Arkansas

Arkansas Capital  | Little Rock

|

Nickname  | The Natural State

Official Language | English
Governor | Sarah Huckabee Sanders, R
Senator | Tom Cotton, R
(202) 224-2353
Contact
Senator | John Boozman, R
(202) 224 4843
Contact

Population  | 3,030,303 (2020)

Ratification of Constitution/or statehood  | June 15, 1836 (25th)
| Motto: Regnat Populus (The People Rule)

Arkansas became the twenty-fifth state of the Union on June 15, 1836. The capital of Arkansas is Little Rock.

The state Constitution of Arkansas, like all of the other 50 states, acknowledges God or our Creator or the Sovereign Ruler of the Universe. It says:

We, the People of the State of Arkansas, grateful to Almighty God for the privilege of choosing our own form of government; for our civil and religious liberty; and desiring to perpetuate its blessings, and secure the same to our selves and posterity; do ordain and establish this Constitution.

In 2019, Arkansas became the fifth state to enact a law to automatically make abortion illegal if Roe v. Wade is reversed.[1]

## Contents

* 1 History
* 2 Politics of Arkansas
* 3 Economy
* 4 Famous Natives
* 5 Elected officials
* 5.1 Federal
* 5.2 Statewide
* 6 List of Governors
* 7 See also
* 8 References

## History[edit]

Bill Clinton with Orval Faubus, 1991.

While Arkansas was originally a slave state, they did not secede from the Union until May 6, 1861 after Abraham Lincoln called on troops to respond to the Confederate attack on Fort Sumter.

Arkansas would again make headlines after the Supreme Court case Brown v. Topeka Board of Education in 1957. Then Governor Orval Faubus sent the Arkansas National Guard to prevent African Americans from entering Little Rock's Central High School. President Eisenhower sent troops to help escort the students into the school.

## Politics of Arkansas[edit]

Arkansas typically votes Republican in presidential elections; George W. Bush won the state 51%-46% in 2000, 54%-45% in 2004 and John McCain 59%-39% in 2008.[2]

Senator Blanche Lincoln, a Democrat who was handley defeated for reelection in 2010, lost favor with the voters, according to polls. Lincoln won the approval of only 36% for the job she did as senator, with 44% disapproving, according to an Aug. 21-24 survey. Her support fell 13 points since March. The poll showed Lincoln running even or even slightly trailing, when matched up against three potential Republican challengers—even though none of them were known statewide. She was dragged down by Obama's falling popularity, as only 30% of Arkansans supported Obama on health care.[3]

Although Democrats outnumber Republicans in the state 37% to 29%, the 33% who are independent are quite conservative—more so than independents in any other state.

Arkansas has historically been a Democrat-controlled state, a part of "The Solid South". However, starting in 2010, there was a massive shift towards the Republican Party. After the 2014 election, Arkansas was completely controlled by the Republican Party, with every statewide office, large majorities in the legislature, both U.S. Senate seats, and all four U.S. House seats for the first time in 141 years.[4][5][6]

## Economy[edit]

Arkansas is home to the major retailers Tyson Foods, Wal-Mart and J.B. Hunt.

## Famous Natives[edit]

Former President Bill Clinton and his wife Sen. Hillary Clinton are from Arkansas (although Hillary did not grow up in the state). Bill was the 50th governor of the state prior to his run for presidency in 1992. Two time Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee is also a former two-term governor of Arkansas; his daughter Sarah won election as Governor in 2022, making her the first female Governor and first child of a former Governor to hold the office.

## Elected officials[edit]

### Federal[edit]

* Senator John Boozman (R)
* Senator Tom Cotton (R)
* Rep. Rick Crawford [R, AR–1]
* Rep. French Hill [R, AR–2]
* Rep. Steve Womack [R, AR–3]
* Rep. Bruce Westerman [R, AR–4]

### Statewide[edit]

* Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R)
* Lt. Governor Tim Griffin (R)
* Attorney General Leslie Rutledge (R)
* Secretary of State Mark Martin (R)
* State Auditor Andrea Lea (R)
* State Treasurer Dennis Milligan (R)
* Land Commissioner John Thurston (R)

