The 2012 United States House of Representatives elections in Arkansas occurred on Tuesday, November 6, 2012, to elect the four U.S. representatives from the state, one from each of the state's four congressional districts. The elections coincided with the elections of other federal and state offices, including a quadrennial presidential election.
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All 4 Arkansas seats to the United States House of Representatives | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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As the result of redistricting following the 2010 United States census, the boundaries of the state's congressional districts were redrawn, heavily favoring Republicans. Governor Mike Beebe, who signed the new map into law in April 2011, described it as the "status quo"[1] and not partisan.[2] In the new map, five counties are split between districts, the first time in Arkansas history that counties have not been kept intact in congressional districts.[1]
Overview
editStatewide
editThe table below shows the total number and percentage of votes, as well as the number of seats gained and lost by each political party in the election for the United States House of Representatives in Arkansas.
| United States House of Representatives elections in Arkansas, 2012[3] | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Votes | Percentage | Seats | +/– | |
| Republican | 637,591 | 61.4% | 4 | +1 | |
| Democratic | 304,770 | 29.4% | 0 | -1 | |
| Green | 57,706 | 5.6% | 0 | - | |
| Libertarian | 37,987 | 3.7% | 0 | - | |
| Totals | 1,038,054 | 100% | 4 | — | |
By district
editResults of the 2012 United States House of Representatives elections in Arkansas by district:
| District | Republican | Democratic | Green | Libertarian | Total | Result | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Votes | % | Votes | % | Votes | % | Votes | % | Votes | % | ||
| District 1 | 138,800 | 56.23% | 96,601 | 39.13% | 6,427 | 2.60% | 5,015 | 2.03% | 246,843 | 100.0% | Republican Hold |
| District 2 | 158,175 | 55.19% | 113,156 | 39.48% | 8,566 | 2.99% | 6,701 | 2.34% | 286,598 | 100.0% | Republican Hold |
| District 3 | 186,467 | 75.90% | 0 | 0.00% | 39,318 | 16.01% | 19,875 | 8.09% | 245,660 | 100.0% | Republican Hold |
| District 4 | 154,149 | 59.53% | 95,013 | 36.69% | 4,807 | 1.86% | 4,984 | 1.93% | 258,953 | 100.0% | Republican Gain |
| Total | 637,591 | 61.42% | 304,770 | 29.36% | 57,706 | 5.56% | 37,987 | 3.66% | 1,038,054 | 100.0% | |
District 1
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 Results by county Crawford: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Ellington: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% | |||||||||||||||||
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The 1st district had lost population,[4] and so was drawn in the new map to incorporate counties in southeastern Arkansas which were previously a part of the 4th district.[1] Republican incumbent Rick Crawford was first elected in 2010.
Republican primary
editCandidates
editNominee
edit- Rick Crawford, incumbent U.S. Representative
Democratic primary
editCandidates
editNominee
edit- Scott Ellington, prosecuting attorney[5]
Eliminated in primary
edit- Clark Hall, state representative[6]
- Gary Latanich, professor of economics at Arkansas State University[7]
Declined
edit- Paul Bookout, president pro tempore of the Arkansas Senate;[8]
- L. J. Bryant, business owner and nominee for Land Commissioner in 2010[9]
- Chad Causey, former chief of staff to U.S. Representative Marion Berry and nominee for this seat in 2010[10]
- David Cook, former state representative and candidate for this seat in 2010[9]
- Keith Ingram, state representative[11]
- Robert S. Moore Jr., Speaker of the state house of representatives;[9][11]
- Steve Rockwell, businessman (who had considered running in 2010)[9][5]
- Robert F. Thompson, state senator[8]
Endorsements
editClark Hall
Organizations
Polling
edit| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Scott Ellington |
Clark Hall |
Gary Latanich |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Talk Business/Hendrix College[12] | April 24–25, 2012 | 497 | ± 4.4% | 15% | 10% | 4% | 71% |
Primary results
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Scott Ellington | 27,936 | 49.5 | |
| Democratic | Clark M. Hall | 21,861 | 38.8 | |
| Democratic | Gary Latanich | 6,605 | 11.7 | |
| Total votes | 56,402 | 100.0 | ||
Green primary
editCandidates
editNominee
edit- Jacob Holloway, graduate student at Arkansas State University.
