Governor of Arkansas
| Arkansas Governor | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Office Type: | Partisan |
| Office website: | Official Link |
| Compensation: | $158,739 |
| 2025 FY Budget: | $6,556,265 |
| Term limits: | 2 |
| Structure | |
| Length of term: | 4 years |
| Authority: | Arkansas Constitution, Article 6, Section 2 |
| Selection Method: | Elected |
| Current Officeholder | |
Governor of Arkansas
Sarah Huckabee Sanders | |
| 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 Governor of the State of Arkansas is an elected constitutional officer, the head of the executive branch, and the highest state office in Arkansas. The governor is popularly elected every four years by a plurality and is limited to two terms.
Arkansas has a Republican trifecta. The Republican Party controls the office of governor and both chambers of the state legislature.
Arkansas has a Republican triplex. The Republican Party controls the offices of governor, secretary of state, and attorney general.
Current officeholder
The 47th and current governor is Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R). She was first elected in 2022 and sworn in on January 10, 2023.
The Constitution of Arkansas establishes the office of the governor in Article VI, the Executive.
Arkansas Constitution, Article 6, Section 2
|
The supreme executive power of this State shall be vested in a chief magistrate, who shall be styled "the Governor of the State of Arkansas." [1] |
Qualifications
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| Gubernatorial Elections |
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| Lt. Governor Elections |
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Under Article VI, 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 his or her gubernatorial term. Per Article VI, Section 5, the governor must 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, 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.[1] |
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.[1] |
Elections
Arkansas state government organizational chart
- See also: Gubernatorial election cycles by state
- See also: Election of governors
Arkansas elects governors during federal midterm election years (e.g. 2018, 2022, 2026, 2030 and 2034). The gubernatorial inauguration is always set for the second Tuesday in January following the election. If two candidates are tied after the general election, then a joint session of the legislature will choose the winner by simple balloting when the Arkansas State Legislature convenes.
2022
- See also: Arkansas gubernatorial election, 2022
General election
Democratic primary election
Republican primary election
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Tim Griffin (R)
- Leslie Rutledge (R)
- Leticia Sanders (R)
Libertarian convention
2018
- See also: Arkansas gubernatorial election, 2018
General election
Democratic primary election
Republican primary election
2014
- See also: Arkansas gubernatorial election, 2014
| Governor of Arkansas, 2014 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican |  Asa Hutchinson |
55.4% | 470,429 | |
| Democratic | Mike Ross | 41.5% | 352,115 | |
| Libertarian | Frank Gilbert | 1.9% | 16,319 | |
| Green | Josh Drake | 1.1% | 9,729 | |
| Total Votes | 848,592 | |||
| Election results via Arkansas Secretary of State |
Term limits
- See also: States with gubernatorial term limits
Arkansas governors are restricted to two terms in office during their lifetime.
Arkansas Constitution of 1874, Amendment 73
| No elected officials of the Executive Department of this State may serve in the same office more than two such four-year terms.[1] |
Partisan composition
The chart below shows the partisan breakdown of Arkansas governors from 1992 to 2013.
Vacancies
- See also: How gubernatorial vacancies are filled
Details of vacancy appointments are addressed under Article 6, Sections 12 to 14.
If the elected governor resigns, dies, is removed, or is otherwise unable to discharge the office, the lieutenant governor is the first to succeed, serving as the governor until an election is held. The lieutenant governor also serves as acting governor if the incumbent is temporarily unable to exercise the office. The next in line is the speaker of the Arkansas House of Representatives. In Arkansas, the lieutenant governor also serves as the president of the Arkansas State Senate.
If the next scheduled general election is more than 12 months away when the acting governor assumes office, she or he must call a special election, with a minimum of 60 days notice, run according to the same rules that administer a regular election.
Duties
The governor is the commander-in-chief of all the state's military and naval forces except when either force is already under federal command.
The governor must deliver periodic (traditionally annual) addresses to the legislature. These "State of the State" speeches concern the condition of the state and includes the governor's recommendation for specific policies and steps. He is required to deliver one such address at the end of his official term.
The governor has veto power over all legislative actions, including appropriation bills, concurrent orders and resolutions. In the case of orders and resolutions, the gubernatorial veto does not extend to an order to adjourn the legislature. Lawmakers may override a gubernatorial veto by a simple majority of both houses.
The Arkansas Constitution grants the governor, "power to grant reprieves, commutations of sentence, and pardons, after conviction; and to remit fines and forfeitures, under such rules and regulations as shall be prescribed by law." This power does not extend to cases of treason or impeachment. In cases of treason, the governor may grant reprieves with the advice and consent of the Senate. The governor must inform the legislature each time she or he grants a pardon, along with the reason for doing so.
