The 2010 Arkansas gubernatorial election took place on Tuesday, November 2, 2010. Incumbent Democratic governor Mike Beebe ran for re-election, and faced former state senator Jim Keet, whom he defeated in a landslide to win a second and final term as governor, despite the year being a Republican midterm wave year and Democratic senator Blanche Lincoln being unseated by a 21-point margin on the same ballot. Beebe’s re-election was also despite Republicans on the same ballot gaining the offices of Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, and Commissioner of State Lands.
Beebe's vote percentage and margin of victory was the highest of any Democratic gubernatorial candidate in the country in 2010. This was also the only Arkansas gubernatorial election since Democrat David Pryor in 1976 where either major party nominee won every county.
As of 2025, this alongside the concurrent treasurer, state auditor, and attorney general elections is the last time Democrats won any statewide election in Arkansas. This was also the last time in which a gubernatorial nominee and a lieutenant gubernatorial nominee of different political parties were elected in Arkansas, and the last time that Arkansas simultaneously voted for gubernatorial and U.S. Senate candidates of different political parties.
Candidates Democratic Party Mike Beebe, incumbent governor
Republican Party Jim Keet, former state senator
Green Party Jim Lendall, former state representative and 2006 gubernatorial nominee
General election Predictions Source Ranking As of Cook Political Report October 14, 2010 Rothenberg October 28, 2010 RealClearPolitics November 1, 2010 Sabato's Crystal Ball October 28, 2010 CQ Politics October 28, 2010
Polling Poll source Date(s)administered MikeBeebe (D) JimKeet (R)Rasmussen ReportsRasmussen Reports October 28, 2010 60% 38%CNN/Time MagazineCNN/Time Magazine October 15–19, 2010 62% 35%Rasmussen ReportsRasmussen Reports September 30, 2010 51% 41%Mason-DixonMason-Dixon September 12–14, 2010 54% 33%Rasmussen ReportsRasmussen Reports August 18, 2010 53% 33%Rasmussen ReportsRasmussen Reports July 20, 2010 50% 40%Ipsos/ReutersIpsos/Reuters July 16–18, 2010 57% 35%Talk BusinessTalk Business July 17, 2010 50% 41%Rasmussen ReportsRasmussen Reports June 15, 2010 57% 33%Rasmussen ReportsRasmussen Reports May 19, 2010 53% 38%
Results
By county CountyMike BeebeDemocraticJim KeetRepublicanJim LendallGreenWrite-inMarginTotal#%#%#%#%#%Arkansas3,76576.32%1,11122.52%460.93%110.22%2,65453.80%4,933Ashley3,74266.27%1,83432.48%691.22%20.04%1,90833.79%5,647Baxter8,12854.52%6,46843.39%3062.05%50.03%1,66011.14%14,907Benton27,71552.10%24,60046.25%8551.61%240.05%3,1155.86%53,194Boone8,84359.16%5,60237.48%4833.23%190.13%3,24121.68%14,947Bradley2,16474.96%69624.11%270.94%00.00%1,46850.85%2,887Calhoun1,14370.73%44827.72%251.55%00.00%69543.01%1,616Carroll5,16662.17%2,87634.61%2673.21%00.00%2,29027.56%8,309Chicot2,40479.95%57319.06%301.00%00.00%1,83160.89%3,007Clark5,77275.66%1,68522.09%1722.25%00.00%4,08753.57%7,629Clay3,05573.65%1,02924.81%641.54%00.00%2,02648.84%4,148Cleburne5,02954.92%3,95543.19%1701.86%30.03%1,07411.73%9,157Cleveland1,53964.04%80733.58%542.25%30.12%73230.46%2,403Columbia4,48463.91%2,42334.54%1091.55%00.00%2,06129.38%7,016Conway4,43972.14%1,59525.92%1171.90%20.03%2,84446.22%6,153Craighead14,55767.87%6,58030.68%3021.41%100.05%7,97737.19%21,449Crawford8,43357.13%6,03540.89%2811.90%110.07%2,39816.25%14,760Crittenden8,25670.20%3,17126.96%1591.35%1751.49%5,08543.24%11,761Cross3,65170.77%1,43527.82%731.42%00.00%2,21642.95%5,159Dallas1,80773.49%62825.54%240.98%00.00%1,17947.95%2,459Desha2,98184.28%51714.62%340.96%50.14%2,46469.66%3,537Drew3,12470.57%1,22827.74%751.69%00.00%1,89642.83%4,427Faulkner16,18859.66%10,43438.45%4951.82%170.06%5,75421.21%27,134Franklin3,28262.28%1,83334.78%1522.88%30.06%1,44927.50%5,270Fulton2,19461.92%1,26035.56%892.51%00.00%93426.36%3,543Garland18,42460.44%11,49037.70%5581.83%90.03%6,93422.75%30,481Grant3,31963.49%1,81634.74%881.68%50.10%1,50328.75%5,228Greene6,21367.61%2,80930.57%1681.83%00.00%3,40437.04%9,190Hempstead3,23866.16%1,55031.67%1042.13%20.04%1,68834.49%4,894Hot