Libertarian primary
editCandidates
editNominee
edit- Jessica Paxton, wife of Libertarian Party of Arkansas chairman Rodger Paxton
General election
editEndorsements
editRick Crawford (R)
Scott Ellington (D)
Labor unions
- AFL-CIO[17]
- National Association of Letter Carriers[18]
- National Education Association
- United Steelworkers
Organizations
- Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee "Emerging Races" Program[19]
Polling
edit| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Rick Crawford (R) |
Scott Ellington (D) |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anzalone Liszt Research Ellington (D)[20] | July 16–18, 2012 | 401 | ±4.9% | 47% | 45% | 8% |
Predictions
edit| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Cook Political Report[21] | Safe R | November 5, 2012 |
| Rothenberg[22] | Safe R | November 2, 2012 |
| Roll Call[23] | Safe R | November 4, 2012 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[24] | Safe R | November 5, 2012 |
| NY Times[25] | Safe R | November 4, 2012 |
| RCP[26] | Safe R | November 4, 2012 |
| The Hill[27] | Likely R | November 4, 2012 |
Results
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Rick Crawford (incumbent) | 138,800 | 56.2 | |
| Democratic | Scott Ellington | 96,601 | 39.2 | |
| Libertarian | Jessica Paxton | 6,427 | 2.6 | |
| Green | Jacob Holloway | 5,015 | 2.0 | |
| Total votes | 246,843 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
District 2
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Population growth in Arkansas's central counties meant that the 2nd district had to shrink in the new map.[4] Under the new map, the 2nd district is likely to continue to favor Republicans.[1]
Republican incumbent Timothy Griffin was first elected in 2010.
Republican primary
editCandidates
editNominee
edit- Tim Griffin, incumbent U.S. Representative
Democratic primary
editCandidates
editNominee
edit- Herb Rule, attorney and former state representative
Declined
edit- David Boling, former chief of staff to U.S. Representative Vic Snyder and candidate for this seat in 2010[29]
- Bob Edwards, attorney (who had considered running in 2010)[9]
- John Charles Edwards, state representative [30]
- Drew Pritt, political consultant[31]
- Bill Halter, former Lieutenant Governor of Arkansas and candidate for Senate in 2010[9][11]
- Pat Hays, Mayor of North Little Rock;[9][32]
- David Johnson, state senator[9]
- Jay Martin, lawyer and former state representative[33]
- Tracy Steele, state representative [9]
- Robbie Wills, former speaker of the state House of Representatives and candidate for this seat in 2010[9]
Libertarian primary
editCandidates
editNominee
edit- Chris Hayes
General election
editEndorsements
editTim Griffin (R)
Herb Rule (D)
Labor unions
Results
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Tim Griffin (incumbent) | 158,175 | 55.2 | |
| Democratic | Herb Rule | 113,156 | 39.5 | |
| Green | Barbara Ward | 8,566 | 3.0 | |
| Libertarian | Chris Hayes | 6,701 | 2.3 | |
| Total votes | 286,598 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
District 3
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Population growth in Arkansas's northwestern counties meant that the 3rd district had to shrink in the new map.[4] Under the new map, the 3rd district is likely to continue to favor Republicans.[4]
Republican incumbent Steve Womack was first elected in 2010.