Other duties and privileges of the office include:
- issuing and authorizing all commissions and grants made by the state
- calling extraordinary sessions of the legislature
- adjourning either regular or extraordinary sessions of the legislature when the two houses are unable to pass a concurrent resolution to adjourn
- filling vacancies in the offices of Treasurer of State, Secretary of State, Auditor of State, and Attorney General, as well as any other offices that become vacant without an explicit legal course for filling the vacancy
Divisions
Note: Ballotpedia's state executive officials project researches state official websites for information that describes the divisions (if any exist) of a state executive office. That information for the Governor of Arkansas has not yet been added. After extensive research we were unable to identify any relevant information on state official websites. If you have any additional information about this office for inclusion on this section and/or page, please email us.
State budget
Role in state budget
- See also: Arkansas state budget and finances
The state operates on a biennial budget cycle. The sequence of key events in the budget process is as follows:[2][3]
- Budget instructions are sent to state agencies in May of the year preceding the start of the new biennium.
- State agencies submit their budget requests to the governor in July.
- The governor submits his or her proposed budget to the state legislature in November.
- The state legislature adopts a budget between January and April. The budget must be passed by a three-fourths majority.
- The fiscal year begins July 1.
Arkansas is one of 44 states in which the governor has line item veto authority.[2][4]
The governor is required by statute to submit a balanced budget. The legislature is not legally required to pass a balanced budget.[2]
Governor's office budget
The budget for the Office of the Arkansas Governor in Fiscal Year 2025 was $6,556,265.[5]
Compensation
The compensation of all state constitutional officers is set by Amendment 70 to the Arkansas Constitution, which was amended in 2014 by Arkansas voters who passed the Elected Officials Ethics, Transparency and Financial Reform Amendment. A commission was established under this amendment to set and approve new salaries for public officials in Arkansas.[1][6]
2023
In 2023, the officer's salary was $158,739, according to the Council of State Governments.[7]
2022
In 2022, the officer's salary was $158,739, according to the Council of State Governments.[8]
2021
In 2021, the governor received a salary of $154,115, according to the Council of State Governments.[9]
2020
In 2020, the governor's salary was $151,838, according to the Council of State Governments.[10]
2019
In 2019, the governor's salary was $148,134, according to the Council of State Governments.[11]
2018
In 2018, the governor's salary was $141,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[12]
2017
In 2017, the governor's salary was $141,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[13]
2016
In 2016, the governor's salary was increased by over $50,000 from the 2015 rate to $141,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[14] The governor's salary was raised by a panel put together in response to a voter-approved referendum. Some on the panel criticized the majority, saying that they ignored public opposition to the plan. The five members of the commission who voted for the raise responded that they had followed the text of the amendment that had set up the commission and that "the vast of majority of people [in Arkansas] that are not commenting are reasonably comfortable and satisfied with this."[6]
2015
In 2015, the governor's salary was increased to $87,759, according to the Council of State Governments.[15]
2014
In 2014, the governor received a salary of $86,890, according to the Council of State Governments.[16]
2013
In 2013, the governor's salary was $86,890.[17]
2010
In 2010, the governor was paid $87,352, the 49th highest gubernatorial salary in America at the time.
History
The first Arkansas Constitution, ratified in 1836, established four-year terms for governors and the requirement that they be residents of the state for 10 years before election. The fifth constitution in 1874, following the American Civil War and Reconstruction, limited the executive's power while lowering gubernatorial terms to two years and changing the residency requirement to seven years. Amendment 63 to the Arkansas Constitution, passed in 1984, increased the terms of both the governor and lieutenant governor to four years. A referendum in 1992 limited a governor to two consecutive four-year terms.
Partisan balance 1992-2013
Partisan breakdown of the Arkansas legislature from 1992-2013
From 1992-2013, the Democratic Party was the majority in the Arkansas State House of Representatives for the first 21 years while the Republicans were the majority for the last year. The Arkansas State House is one of 18 state Houses that was Democratic for more than 80 percent of the years between 1992-2013. The final year of the study depicted a shift in the Arkansas House of Representatives which changed to Republican control for the first time.
Across the country, there were 577 Democratic and 483 Republican State Houses of Representatives from 1992 to 2013.
Over the course of the 22-year study, state governments became increasingly more partisan. At the outset of the study period (1992), 18 of the 49 states with partisan legislatures had single-party trifectas and 31 states had divided governments. In 2013, only 13 states had divided governments, while single-party trifectas held sway in 36 states, the most in the 22 years studied.
The chart below shows the partisan composition of the Office of the Governor of Arkansas, the Arkansas State Senate and the Arkansas House of Representatives from 1992 to 2013.
