2012 United States House of Representatives elections in Arkansas
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.
As the result of redistricting following the 2010 United States Census, the boundaries of the state's congressional districts have been redrawn. Governor Mike Beebe, who signed the new map into law in April 2011, described it as the "status quo" and not partisan. 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.
Overview
The 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.District 1
The 1st district had lost population, and so was drawn in the new map to incorporate counties in southeastern Arkansas which were previously a part of the 4th district. Republican incumbent Rick Crawford was first elected in 2010.State representative Clark Hall, and Gary Latanich, an economics professor at Arkansas State University, will seek the Democratic nomination to challenge Crawford. Other potential Democratic candidates include L. J. Bryant, the unsuccessful 2010 Democratic nominee for Arkansas Land Commissioner; David Cook, a former state representative and unsuccessful candidate in the 2010 Democratic primary in the 1st district; prosecuting attorney Scott Ellington; state representative Keith Ingram; Robert S. Moore, the speaker of the state House of Representatives; and businessman Steve Rockwell, who considered running in the 1st district in 2010. Paul Bookout, the president pro tempore of the Arkansas Senate; Chad Causey, the former chief of staff to U.S. Representative Marion Berry and unsuccessful 2010 nominee in the 1st district; and state senator Robert F. Thompson will not run.
Jacob Holloway, a graduate student at ASU, is the declared Green Party candidate. Jessica Paxton, wife of Libertarian Party of Arkansas chairman Rodger Paxton, has been nominated as the Libertarian candidate.
Democratic primary
Polling
Primary results
General election
Results
District 2
Population growth in Arkansas's central counties meant that the 2nd district had to shrink in the new map. Under the new map, the 2nd district is likely to continue to favor Republicans.Republican incumbent Timothy Griffin was first elected in 2010.
Potential Democratic candidates include attorney Bob Edwards, who considered running in the 2nd district in 2010; Bill Halter, the former Lieutenant Governor of Arkansas who unsuccessfully ran in the Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate in 2010; Pat Hays, the mayor of North Little Rock; state senator David Johnson; Jay Martin, a lawyer and former state representative; state representative Tracy Steele; and Robbie Wills, the former speaker of the state House of Representatives and unsuccessful candidate in the 2010 Democratic primary for the 2nd district. David Boling, the former chief of staff to U.S. Representative Vic Snyder and unsuccessful candidate in the 2010 Democratic primary in the 2nd district; state representative John Charles Edwards and Drew Pritt will not run.
Chris Hayes ran as the Libertarian Party nominee.
General election
District 3
Population growth in Arkansas's northwestern counties meant that the 3rd district had to shrink in the new map. Under the new map, the 3rd district is likely to continue to favor Republicans.Republican incumbent Steve Womack was first elected in 2010.
Rebekah Kennedy is the nominee of the Arkansas Green Party for the Third District. Kennedy was the Green Party nominee in the 2008 U.S. Senate election in Arkansas, achieving 20.47% of the vote against incumbent Mark Pryor. In 2010, Ms Kennedy ran for state Attorney General, receiving 26.79% of the vote against incumbent Dustin McDaniel. On August 14, 2012, Kennedy received the endorsement of the Arkansas state AFL-CIO labor union.
David Pangrac, the Libertarian Party of Arkansas Vice Chairman, is running under his party's nomination.
Ken Aden, the former director for West Memphis-based nonprofit Residents 4 Arkansas, sought the Democratic nomination. Aden subsequently withdrew from the race after admitting to exaggerating his military record. Under Arkansas law, the Democratic Party is unable to field a replacement candidate for Aden and no Democrat will appear on the November ballot.
General election
District 4
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. The district also gains Yell County from the 2nd district, which is expected to make the 4th district more favorable to Democrats.Democratic incumbent Mike Ross, who was first elected in 2000, chose not to seek re-election. Q. Byrum Hurst, an attorney and small business owner; state senator Gene Jeffress; and D.C. Morrison, who unsuccessfully ran for the U.S. Senate in 2010, will seek the Democratic nomination. Robin Carroll, a prosecutor and former legal counsel to the Democratic Party; former state senator Steve Faris; Conner Eldridge, the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas; Greg Hale, a consultant for The Markham Group; state senator Steve Harrelson; Mike Hathorn, a former state representative and candidate for lieutenant governor; Carlton Jones, a prosecutor from Texarkana; Chris Masingill, head of the Delta Regional Authority and a former staff member for Ross and Governor Mike Beebe; state representative Gregg Reep; state senator Larry Teague, the incoming president of the state senate; and state legislator Hank Wilkins may also run for the Democratic nomination. State representative Bruce Maloch; Chris Thomason, the chancellor of the University of Arkansas Community College at Hope and a former state representative; and Jeff Weaver, Ross' district director, will not run.
Tom Cotton, a consultant and Army reservist; John Cowart, a police officer currently serving with the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve as lieutenant colonel in Afghanistan; Beth Anne Rankin, who unsuccessfully challenged Ross in 2010; and Marcus Richmond, a business owner and retired lieutenant colonel in the Marine Corps ran for the Republican nomination. Cotton won the nomination and then won the general election.
Bobby Tullis, a former Democratic state representative and unsuccessful Green Party nominee for state treasurer in 2010, had considered seeking Libertarian nomination for the seat; however in December 2011 Tullis gave his support to Republican candidate Beth Anne Rankin; nevertheless, he has been nominated as the Libertarian candidate.