Ballotpedia's 2012 General Election Preview Articles: Arkansas State Legislature
October 30, 2012
By Ballotpedia's State legislative team
| Arkansas' State Legislative Elections in 2012 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Senate seats | Contested senate seats | House seats | Contested house seats |
| 35 | 16 (45.7%) | 100 | 48 (48.0%) |
Little Rock: Arkansas: There are 135 total legislative seats with 2012 elections in Arkansas, where polling places will be open from 7:30 am to 7:30 pm.[1]
After a strong Republican showing in the 2010 elections, Democrats control both chambers by slim margins heading into the 2012 election. "The elections that matter to the state Republican Party are the legislative elections of 2012, which are going to determine who controls both houses of the Legislature," said Jay Barth, a political science professor at Hendrix College.[2]
In the state senate Democrats currently hold 20 seats and Republicans currently hold 15. With 8 Democrats retiring, the chamber could potentially flip to Republicans if they can pick up three seats.
With 46 of 100 seats in the state house, Republicans must gain 5 to take control of the chamber, or 4 to split power evenly. 26 Democrats and 10 Republicans are retiring in 2012.
The Arkansas legislature has been in Democratic control since the end of the Civil War, and is currently the last Southern state to have a Democratic legislature. Small government group Americans for Prosperity has heavily invested in races in the state in an effort to flip the chambers.[3]
Of the 135 incumbents up for election in 2012, 87 (64.44%) of them are running for re-election. A total of 64 of 135 (47.4%) districts will see more than one major party candidate in the general election.
Here are a few races to watch:
Senate
- District 7: In this open seat, Diana Gonzales Worthen (D) will challenge Jon Woods (R), who is currently a member of the state house. Woods narrowly defeated incumbent Bill Pritchard in the Republican primary.
- District 11: Republicans will attempt to pick up this seat, as Democrat Robert Thompson is running in District 20. Jimmy Hickey, Jr. (R) will face freshman legislator Steve Harrelson, who currently represents district 21.
- In District 15, state representative David J. Sanders will look to use his name recognition to pick up a seat, as he faces challenger Johnny Hoyt.
- District 19: Incumbents David Wyatt (D) and Linda Collins-Smith (R) will each attempt to keep a seat in the Senate as they face off in November.
- District 35: Linda Tyler represents one of the few seats that Democrats have a chance at gaining to keep control of the chamber. Tyler is currently a member of the House and will face freshman incumbent Jason Rapert (R).[4]
| Arkansas State Senate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 5, 2012 | After the 2012 Election | |
| Democratic Party | 20 | 14 | |
| Republican Party | 15 | 21 | |
| Total | 35 | 35 | |
| Arkansas House of Representatives | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 5, 2012 | After the 2012 Election | |
| Democratic Party | 54 | 49 | |
| Republican Party | 46 | 51 | |
| Total | 100 | 100 | |
Articles
- 2012 elections preview: Arkansas voters to select primary winners in congressional, legislative races 'May 21
- 2012 elections review: Two incumbents defeated in Arkansas primaries May 23
See also
- Ballotpedia's 2012 General Election Preview Articles: Arkansas Congressional Seats
- State legislative elections, 2012
- Arkansas elections, 2012
Footnotes
- ↑ Arkansas Secretary of State, "2012 Election Calendar" (dead link)
- ↑ Arkansas News, "State GOP shows renewed vigor in attacks on Beebe," July 3, 2011 (dead link)
- ↑ The Washington Post, "Americans for Prosperity puts big money on legislative races in Arkansas," accessed October 2, 2012
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
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