.PNG)
SQLI and partisanship
The chart below depicts the partisanship of the Arkansas state government and the state's SQLI ranking for the years studied. For the SQLI, the states were ranked from 1-50, with 1 being the best and 50 the worst. Arkansas has never had a Republican trifecta, but did have two Democratic trifectas, between 1992 and 1996 and also between 2007 and 2011. Arkansas has ranked in the bottom-10 of the SQLI ranking for each year of the study. Its highest ranking (41st) occurred in the early 1990s under a Democratic trifecta, while its worst ranking (47th) occurred in 1999 and 2000 under divided government. 2013 was the first year in which Arkansas’s divided government included a Democratic governor and Republican legislature. In all other years of divided government, Arkansas had a Republican governor and a Democratic legislature.
- SQLI average with Democratic trifecta: 43.18
- SQLI average with Republican trifecta: N/A
- SQLI average with divided government: 45.30
Chart displaying the partisanship of Arkansas government from 1992-2013 and the State Quality of Life Index (SQLI).
Historical officeholders
There have been 47 governors in the history of Arkansas. Of these governors, nine have been Republican and 38 have been Democratic.[18][19]
| # | Name | Term | Party |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | James Sevier Conway | September 13, 1836-November 4, 1840 | Democratic |
| 2 | Archibald Yell | November 4, 1840-April 29, 1844 | Democratic |
| Acting | Samuel Adams | April 29, 1844-November 5, 1844 | Democratic |
| 3 | Thomas Stevenson Drew | November 5, 1844-January 10, 1849 | Democratic |
| 4 | John Selden Roane | January 10, 1849-April 19, 1849 | Democratic |
| Acting | Richard C. Byrd | April 19, 1849-November 15, 1852 | Democratic |
| 5 | Elias Nelson Conway | November 15, 1852-November 16, 1860 | Democratic |
| 6 | Henry Massey Rector | November 16, 1860-November 4, 1862 | Democratic |
| 7 | Harris Flanagin | November 15, 1862-May 26, 1865 | Democratic |
| 8 | Isaac Murphy | April 18, 1864-July 2, 1868 | Republican |
| 9 | Powell Clayton | July 2, 1868-March 17, 1871 | Republican |
| Acting | Ozra A. Hadley | March 17, 1871-January 6, 1873 | Republican |
| 10 | Elisha Baxter | January 6, 1873-November 12, 1874 | Republican |
| 11 | Augustus H. Garland | November 12, 1874-January 11, 1877 | Democratic |
| 12 | William R. Miller | January 11, 1877-January 13, 1881 | Democratic |
| 13 | Thomas J. Churchill | January 13, 1881-January 13, 1883 | Democratic |
| 14 | James H. Berry | January 13, 1883-January 15, 1885 | Democratic |
| 15 | Simon P. Hughes, Jr. | January 15, 1885-January 17, 1889 | Democratic |
| 16 | James P. Eagle | January 17, 1889-January 14, 1893 | Democratic |
| 17 | William M. Fishback | January 14, 1893-January 18, 1895 | Democratic |
| 18 | James P. Clarke | January 18, 1895-January 18, 1897 | Democratic |
| 19 | Daniel W. Jones | January 18, 1897-January 18, 1901 | Democratic |
| 20 | Jeff Davis | January 18, 1901-January 18, 1907 | Democratic |
| 21 | John S. Little | January 18, 1907-February 7, 1907 | Democratic |
| Acting | John Isaac Moore | 1907 | Democratic |
| Acting | Xenophon O. Pindall | 1907-1909 | Democratic |
| Acting | Jesse M. Martin | 1909 | Democratic |
| 22 | George Washington Donaghey | January 14, 1909-January 16, 1913 | Democratic |
| 23 | Joseph T. Robinson | January 16, 1913-March 10, 1913 | Democratic |
| Acting | William Kavanaugh Oldham | 1913 | Democratic |
| Acting | Junius Marion Futrell | 1913 | Democratic |
| 24 | George Washington Hays | August 16, 1913-January 10, 1917 | Democratic |
| 25 | Charles H. Brough | January 10, 1917-January 12, 1921 | Democratic |
| 26 | Thomas C. McRae | January 12, 1921-January 14, 1925 | Democratic |
| 27 | Thomas Jefferson Terral | January 14, 1925-January 11, 1927 | Democratic |
| 28 | John E. Martineau | January 11, 1927-March 4, 1928 | Democratic |
| 29 | Harvey Parnell | March 4, 1928-January 10, 1933 | Democratic |
| 30 | Junius Marion Futrell | January 10, 1933-January 12, 1937 | Democratic |
| 31 | Carl E. Bailey | January 12, 1937-January 14, 1941 | Democratic |
| 32 | Homer M. Adkins | January 14, 1941-January 9, 1945 | Democratic |
| 33 | Benjamin T. Laney | January 9, 1945-January 11, 1949 | Democratic |
| 34 | Sid McMath | January 11, 1949-January 13, 1953 | Democratic |
| 35 | Francis A. Cherry | January 13, 1953-January 11, 1955 | Democratic |
| 36 | Orval A. Faubus | January 11, 1955-January 10, 1967 | Democratic |
| 37 | Winthrop Rockefeller | January 10, 1967-January 12, 1971 | Republican |
| 38 | Dale Bumpers | January 12, 1971-January 2, 1975 | Democratic |
| 39 | David H. Pryor | January 14, 1975-January 3, 1979 | Democratic |
| 40 | Bill Clinton | January 9, 1979-January 13, 1981 | Democratic |
| 41 | Frank D. White | January 19, 1981-January 11, 1983 | Republican |
| 42 | Bill Clinton | January 11, 1983-December 12, 1992 | Democratic |
| 43 | Jim Guy Tucker | December 12, 1992-July 15, 1996 | Democratic |
| 44 | Mike Huckabee | July 15, 1996-January 9, 2007 | Republican |
