preceding his election, a resident of this State, and for one year next preceding his election, a resident of the county or district whence he may be chosen. Senators shall be at least twenty-five years of age, and Representatives at least twenty-one years of age."[7]
Article 19, Section 3 of the Arkansas Constitution states: "No persons shall be elected to, or appointed to fill a vacancy in, any office who does not possess the qualifications of an elector."[8]
Salaries
- See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries
| State legislative salaries, 2024[9] | |
|---|---|
| Salary | Per diem |
| $44,356/year | For legislators residing within 50 miles of the capitol: $59/day. For legislators residing more than 50 miles from the capitol: $166/day. |
Term limits
- See also: State legislatures with term limits
The Arkansas legislature is one of 16 state legislatures with term limits. The state Senate has been term-limited since Arkansas voters approved the Arkansas Term Limits Initiative in 1992 as an initiated constitutional amendment. The first year that the term limits enacted in 1992 impacted the ability of incumbents to run for office was 2000.
In 2014, voters approved the Arkansas Elected Officials Ethics, Transparency and Financial Reform Amendment which permitted legislators to serve a total of 16 years in the House or Senate during his or her lifetime.[10] In 2020, voters modified the term limits for Arkansas state legislative members. Voters passed Issue 2 in November 2020 with 55.38% of the vote. The measure imposed term limits of 12 consecutive years for state legislators with the opportunity to return after a four-year break. State legislators elected in November 2020 or already in office would be allowed to serve the former term limit of 16 years.
Vacancies
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.[11][12] For all special elections in the Senate, the county that first established the district is responsible for conducting the election.[13] If the special election is to fill a House seat, the county board of election commissioners representing the vacant district conducts the election.[14][15]
See sources: Arkansas Stat. Ann. § 7-11-103 and Arkansas Cons. Art. 5, § 6
Elections
2018
A special election for the position of Arkansas State Senate District 16 was called for May 22, 2018. A special primary election was called for February 13, 2018. A special primary runoff election was called for March 13, 2018. The candidate filing deadline was December 13, 2017.[16]
The seat became vacant after the death of Senator Greg Standridge (R). Standridge, who was being treated for cancer, passed away on November 16, 2017.[17]
Breanne Davis (R) defeated Teresa Gallegos (D) in the special election. Gallegos ran unopposed in the Democratic primary. Bob Bailey and Breanne Davis defeated Luke Heffley in the Republican primary. Davis defeated Bailey in the Republican primary runoff.[16][18][19]
| Arkansas State Senate, District 16, 2018 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican |  Breanne Davis |
76.7% | 9,161 | |
| Democratic | Teresa Gallegos | 23.3% | 2,786 | |
| Total Votes | 11,947 | |||
| Source: Arkansas Secretary of State These election results are unofficial and will be updated after official vote totals are made available. | ||||
| Arkansas State Senate, District 16 Runoff Republican Primary, 2018 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes | ||
|
Breanne Davis |
55.3% | 4,266 | ||
| Bob Bailey | 44.7% | 3,453 | ||
| Total Votes | 7,719 | |||
| Source: Arkansas Secretary of State |
||||
| Arkansas State Senate, District 16 Republican Primary, 2018 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes | ||
|
Breanne Davis |
43.4% | 2,440 | ||
| Bob Bailey |
41.4% | 2,327 | ||
| Luke Heffley | 15.2% | 854 | ||
| Total Votes | 5,621 | |||
| Source: Arkansas Secretary of State |
||||
2016
- See also: Arkansas State Senate elections, 2016
Elections for the Arkansas State Senate took place in 2016. 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.[20]
Incumbent Greg Standridge ran unopposed in the Arkansas State Senate District 16 general election.[21]
| Arkansas State Senate, District 16 General Election, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | |
| Republican | Greg Standridge Incumbent (unopposed) | |
| Source: Arkansas Secretary of State | ||
