Arkansas held its general election on November 6, 2012, deciding 135 legislative seats. Control shifted: the Senate moved from a 20-15 Democratic majority to a 21-14 Republican majority; the House moved from a 55-45 Democratic majority to a 51-48 Republican majority.
Highlights
- Republican control of both chambers was the first since Reconstruction, and it left Democratic Gov. Mike Beebe, who was not on the ballot, to govern with a Republican legislature.
- The House majority came down to a single seat: John Hutchison (R) took House District 52 by fewer than 50 votes over L.J. Bryant (D), who requested a recount, and the seat was not confirmed until two days later. Former Rep. Fred Smith (G) won House District 50 on the Green Party line. In January, members chose Davy Carter (R) of Cabot as Speaker of the House.
- In the Senate, Republicans unseated two Democrats:
- Jimmy Hickey (R) beat Steve Harrelson (D) by about 5 points in Senate District 11.
- Alan Clark (R) beat Mike Fletcher (D) by about 8 points in Senate District 13.
- Democrats beat three Republicans whose writings had led the state party to disavow their views and stop funding them:
- David Kizzia (D) unseated Loy Mauch (R), whose letters argued the Bible did not condemn slavery, by about 9 points in House District 26.
- Harold Copenhaver (D) unseated Jon Hubbard (R) by about 6 points in House District 58.
- James McLean (D) easily held House District 63 against Charlie Fuqua (R), whose book called for expelling Muslims from the country.
- In November, 6 incumbents lost, split evenly between the parties. Besides those above, Scott Baltz (D) beat Rep. Lori Benedict (R) by about 300 votes in House District 61, and Bill Gossage (R) unseated Rep. Leslee Milam Post (D) by about 27 points in House District 82. Republican gains came mostly in open seats. Elsewhere, 6 races finished inside two points, and 63 of the 135 legislative races had a single candidate.
- Voters approved Issue 1, a half-cent sales tax, and rejected Issue 5, which would have legalized medical marijuana, with about 49% voting yes. Issue 2, which would have let cities and counties create tax-advantaged development districts, also failed.
Legislature
- House (100 seats): 55 D, 45 R before the election, 48 D, 51 R, 1 other or vacant after; control moved from Democrats to Republicans.
- Senate (35 seats): 20 D, 15 R before the election, 14 D, 21 R after; control moved from Democrats to Republicans.
Legislative races
Ballot measures
| Measure | Description | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Issue 1 | Half-cent sales tax | Passed (57.81% yes) |
| Issue 2 | Cities and counties allowed to create tax-advantaged development districts | Failed (43.24% yes) |
| Issue 5 | Authorize sale/consumption of medical marijuana | Failed (48.65% yes) |