| 45 | Mike Beebe | January 9, 2007-January 13, 2015 | Democratic |
| 46 | Asa Hutchinson | January 13, 2015-January 10, 2023 | Republican |
| 47 | Sarah Huckabee Sanders | January 10, 2023-present | Republican |
State profile
| Demographic data for Arkansas | ||
|---|---|---|
| Arkansas | U.S. | |
| Total population: | 2,977,853 | 316,515,021 |
| Land area (sq mi): | 52,035 | 3,531,905 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White: | 78% | 73.6% |
| Black/African American: | 15.5% | 12.6% |
| Asian: | 1.4% | 5.1% |
| Native American: | 0.6% | 0.8% |
| Pacific Islander: | 0.2% | 0.2% |
| Two or more: | 2.1% | 3% |
| Hispanic/Latino: | 6.9% | 17.1% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate: | 84.8% | 86.7% |
| College graduation rate: | 21.1% | 29.8% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income: | $41,371 | $53,889 |
| Persons below poverty level: | 22.9% | 11.3% |
| Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Arkansas. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. |
Presidential voting pattern
- See also: Presidential voting trends in Arkansas
Arkansas voted Republican in all seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.
Pivot Counties (2016)
Ballotpedia identified 206 counties that voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016 after voting for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012. Collectively, Trump won these Pivot Counties by more than 580,000 votes. Of these 206 counties, one is located in Arkansas, accounting for 0.5 percent of the total pivot counties.[20]
Pivot Counties (2020)
In 2020, Ballotpedia re-examined the 206 Pivot Counties to view their voting patterns following that year's presidential election. Ballotpedia defined those won by Trump won as Retained Pivot Counties and those won by Joe Biden (D) as Boomerang Pivot Counties. Nationwide, there were 181 Retained Pivot Counties and 25 Boomerang Pivot Counties. Arkansas had one Retained Pivot County, 0.55 percent of all Retained Pivot Counties.
More Arkansas coverage on Ballotpedia
- Elections in Arkansas
- United States congressional delegations from Arkansas
- Public policy in Arkansas
- Endorsers in Arkansas
- Arkansas fact checks
- More...
Contact information
State Capitol Room 250
500 Woodlane Ave.
Little Rock, AR 72201
Phone: 501-682-2345
See also
| Arkansas | State Executive Elections | News and Analysis |
|---|---|---|
|
|
|
| Arkansas State Executive Offices Arkansas State Legislature Arkansas Courts | 2025 • 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 Arkansas elections: 2025 • 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 | Party control of state government State government trifectas State of the state addresses Partisan composition of governors |
External links
- Search Google News for this topic
- Governor of Arkansas website
- Arkansas.gov Official Arkansas website
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Find Law, "Arkansas Constitution of 1874," accessed January 14, 2021
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 National Association of State Budget Officers, "Budget Processes in the States, Spring 2021," accessed January 24, 2023
- ↑ Appropriations are considered annually for certain departments. See Page 13 here for more information.
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "Separation of Powers: Executive Veto Powers," accessed January 26, 2024
- ↑ Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration, "Funded Budget - Fiscal Year 2025," accessed January 15, 2025
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Arkansas News, "Salary panel gives final OK to elected officials' raises," accessed January 14, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2023 Table 4.11: Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed January 15, 2025
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2022 Table 4.11: Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," provided to Ballotpedia by CSG personnel
- ↑ Issuu, "The Book of the States 2021," accessed September 22, 2022
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2020," accessed January 14, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2019," accessed January 14, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2018," accessed January 14, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2017," accessed January 14, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2016," accessed January 14, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2015," accessed January 14, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed January 14, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "CSG Releases 2013 Governor Salaries," January 14, 2021
- ↑ National Governor's Association, "Former Arkansas Governors," accessed January 14, 2021
- ↑ Encyclopedia of Arkansas Website, "Office of the Governor," accessed January 14, 2021
- ↑ The raw data for this study was provided by Dave Leip of Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections.
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