## List of Governors[edit]

# | Name | Assumed office | Left office | Party | Lt. Governor | Major events in term | Oversaw which historical period

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1  | James Sevier Conway | September 13, 1836  | November 4, 1840  | Democrat |  |  | American Slavery
2  | Archibald Yell  | November 4, 1840  | April 29, 1844  | Democrat  |  | Resigned office; won seat in United States House of Representatives | Slavery
—  | Samuel Adams  | April 29, 1844  | November 5, 1844  | Democrat  |  | President of the state senate; served remainder of Yell's term  | Slavery
3  | Thomas Stevenson Drew  | November 5, 1844  | January 10, 1849  | Democrat  |  | Resigned office  | Slavery
—  | Richard C. Byrd  | January 10, 1849  | April 19, 1849  | Democrat  |  | President of the state senate; served portion of Drew's term until special election  | Slavery
4  | John Selden Roane  | April 19, 1849  | November 15, 1852  | Democrat  |  | Special election to serve Drew's unexpired term.  | Slavery
5  | Elias Nelson Conway  | November 15, 1852  | November 16, 1860  | Democrat  |  |  | Slavery
6  | Henry Massey Rector  | November 16, 1860  | November 4, 1862  | Democrat  |  | Oversaw the secession of Arkansas from the Union prior to the American Civil War | Slavery
7  | Harris Flanagin  | November 4, 1862  | April 18, 1864  | Democrat  |  | Flanagin fled Little Rock for Washington, Arkansas to run a government-in-exile during American Civil War, September 10, 1863  | Slavery ended by Union force
8  | Isaac Murphy  | April 18, 1864  | July 2, 1868  | Republican |  | Elected provisional governor by pro-Union loyalists, assuming office April 18, 1864  | Ratification of 13th, 14th Amemendments to U.S. Constitution
9  | Powell Clayton  | July 2, 1868  | March 17, 1871  | Republican  |  | Resigned for seat in the United States Senate | Reconstruction
—  | Ozra Amander Hadley  | March 17, 1871  | January 6, 1873  | Republican  |  | President of the state senate; served remainder of Clayton's term  | Reconstruction
10  | Elisha Baxter  | January 6, 1873  | November 12, 1874  | Republican  |  | Removed from office; Brooks-Baxter War.  | Reconstruction
11  | Augustus Hill Garland  | November 12, 1874  | January 11, 1877  | Democrat  |  | Implementation of Jim Crow laws  |
12  | William Read Miller  | January 11, 1877  | January 11, 1881  | Democrat  |  |  | Jim Crow
13  | Thomas James Churchill  | January 11, 1881  | January 13, 1883  | Democrat  |  |  | Jim Crow
14  | James Henderson Berry  | January 13, 1883  | January 17, 1885  | Democrat  |  |  | Jim Crow
15  | Simon Pollard Hughes, Jr.  | January 17, 1885  | January 8, 1889  | Democrat  |  |  | Jim Crow
16  | James Philip Eagle  | January 8, 1889  | January 10, 1893  | Democrat  |  |  | Jim Crow
17  | William Meade Fishback  | January 10, 1893  | January 8, 1895  | Democrat  |  |  | Jim Crow
18  | James Paul Clarke  | January 8, 1895  | January 12, 1897  | Democrat  |  |  | Jim Crow
19  | Daniel Webster Jones  | January 12, 1897  | January 8, 1901  | Democrat  |  |  | Jim Crow
20  | Jeff Davis  | January 8, 1901  | January 8, 1907  | Democrat  |  |  | Jim Crow
21  | John Sebastian Little  | January 8, 1907  | February 15, 1907  | Democrat  |  | Resigned; nervous breakdown | Jim Crow
—  | John Isaac Moore  | February 15, 1907  | May 14, 1907  | Democrat  |  | President of the state senate; served portion of Clayton's term until legislature adjurned  | Jim Crow
—  | Xenophon Overton Pindall  | May 14, 1907  | January 11, 1909  | Democrat  |  | New president of the state senate; acted as governor until expiration of his senate term  | Jim Crow
—  | Jesse M. Martin  | January 11, 1909  | January 14, 1909  | Democrat  |  | Acting governor for three days between end of Pindall's senate term and next elected governor  | Jim Crow
22  | George Washington Donaghey  | January 14, 1909  | January 16, 1913  | Democrat  |  |  | Jim Crow
23  | Joseph Taylor Robinson  | January 16, 1913  | March 8, 1913  | Democrat  |  |  | Jim Crow
—  | William Kavanaugh Oldham  | March 8, 1913  | March 13, 1913  | Democrat  |  | President of the state senate; acting governor for six days until election of new senate president  | Jim Crow
—  | Junius Marion Futrell  | March 13, 1913  | July 23, 1913  | Democrat  |  | President of the senate; acting governor until special election  | Jim Crow
24  | George Washington Hays  | July 23, 1913  | January 10, 1917  | Democrat  | Office created; left vacant  | Elected in special election to fill remainder of term.  | Jim Crow
25  | Charles Hillman Brough  | January 10, 1917  | January 11, 1921  | Democrat  | vacant  |  | Jim Crow; World War I
26  | Thomas Chipman McRae  | January 11, 1921  | January 13, 1925  | Democrat  | vacant  |  | Jim Crow
27  | Tom Jefferson Terral  | January 13, 1925  | January 11, 1927  | Democrat  | vacant  |  | Jim Crow
28  | John Ellis Martineau  | January 11, 1927  | March 4, 1928  | Democrat  | Harvey Parnell (1st Lt. Gov)  | Resigned; Appointed federal judge, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas  | Jim Crow
29  | Harvey Parnell  | March 4, 1928  | January 10, 1933  | Democrat  | William Lee Cazort  | Became first Lt. Governor to act as governor  | Jim Crow; beginning of Great Depression
30  | Junius Marion Futrell  | January 10, 1933  | January 12, 1937  | Democrat  | William Lee Cazort  |  | Jim Crow
31  | Carl Edward Bailey  | January 12, 1937  | January 14, 1941  | Democrat  | Robert L. Bailey  |  | Jim Crow
32  | Homer Martin Adkins  | January 14, 1941  | January 9, 1945  | Democrat  | Robert L. Bailey, James L. Shaver  |  | Jim Crow
33  | Benjamin Travis Laney  | January 9, 1945  | January 11, 1949  | Democrat  | James L. Shaver, Nathan Green Gordon  |  | Jim Crow
34  | Sid McMath  | January 11, 1949  | January 13, 1953  | Democrat  | Nathan Green Gordon  |  | Jim Crow
35  | Francis Cherry  | January 13, 1953  | January 11, 1955  | Democrat  | Nathan Green Gordon  |  | Jim Crow
36  | Orval Faubus | January 11, 1955  | January 10, 1967  | Democrat  | Nathan Green Gordon  | Prevented Little Rock Nine from entering Central High School, Little Rock; his segregation policies prompted President Eisenhower to send in 101st Airborne to ensure the Nine's safety  | Jim Crow (ends late 1960's); beginnings of Civil Rights Movement in state
37  | Winthrop Rockefeller | January 10, 1967  | January 12, 1971  | Republican  | Maurice Britt  | First Republican governor of Arkansas since Reconstruction. Liberal Republican and a member of the Reckefeller family.  | "New South"
38  | Dale Bumpers | January 12, 1971  | January 3, 1975  | Democrat  | Bob C. Riley  |  | "New South"
—  | Bob C. Riley  | January 3, 1975  | January 14, 1975  | Democrat  |  | Acting governor for unexpired term.  | "New South"
39  | David Pryor | January 14, 1975  | January 3, 1979  | Democrat  | Joe Purcell  |  | "New South"
—  | Joe Purcell  | January 3, 1979  | January 9, 1979  | Democrat  |  | Acting as governor for six days  | "New South"
40  | Bill Clinton | January 9, 1979  | January 19, 1981  | Democrat  | Joe Purcell  |  | "New South"
41  | Frank D. White | January 19, 1981  | January 11, 1983  | Republican  | Winston Bryant  | Conservative, Christian governor. Known for signing a bill into law that mandated the teaching of creation science (alongside evolution) in public schools, which was eventually overturned in a secular-minded court.  | "New South"
42  | Bill Clinton  | January 11, 1983  | December 12, 1992  | Democrat  | Winston Bryant, Jim Guy Tucker  | Resigned; elected President of the United States | "New South"
43  | Jim Guy Tucker  | December 12, 1992  | July 15, 1996  | Democrat  | Mike Huckabee | Resigned; felony conviction (mail fraud) in the Whitewater scandal | "New South"
44  | Mike Huckabee | July 15, 1996  | January 9, 2007  | Republican  | Winthrop Paul Rockefeller  | Created "Tax-Me-More" fund to highlight Democrat/liberal hypocrisy on tax contributions  | "New South"
45  | Mike Beebe | January 9, 2007  | January 13, 2015  | Democrat  | Bill Halter  |  |
46  | Asa Hutchinson | January 13, 2015  | January 10, 2023  | Republican  | Tim Griffen  |  |
47  | Sarah Huckabee Sanders | January 10, 2023  | Current  | Republican  | Leslie Rutledge  |