Republican primary
editCandidates
editNominee
edit- Steve Womack, incumbent U.S. Representative
Democratic primary
editCandidates
editNominee
edit- Ken Aden, former director for West Memphis-based nonprofit Residents 4 Arkansas[34]
Green primary
editCandidates
editNominee
edit- Rebekah Kennedy, nominee for Senate in 2008 and for state attorney general in 2010.[35]
Libertarian primary
editCandidates
editNominee
edit- David Pangrac, Libertarian Party of Arkansas Vice Chairman
General election
editCampaign
editAden would withdraw from the race after admitting to exaggerating his military record. Under Arkansas law, the Democratic Party was unable to field a replacement candidate for Aden and no Democrat appeared on the general election ballot.[36] On August 14, 2012, Kennedy received the endorsement of the Arkansas state AFL-CIO labor union.[17]
Endorsements
editSteve Womack (R)
Ken Aden (D)
Labor unions
Results
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Steve Womack (incumbent) | 186,467 | 75.9 | |
| Green | Rebekah Kennedy | 39,318 | 16.0 | |
| Libertarian | David Pangrac | 19,875 | 8.1 | |
| Total votes | 245,660 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
District 4
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 Results by county Cotton: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Jeffress: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% | |||||||||||||||||
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Under the new map, the 4th district loses some territory in the east of the state to the 1st district and gains some Republican-leaning northwestern Arkansas counties from the 3rd district.[1][9] The district also gains Yell County from the 2nd district, which is expected to make the 4th district more favorable to Democrats.[9]
Democratic incumbent Mike Ross, who was first elected in 2000, chose not to seek re-election.[37]
Democratic primary
editCandidates
editNominee
editEliminated in primary
edit- D.C. Morrison, businessman and candidate for Senate in 2010[39]
- Q. Byrum Hurst Jr., attorney and small business owner[40]
Declined
edit- Robin Carroll, prosecutor and former legal counsel to the Democratic Party;[41]
- Conner Eldridge, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas[37][41][42]
- Steve Faris, former state senator[41]
- Greg Hale, consultant for The Markham Group;[39]
- Steve Harrelson, state senator [41]
- Mike Hathorn, former state representative and candidate for lieutenant governor in 2010[42]
- Carlton Jones, prosecutor from Texarkana[37]
- Chris Masingill, head of the Delta Regional Authority and a former staff member for Ross and Governor Mike Beebe[41]
- Bruce Maloch, state representative[41]
- Gregg Reep, state representative[41]
- Mike Ross, incumbent U.S. Representative
- Larry Teague, state senator[37][41][42]
- Chris Thomason, former state representative and chancellor of the University of Arkansas Community College at Hope[29]
- Jeff Weaver, district director for Mike Ross[43]
- Hank Wilkins, state representative[41]
Polling
edit| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Q. Byrum Hurst |
Gene Jeffress |
D.C. Morrison |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Talk Business/Hendrix College[44] | May 10, 2012 | 418 | ± 4.8% | 23% | 22% | 11% | 44% |
Primary results
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Gene Jeffress | 23,848 | 43.0 | |
| Democratic | Q. Byrum Hurst | 19,812 | 35.7 | |
| Democratic | DC Morrison | 11,771 | 21.2 | |
| Total votes | 55,431 | 100.0 | ||
Primary runoff results
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Gene Jeffress | 15,266 | 60.7 | |
| Democratic | Q. Byrum Hurst | 9,895 | 39.3 | |
| Total votes | 25,161 | 100.0 | ||
Republican primary
editCandidates
editNominee
edit- Tom Cotton, consultant and Army reservist[37]
Eliminated in primary
edit- John Cowart, police officer and currently serving U.S. Marine Corps Reserve lieutenant colonel in Afghanistan[45]
- Beth Anne Rankin, teacher, former Miss Arkansas & nominee for this seat in 2010[38]
Withdrew
edit- Marcus Richmond, business owner and retired Marine Corps lieutenant colonel[38]
Polling
edit| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Tom Cotton |
John Cowart |
Beth Anne Rankin |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Talk Business/Hendrix College[46] | May 10, 2012 | 437 | ± 4.7% | 51% | 6% | 33% | 10% |
| Talk Business/Hendrix College[47] | April 17, 2012 | 542 | ± 4.2% | 38.5% | 4% | 38.5% | 19% |
Primary results
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Tom Cotton | 20,899 | 57.6 | |
| Republican | Beth Anne Rankin | 13,460 | 37.1 | |
| Republican | John Cowart | 1,953 | 5.4 | |
| Total votes | 36,312 | 100.0 | ||
Green primary
editCandidates
editNominee
edit- J. Joshua Drake
Libertarian primary
editBobby Tullis had considered seeking Libertarian nomination for the seat;[48] however in December 2011 Tullis gave his support to Republican candidate Beth Anne Rankin;[43] nevertheless, he was subsequently nominated as the Libertarian candidate.
