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.

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.

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:

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:

• 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 results

See also

• Democratic Party of Arkansas

• Political party strength in Arkansas

References

Notes

Citations

External links