Spring5,60666.79%2,52030.02%2643.15%40.05%3,08636.76%8,394Howard2,18569.70%90028.71%501.59%00.00%1,28540.99%3,135Independence6,05665.47%3,03332.79%1561.69%50.05%3,02332.68%9,250Izard2,87563.13%1,55034.04%1292.83%00.00%1,32529.10%4,554Jackson2,99375.79%89122.56%651.65%00.00%2,10253.23%3,949Jefferson14,72478.77%3,66719.62%2791.49%230.12%11,05759.15%18,693Johnson3,93966.19%1,86231.29%1502.52%00.00%2,07734.90%5,951Lafayette1,34264.58%70633.97%301.44%00.00%63630.61%2,078Lawrence3,40073.06%1,15124.73%1022.19%10.02%2,24948.32%4,654Lee2,50983.38%46115.32%381.26%10.03%2,04868.06%3,009Lincoln2,07267.78%79125.88%692.26%1254.09%1,28141.90%3,057Little River2,53769.72%1,04728.77%551.51%00.00%1,49040.95%3,639Logan4,16766.48%1,97931.57%1181.88%40.06%2,18834.91%6,268Lonoke9,12455.60%7,04342.92%2381.45%40.02%2,08112.68%16,409Madison3,09761.35%1,83136.27%1202.38%00.00%1,26625.08%5,048Marion3,26757.07%2,22238.81%2053.58%310.54%1,04518.25%5,725Miller5,83254.87%4,62543.51%1671.57%50.05%1,20711.36%10,629Mississippi7,92773.69%2,55723.77%2702.51%30.03%5,37049.92%10,757Monroe2,22682.60%43916.29%291.08%10.04%1,78766.31%2,695Montgomery1,96965.81%94331.52%802.67%00.00%1,02634.29%2,992Nevada1,78271.68%66626.79%351.41%30.12%1,11644.89%2,486Newton1,91656.87%1,32939.45%1193.53%50.15%58717.42%3,369Ouachita5,56271.70%2,06326.60%1311.69%10.01%3,49945.11%7,757Perry1,91961.84%1,09135.16%933.00%00.00%82826.68%3,103Phillips5,43385.41%83913.19%891.40%00.00%4,59472.22%6,361Pike2,11267.71%94030.14%672.15%00.00%1,17237.58%3,119Poinsett4,48869.20%1,83828.34%1552.39%50.08%2,65040.86%6,486Polk3,75558.32%2,56139.77%1221.89%10.02%1,19418.54%6,439Pope9,60161.68%5,61836.09%3182.04%290.19%3,98325.59%15,566Prairie1,88474.47%59523.52%501.98%10.04%1,28950.95%2,530Pulaski78,05570.40%31,12028.07%1,6351.47%700.06%46,93542.33%110,880Randolph3,14668.86%1,29028.23%1272.78%60.13%1,85640.62%4,569Saline20,48858.29%14,07840.05%5611.60%200.06%6,41018.24%35,147Scott2,05463.51%1,11934.60%611.89%00.00%93528.91%3,234Searcy1,90356.77%1,34540.13%1033.07%10.03%55816.65%3,352Sebastian18,53160.44%11,56337.71%5401.76%270.09%6,96822.73%30,661Sevier2,15365.62%1,06932.58%591.80%00.00%1,08433.04%3,281Sharp3,60759.58%2,27937.64%1652.73%30.05%1,32821.94%6,054St. Francis5,36177.39%1,46921.21%931.34%40.06%3,89256.19%6,927Stone3,17763.64%1,68433.73%1282.56%30.06%1,49329.91%4,992Union7,41261.08%4,54037.41%1831.51%00.00%2,87223.67%12,135Van Buren3,49363.83%1,82433.33%1552.83%00.00%1,66930.50%5,472Washington26,98760.44%16,58537.14%1,0802.42%00.00%10,40223.30%44,652White12,61563.68%6,90934.88%2771.40%80.04%5,70628.81%19,809Woodruff1,88985.44%29013.12%321.45%00.00%1,59972.32%2,211Yell3,11167.48%1,37429.80%1252.71%00.00%1,73737.68%4,610TOTALS503,33664.42%262,78433.63%14,5131.86%7000.09%240,55230.79%781,333
Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic Benton (Largest city: Rogers) Boone (Largest city: Harrison) Carroll (Largest city: Berryville) Newton (Largest city: Jasper) Madison (Largest city: Huntsville) Marion (Largest city: Bull Shoals) Baxter (Largest city: Mountain Home) Searcy (Largest city: Marshall) Saline (Largest city: Benton) Lonoke (Largest city: Cabot) Polk (Largest city: Mena) Sebastian (Largest city: Fort Smith) Crawford (Largest city: Van Buren) Pope (Largest city: Russellville)
References
External links Elections at the Arkansas Secretary of State Arkansas Governor Candidates at Project Vote Smart Campaign contributions for 2010 Arkansas Governor from Follow the Money
Election 2010: Arkansas Governor from Rasmussen Reports Arkansas Governor - Keet vs. Beebe from Real Clear Politics 2010 Arkansas Governor's Race from CQ Politics Race Profile in The New York Times
Official campaign websites (archived) Mike Beebe Jim Keet