2016 United States Senate election in Arkansas

The 2016 United States Senate election in Arkansas was held November 8, 2016, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the State of Arkansas, concurrently with the 2016 U.S. presidential election, as well as other elections to the United States Senate in other states and elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections.

Incumbent U.S. Senator John Boozman won re-election to a second term in office, becoming the first Republican senator reelected in the history of the state. Former U.S. Attorney Conner Eldridge was the only Democrat to declare his candidacy. The primaries were held March 1. This is also the first election that the state has simultaneously voted for a Republican Senate candidate and a Republican presidential candidate.

Republican primary Candidates Declared John Boozman, incumbent U.S. senator Curtis Coleman, businessman, candidate for governor in 2014 and candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2010

Polling Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Margin oferror JohnBoozman CurtisColeman UndecidedTalk Business/Hendrix College February 4, 2016 457 ± 4.6% 68% 23% 9%

Results

Democratic primary

Conner Eldridge was unopposed for the Democratic nomination.

Candidates

Declared Conner Eldridge, former United States attorney for the Western District of Arkansas

Results

Third parties The Libertarian Party of Arkansas held a special nominating convention on October 24, 2015, to select nominees for elections in 2016. Frank Gilbert was selected as the nominee for the U.S. Senate race.

Candidates Nominated Frank Gilbert, DeKalb Township constable, former mayor of Tull, nominee for the state senate in 2012 and nominee for governor in 2014

General election Candidates John Boozman (R), incumbent senator Conner Eldridge (D), former United States attorney for the Western District of Arkansas Frank Gilbert (L), DeKalb Township constable, former mayor of Tull, nominee for the state senate in 2012 and nominee for governor in 2014

Debates Dates Location Boozman Eldridge Gilbert LinkOctober 12, 2016Little Rock, ArkansasParticipantParticipantParticipantFull debate - C-SPAN

Predictions Source Ranking As of The Cook Political Report November 2, 2016 Sabato's Crystal Ball November 7, 2016 Rothenberg Political Report November 3, 2016 Daily Kos November 8, 2016 Real Clear Politics November 7, 2016

Polling

Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Margin oferror JohnBoozman (R) ConnerEldridge (D) FrankGilbert (L) Other UndecidedSurveyMonkeySurveyMonkey November 1–7, 2016 930 ± 4.6% 56% 41% — — 3%SurveyMonkeySurveyMonkey October 31 – November 6, 2016 798 ± 4.6% 55% 42% — — 3%SurveyMonkeySurveyMonkey October 28 – November 3, 2016 696 ± 4.6% 56% 43% — — 1%SurveyMonkeySurveyMonkey October 27 – November 2, 2016 593 ± 4.6% 54% 43% — — 3%SurveyMonkeySurveyMonkey October 26 – November 1, 2016 475 ± 4.6%52% 46% — — 2%SurveyMonkeySurveyMonkey October 25–31, 2016 484 ± 4.6% 54% 44% — — 2%University of ArkansasUniversity of Arkansas October 18–25, 2016 800 ± 3.5% 61% 38% — 1% —Talk Business/Hendrix CollegeTalk Business/Hendrix College October 21, 2016 463 ± 4.6% 52% 34% 4% 2% 8%Talk Business/Hendrix CollegeTalk Business/Hendrix College September 15–17, 2016 831 ± 3.4% 55% 29% 5% 3% 8%Emerson CollegeEmerson College September 9–13, 2016 600 ± 3.6% 44% 30% — 11% 15%Talk Business/Hendrix CollegeTalk Business/Hendrix College June 21, 2016 751 ± 3.6% 51% 29% 6% — 14%

with Mike Beebe Poll source JohnBoozman (R) MikeBeebe (D) Other UndecidedPublic Policy PollingPublic Policy Polling August 1–3, 2014 1,066 ± 3% 40% 46% — 14%Public Policy PollingPublic Policy Polling 1,453 ± 2.6% 39% 49% — 12%Talk Business/Hendrix College June 8–11, 2015 1,183 ± 1.84% 37% 45% — 18%