## See also[edit]

* Arkansas legislature

## References[edit]

1. ↑ Multiple references:
* Freiburger, Calvin (February 20, 2019). Arkansas governor signs law to automatically ban abortion after Roe v. Wade falls. LifeSiteNews. Retrieved February 20, 2019.
* Berry, Susan (February 20, 2019). Arkansas Becomes 5th State to Make Abortion Illegal if Roe v. Wade Is Reversed. Breitbart News. Retrieved February 21, 2019.
* Gstalter, Morgan (February 19, 2019). Arkansas governor signs 'trigger' abortion ban bill. The Hill. Retrieved February 20, 2019.
2. ↑ http://elections.nytimes.com/2008/results/president/map.html
3. ↑ Public Policy Polling, "Lincoln looking vulnerable," August 26, 2009 press release
4. ↑ Brantley, Max (November 4, 2014). Arkansas's new day; a historic Republican victory. Arkansas Times. Retrieved September 19, 2016.
5. ↑ Schwarz, Hunter (November 5, 2014). Republicans now have every congressional seat for Arkansas for the first time in 141 years. The Washington Post. Retrieved September 19, 2016.
6. ↑ Election 2014: Arkansas GOP Chair Says Tuesday Vote Signals Realignment. Times Record. November 5, 2014. September 19, 2016.

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