Candidates
editNominee
edit- Bobby Tullis, former Democratic state representative and unsuccessful Green Party nominee for state treasurer in 2010
General election
editEndorsements
editGene Jeffress (D)
Tom Cotton (R)
Predictions
edit| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Cook Political Report[51] | Likely R (flip) | November 5, 2012 |
| Rothenberg[22] | Safe R (flip) | November 2, 2012 |
| Roll Call[23] | Safe R (flip) | November 4, 2012 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[24] | Safe R (flip) | November 5, 2012 |
| NY Times[25] | Safe R (flip) | November 4, 2012 |
| RCP[26] | Safe R (flip) | November 4, 2012 |
| The Hill[27] | Likely R (flip) | November 4, 2012 |
Results
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Tom Cotton | 154,149 | 59.5 | |
| Democratic | Gene Jeffress | 95,013 | 36.7 | |
| Libertarian | Bobby Tullis | 4,984 | 1.9 | |
| Green | J. Joshua Drake | 4,807 | 1.9 | |
| Total votes | 258,953 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican gain from Democratic | ||||
References
edit- ^ a b c d e DeMillo, Andrew (April 14, 2011). "Beebe signs Ark. redistricting plan into law". San Antonio Express-News. Archived from the original on April 27, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
- ^ MacNeil, Kelly (April 14, 2011). "Beebe Says Redistricting Map Isn't Partisan". KUAR. Archived from the original on September 28, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
- ^ "New York Times Election Results 2012". The New York Times.
- ^ a b c d Barnes, Steve (April 15, 2011). "Steve Barnes: Congressional redistricting brings state something new". The Baxter Bulletin. Retrieved April 23, 2011.[permanent dead link]
- ^ a b "Possible 1st District candidates". Arkansas Times. July 6, 2011. Archived from the original on July 12, 2011. Retrieved July 6, 2011.
- ^ "Rep. Clark Hall to enter first district congressional race". Talk Business & Politics. October 17, 2011. Archived from the original on October 19, 2011. Retrieved October 18, 2011.
- ^ Cook, Michael (November 2, 2011). "First District Democrats Have Contested Primary". Talk Business & Politics. Archived from the original on May 2, 2012. Retrieved November 2, 2011.
- ^ a b Merchant, Nomaan (September 7, 2011). "3 Democrats not running in Arkansas' 1st District". Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Retrieved September 8, 2011.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Brock, Roby (April 22, 2011). "Arkansas Election Line: New Congressional options". The City Wire. Archived from the original on April 26, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
- ^ Brantley, Max (September 7, 2011). "Chad Causey won't run again in 2012". Arkansas Times. Retrieved September 7, 2011.
- ^ a b c Miller, Joshua (June 2, 2011). "Race Ratings: Can Democrats Reclaim Arkansas Territory?". Roll Call. Retrieved June 3, 2011.
- ^ Talk Business/Hendrix College
- ^ "Candidates". electgoppatriots.org/. NRCC. Archived from the original on October 16, 2012. Retrieved March 5, 2023.
- ^ a b c "Upcoming Election - Arkansas". Archived from the original on October 9, 2012. Retrieved February 18, 2023.
- ^ a b c d "Arkansas Endorsements" (PDF). National Right to Life. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 23, 2013. Retrieved February 18, 2023.
- ^ a b c d "Help With Voting". Archived from the original on October 10, 2012. Retrieved February 18, 2023.
- ^ a b c d "Arkansas AFL-CIO endorses Democrats, Green Party candidate in House races, but not Herb Rule". The Republic (Columbus). Associated Press. August 14, 2012. Archived from the original on August 19, 2012. Retrieved August 15, 2012.
- ^ a b "NALC-ENDORSED CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATES" (PDF). NALC. pp. 3–4. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
- ^ "RED TO BLUE 2012". DCCC. Archived from the original on October 26, 2012. Retrieved March 5, 2023.
- ^ Anzalone Liszt Research Ellington (D)
- ^ "The Cook Political Report — Charts – 2012 House Competitive Races". Cookpolitical.com. November 5, 2012. Retrieved November 6, 2012.