Results

By county CountyJohn BoozmanRepublicanConner EldridgeDemocraticVarious candidatesOther partiesMarginTotal#%#%#%#%Arkansas3,68459.90%2,34138.07%1252.03%1,34321.84%6,150Ashley5,10665.99%2,34630.32%2853.68%2,76035.67%7,737Baxter14,07473.09%4,23121.97%9504.93%9,84351.12%19,255Benton63,50366.50%27,43428.73%4,5624.78%36,06937.77%95,499Boone12,49078.86%2,62016.54%7294.60%9,87062.31%15,839Bradley2,01957.97%1,34338.56%1213.47%67619.41%3,483Calhoun1,33660.92%77335.25%843.83%56325.67%2,193Carroll6,77164.42%3,31831.57%4224.01%3,45332.85%10,511Chicot1,82443.41%2,28854.45%902.14%-464-11.04%4,202Clark3,94747.69%4,08749.38%2422.92%-140-1.69%8,276Clay3,28665.08%1,52730.24%2364.67%1,75934.84%5,049Cleburne8,38271.15%2,90224.63%4964.21%5,48046.52%11,780Cleveland2,16465.54%1,03431.31%1043.15%1,13034.22%3,302Columbia5,44064.30%2,75732.58%2643.12%2,68331.71%8,461Conway4,40356.97%3,02339.12%3023.91%1,38017.86%7,728Craighead23,21866.46%10,24129.32%1,4744.22%12,97737.15%34,933Crawford16,00872.74%5,04222.91%9564.34%10,96649.83%22,006Crittenden6,77945.91%7,41250.20%5743.89%-633-4.29%14,765Cross4,45666.80%1,99729.94%2183.27%2,45936.86%6,671Dallas1,42953.14%1,17143.55%893.31%2589.59%2,689Desha1,72742.34%2,25655.31%962.35%-529-12.97%4,079Drew3,70158.50%2,41338.14%2133.37%1,28820.36%6,327Faulkner27,63259.10%16,77035.87%2,3515.03%10,86223.23%46,753Franklin4,74970.68%1,69025.15%2804.17%3,05945.53%6,719Fulton3,25471.60%1,05923.30%2325.10%2,19548.29%4,545Garland24,26260.08%14,38535.62%1,7334.29%9,87724.46%40,380Grant5,01569.12%1,87725.87%3645.02%3,13843.25%7,256Greene9,84270.09%3,40524.25%7955.66%6,43745.84%14,042Hempstead4,16862.11%2,35235.05%1912.85%1,81627.06%6,711Hot Spring7,25962.28%4,00634.37%3903.35%3,25327.91%11,655Howard2,96966.26%1,37730.73%1353.01%1,59235.53%4,481Independence9,02067.98%3,74728.24%5013.78%5,27339.74%13,268Izard3,59368.78%1,40426.88%2274.35%2,18941.90%5,224Jackson2,95858.25%1,95138.42%1693.33%1,00719.83%5,078Jefferson8,80535.32%15,34261.54%7833.14%-6,537-26.22%24,930Johnson5,68063.96%2,88232.45%3183.58%2,79831.51%8,880Lafayette1,71362.54%95434.83%722.63%75927.71%2,739Lawrence3,91270.77%1,38024.96%2364.27%2,53245.80%5,528Lee1,27142.45%1,63654.64%872.91%-365-12.19%2,994Lincoln2,19058.87%1,44038.71%902.42%75020.16%3,720Little River3,36867.37%1,44328.87%1883.76%1,92538.51%4,999Logan5,20966.37%2,34229.84%2983.80%2,86736.53%7,849Lonoke17,48366.09%7,66628.98%1,3044.93%9,81737.11%26,453Madison4,52066.20%2,04529.95%2633.85%2,47536.25%6,828Marion5,26575.57%1,32018.95%3825.48%3,94556.62%6,967Miller10,97470.50%4,09926.33%4943.17%6,87544.16%15,567Mississippi6,83555.52%5,02340.80%4523.67%1,81214.72%12,310Monroe1,36348.98%1,36148.90%592.12%20.07%2,783Montgomery2,36668.13%98528.36%1223.51%1,38139.76%3,473Nevada1,88160.27%1,11535.73%1254.01%76624.54%3,121Newton2,83376.01%75420.23%1403.76%2,07955.78%3,727Ouachita5,27755.18%4,05242.37%2352.46%1,22512.81%9,564Perry2,58861.63%1,39433.20%2175.17%1,19428.44%4,199Phillips2,40037.69%3,77759.31%1913.00%-1,377-21.62%6,368Pike2,81972.08%95524.42%1373.50%1,86447.66%3,911Poinsett5,35770.23%2,02626.56%2453.21%3,33143.67%7,628Polk6,06275.53%1,65420.61%3103.86%4,40854.92%8,026Pope15,34468.99%5,81926.16%1,0784.85%9,52542.83%22,241Prairie2,13064.23%1,09332.96%932.80%1,03731.27%3,316Pulaski64,37840.66%88,89256.14%5,0693.20%-24,514-15.48%158,339Randolph4,26668.20%1,65926.52%3305.28%2,60741.68%6,255Saline33,12564.15%16,14031.25%2,3754.60%16,98532.89%51,640Scott2,46171.46%86725.17%1163.37%1,59446.28%3,444Searcy2,70474.61%72520.01%1955.38%1,97954.61%3,624Sebastian29,40565.99%13,06029.31%2,0954.70%16,34536.68%44,560Sevier3,03670.26%1,07624.90%2094.84%1,96045.36%4,321Sharp5,12772.69%1,60922.81%3174.49%3,51849.88%7,053St. Francis3,15345.26%3,64352.30%1702.44%-490-7.03%6,966Stone3,69067.26%1,53027.89%2664.85%2,16039.37%5,486Union10,16864.55%4,90231.12%6834.34%5,26633.43%15,753Van Buren4,67065.47%2,14530.07%3184.46%2,52535.40%7,133Washington43,13753.19%34,47542.51%3,4954.31%8,66210.68%81,107White19,41369.76%7,34126.38%1,0763.87%12,07243.38%27,830Woodruff91736.87%1,52161.16%491.97%-604-24.29%2,487Yell4,22166.41%1,88129.59%2544.00%2,34036.82%6,356Totals661,98459.77%400,60236.17%44,9364.06%261,38223.60%1,107,522

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican Arkansas (Largest city: Stuttgart) Fulton (Largest city: Salem) Monroe (largest city: Clarendon) Mississippi (largest city: Osceola) Lincoln (largest city: Star City) Jackson (largest city: Newport) Lawrence (largest city: Walnut Ridge)

By congressional district Boozman won all four congressional districts

District Boozman Eldridge Representative63%33%Rick Crawford 51% 45%French Hill 64% 31%Steve Womack 62% 35%Bruce Westerman

References

External links Official campaign websites (Archived) John Boozman (R) Curtis Coleman (R) Conner Eldridge (D) Frank Gilbert (L)