The Republican Party of Arkansas (RPA), headquartered at 1201 West 6th Street in downtown Little Rock, is the affiliate of the Republican Party in Arkansas. It is currently the dominant party in the state, controlling all four of Arkansas' U.S. House seats, both U.S. Senate seats, all statewide executive offices, including the governorship, and supermajorities in both houses of the state legislature.

The Republican Party of Arkansas was founded on April 2, 1867, by "the leading Union men" of Arkansas. Under Powell Clayton, it played a preeminent role in politics at the height of Reconstruction in the state (1864–1874). The party chairman is Joseph K. Wood, and the current executive director is Drew Martin.

History

The Republican Party, also referred to as the GOP (Grand Old Party), is the second oldest currently existing political party in the United States after its older rival, the Democratic Party. Both parties exist in all fifty states. Historically, prior to the late 20th century, the Republican Party was much weaker than the Democratic Party in the former states of the old Confederacy, including Arkansas.

The Arkansas party did not hire its first paid executive director until 1970, when businessman Neal Sox Johnson, then of Nashville, Arkansas, assumed the position in the last year of Winthrop Rockefeller's second term as governor of Arkansas. Johnson held the position until early in 1973, when he left Arkansas to take a position with the former Farmers Home Administration in Washington.Arkansas Outlook, Arkansas Republican Party newsletter, February 1973

Between 2010 and 2014, similar to what took place in neighboring Oklahoma, Arkansas Republicans won all four U.S. House seats, both U.S. Senate seats, all of the statewide offices, and supermajority control of both chambers of the General Assembly.

Associated groups There are six groups and these groups are: Arkansas Diversity Alliances Coalition, African American Coalition of Arkansas, Arkansas African American Trailblazers, Arkansas Federation of College Republicans, Arkansas Federation of Young Republicans, Arkansas Federation of Republican Women, and the Arkansas Federation of Teenage Republicans. The Tusk Club is another arm of the Arkansas Republican Party.

Republican governors As of 2023, there have been a total of eight Republican governors. #GovernorPhotoCountyStart dateEnd dateTime in office9 (1833–1914)JeffersonJuly 2, 1868March 17, 1871 (1826–1915)PulaskiMarch 17, 1871January 6, 187310 (1827–1899)IndependenceJanuary 6, 1873November 12, 187437 (1912–1973)ConwayJanuary 10, 1967January 12, 197141 (1933–2003)PulaskiJanuary 19, 1981January 11, 198344 (born 1955)HempsteadJuly 15, 1996January 9, 200746 (born 1950)BentonJanuary 13, 2015January 10, 202347 (born 1982)HempsteadJanuary 10, 2023Incumbent

Current elected officials The Arkansas Republican Party controls all of the state's seven statewide offices. Republicans also hold both of the state's U.S. Senate seats and all four of the state's U.S. House seats.

Members of Congress

U.S. Senate Republicans have controlled both of Arkansas's seats in the U.S. Senate since 2015:

U.S. House of Representatives Out of the four seats Arkansas is apportioned in the U.S. House of Representatives, all four are held by Republicans:

+DistrictMemberPhoto1st2nd3rd4th

Statewide offices Republicans control all seven of the elected statewide constitutional offices:

Secretary of State: Cole Jester State Auditor: Dennis Milligan State Treasurer: John Thurston Commissioner of State Lands: Tommy Land

State legislative leaders Senate President Pro Tempore: Bart Hester Senate Majority Leader: Blake Johnson Speaker of the House: Brian S. Evans Speaker Pro Tempore: Jon Eubanks House Majority Leader: Howard Beaty

List of chairmen This is a list of chairmen of the Republican Party of Arkansas:Coon, Ken, Dr. Heroes and Heroines of the Journey: The Builders of the Modern Republican Party of Arkansas. Self-published, . Print.

1932–1955: Osro Cobb 1955–1962: Ben C. Henley 1962–1964: William L. Spicer 1964–1966: John P. Hammerschmidt 1966–1970: Odell Pollard 1970–1972: Charles T. Bernard 1972–1974: Jim Caldwell 1974–1980: A. Lynn Lowe 1980: Jeraldine D. Pruden (interim) 1980–1982: Harlan Holleman 1982: Bob Cohee (interim) 1982–1983: Morris S. Arnold 1983–1984: Bob Leslie 1984–1985: William Kelly 1985: Sharon Trusty (interim) 1985–1986: Len E. Blaylock 1986–1988: Ed Bethune 1988–1990: Dr. Ken Coon (Also serving as Executive Director) 1991–1992: Asa Hutchinson (co-chairman) 1991–1992: Sheffield Nelson (co-chairman) 1992–1995: Asa Hutchinson 1995–2002: Lloyd Vance Stone Jr. 2002–2003: John P. Hammerschmidt 2003–2004: Winthrop P. Rockefeller 2004–2007: Gilbert Baker 2007–2008: Dennis Milligan 2008–2020: Doyle Webb 2020–2022: Jonelle Fulmer 2022–2023: Cody Hiland 2023: John Parke 2023–present: Joseph Wood

Electoral history Gubernatorial +Arkansas Republican Party gubernatorial election resultsElectionGubernatorial candidateVotesVote %Result1994Sheffield Nelson287,90440.16%Lost 1998Mike Huckabee421,98959.77%Won 2002Mike Huckabee427,08253.02%Won 2006Asa Hutchinson315,04040.67%Lost 2010Jim Keet262,78433.63%Lost 2014Asa Hutchinson470,42955.44%Won 2018Asa Hutchinson582,40665.33%Won 2022Sarah Huckabee Sanders571,10562.96%Won

See also Democratic Party of Arkansas Political party strength in Arkansas

References

Notes

Citations

External links