- ^ a b "House Ratings". Rothenbergpoliticalreport.com. November 2, 2012. Retrieved November 4, 2012.
- ^ a b [1], as of November 4, 2012[update]
- ^ a b Crystal Ball, as of November 5, 2012[update]
- ^ a b House Race Ratings, The New York Times, as of November 4, 2012[update]
- ^ a b [2], as of November 4, 2012[update]
- ^ a b "House Ratings". The Hill. November 3, 2012. Retrieved November 4, 2012.
- ^ a b c d AR – Election Results
- ^ a b "Chris Thomason, David Boling Not Seeking U.S. House Seats". Arkansas Business. July 27, 2011. Retrieved July 29, 2011.
- ^ "Edwards is staying in the state house - will not run for Congress". Tolbert Report. October 16, 2011. Retrieved October 18, 2011.
- ^ Clark, Lauren (November 1, 2011). "Drew Pritt drops out of Arkansas Congressional Race". Today's THV. Retrieved November 2, 2011.
- ^ "Pat Hays political future a source of speculation". Talk Business & Politics. August 23, 2011. Retrieved August 23, 2011.
- ^ Brantley, Max (January 17, 2012). "Jay Martin confirms interest in 2nd District Congress". Arkansas Times. Retrieved January 28, 2012.
- ^ Demillo, Andrew (August 30, 2011). "Democrat announces for NW Arkansas congressional seat". Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Retrieved August 30, 2011.
- ^ "Rebekah Kennedy". Arkansas Secretary of State. May 15, 2012. Retrieved August 15, 2012.
- ^ Brantley, Max (July 9, 2012). "Ken Aden dropping out of 3rd District congressional race". Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Retrieved August 15, 2012.
- ^ a b c d e "In Ross's wake". Arkansas Times. July 27, 2011. Retrieved July 27, 2011.
- ^ a b c Demillo, Andrew (August 29, 2011). "Rankin, Jeffress launch congressional bids in Ark". RealClearPolitics. Retrieved August 30, 2011.
- ^ a b Brock, Roby (January 18, 2012). "Greg Hale's Name Surfaces In Fourth District Congressional Race". Talk Business & Politics. Retrieved January 24, 2012.
- ^ Brock, Roby (February 27, 2012). "Democrat Q. Byrum Hurst Enters Fourth District Congressional Race". Talk Business & Politics. Retrieved March 1, 2012.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Ross will not seek re-election in 2012 (updated)". Talk Business & Politics. July 25, 2011. Archived from the original on August 30, 2011. Retrieved July 31, 2011.
- ^ a b c Catanese, David (July 25, 2011). "Can Dems hold the Ross seat?". Politico. Retrieved July 27, 2011.
- ^ a b Brock, Roby (December 12, 2011). "Ross District Director Rules Out Fourth District Run". Talk Business & Politics. Retrieved January 24, 2012.
- ^ Talk Business/Hendrix College
- ^ Brantley, Max (December 12, 2011). "Another (armed)candidate for 4th District Congress". Arkansas Times. Retrieved January 24, 2012.
- ^ Talk Business/Hendrix College
- ^ Talk Business/Hendrix College
- ^ Tolbert, Jason (November 1, 2011). "Fourth District Gains More Candidates - Cowart and Tullis". Talk Business & Politics. Retrieved November 2, 2011.
- ^ "2012 Candidates Endorsed By Eagle Forum PAC". eagleforum.org/. February 12, 2013. Archived from the original on October 13, 2014. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
- ^ "2012 ENDORSEMENTS". teapartyexpress.org. January 27, 2012. Archived from the original on December 7, 2012. Retrieved February 11, 2023.
- ^ "The Cook Political Report — Charts – 2012 House Competitive Races". Cookpolitical.com. November 5, 2012. Retrieved November 6, 2012.
External links
edit- Elections Division from the Arkansas Secretary of State
- United States House of Representatives elections in Arkansas, 2012 at Ballotpedia
- Campaign contributions at OpenSecrets
- Outside spending at the Sunlight Foundation