Incumbent Greg Standridge ran unopposed in the Arkansas State Senate District 16 Republican Primary.[22][23]
| Arkansas State Senate, District 16 Republican Primary, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | |
| Republican | Greg Standridge Incumbent (unopposed) | |
2015
Thomas Akin, Stan Berry and Greg Standridge faced off in the Republican primary on January 13, 2015. No Democratic candidates filed to run.[24] 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.[25][26] Standridge was unoppposed in the special election on April 14.[27]
The seat was vacant following Michael Lamoureux's (R) appointment as Gov.-elect Asa Hutchinson's (R) chief of staff and transition director.[28]
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.[29]
| Arkansas State Senate, District 16, Special Runoff Election, 2015 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Greg Standridge |
53.6% | 2,675 | |
| Republican | Stan Berry | 46.4% | 2,313 | |
| Total Votes | 4,988 | |||
| Arkansas State Senate, District 16, Special Election, 2015 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Greg Standridge |
47.8% | 2,124 | |
| Republican | Stan Berry |
41.1% | 1,826 | |
| Republican | Thomas Akin | 11% | 490 | |
| Total Votes | 4,440 | |||
2012
- See also: Arkansas State Senate elections, 2012
Elections for the office of Arkansas State Senate consisted of a primary election on May 22, 2012, and a general election on November 6, 2012. The signature-filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was March 1, 2012. Michael Lamoureux ran unopposed in the May 22 Republican primary before winning the general election without opposition.[30][31]
Campaign contributions
From 2002 to 2016, candidates for Arkansas State Senate District 16 raised a total of $615,936. Candidates who raised money in contributions earned $47,380 on average. All figures come from Follow the Money.
| Campaign contributions, Arkansas State Senate District 16 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Amount | Candidates | Average | |
| 2016 | $2,550 | 1 | $2,550 | |
| 2012 | $113,172 | 1 | $113,172 | |
| 2010 | $91,068 | 2 | $45,534 | |
| 2008 | $14,700 | 1 | $14,700 | |
| 2006 | $210,930 | 3 | $70,310 | |
| 2004 | $5,225 | 1 | $5,225 | |
| 2002 | $178,291 | 4 | $44,573 | |
| Total | $615,936 | 13 | $47,380 | |
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ For more information on the parameters the U.S. Census Bureau use, please see our Race and Ethnicity on the United States Census page.
- ↑ Arkansas Board of Apportionment, "2010 Census Data - Senate Districts," July 29, 2011
- ↑ United States Census 2010, "Population in 2010 of the American states," November 22, 2013
- ↑ United States Census 2010, "Population in 2000 of the American states," November 27, 2013
- ↑ Arkansas State Legislature, "Constitution of the State of Arkansas of 1874," accessed January 14, 2015
- ↑ Justia, "Arkansas Constitution Article 5 - Legislative Department Section 5 - Time of meeting," accessed October 26, 2021
- ↑ Justia, "Arkansas Constitution Article 5 - Legislative Department Section 4 - Qualifications of senators and representatives," accessed May 21, 2025
- ↑ Justia, "Arkansas Constitution Article 19 - Miscellaneous Provisions," accessed May 23, 2025
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "2024 Legislator Compensation," August 21, 2024
- ↑ Arkansas Legislature, "HJR1009," accessed February 9, 2021
- ↑ 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))
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 Arkansas Online, "Democrat going for it, joins state Senate race," December 14, 2017
- ↑ Arkansas Times, "Sen. Greg Standridge dies at 50," November 16, 2017
- ↑ Arkansas Secretary of State, "February 13, 2018 Special Primary Election," February 13, 2018
- ↑ Arkansas Secretary of State, "March 13, 2018 Special Primary Runoff Election," March 13, 2018
- ↑ Arkansas Secretary of State, "2016 Election Dates," accessed November 17, 2015
- ↑ Arkansas Secretary of State, "2016 General Election and Nonpartisan Runoff Election," accessed November 23, 2016
- ↑ Arkansas Secretary of State, "Candidate Information," accessed July 25, 2016
- ↑ Arkansas Secretary of State, "2016 Primary Election Results," accessed April 19, 2016
- ↑ 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
- ↑ Arkansas Secretary of State, “2012 General Election,” October 21, 2013
- ↑ Arkansas Secretary of State, “2012 General Primary,” October 21, 2013
