| Elections in Arkansas |
|---|
 |
The 2016 United States House of Representatives elections in Arkansas were held on Tuesday, November 8, 2016 to elect the four U.S. representatives from the state of Arkansas, one from each of the state's four congressional districts. The elections coincided with the elections of other federal and state offices, including President of the United States. The primaries were held on March 1.
Overview
Although Libertarian Party presidential candidate Gary Johnson only obtained 2.6% of the vote in Arkansas during the coinciding presidential election, Libertarian candidates for the U.S. House amounted to a total of 18.4% of the popular vote, a 10.4% swing from 2014 when the total was 8%. This huge swing was attributed to several factors:
- the Libertarian Party was the only third party to file for ballot status in the House elections;
- the Democratic Party did not field any candidates for races in the 1st, 3rd, and 4th congressional districts;
- this in turn allowing the Libertarian candidates to obtain over 20% of the vote in these races.
The Democratic Party as a result finished 3rd in the popular vote in Arkansas, with its vote total amounting to 10.4%.
Statewide
District
Results of the 2016 United States House of Representatives elections in Arkansas by district:
| District | Republican | Democratic | Libertarian | Others | Total | Result | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Votes | % | Votes | % | Votes | % | Votes | % | Votes | % | ||
| District 1 | 183,866 | 76.28% | 0 | 0.00% | 57,181 | 23.72% | 0 | 0.00% | 241,047 | 100.0% | Republican Hold |
| District 2 | 176,472 | 58.34% | 111,347 | 36.81% | 14,342 | 4.74% | 303 | 0.10% | 302,464 | 100.0% | Republican Hold |
| District 3 | 217,192 | 77.32% | 0 | 0.00% | 63,715 | 22.68% | 0 | 0.00% | 280,907 | 100.0% | Republican Hold |
| District 4 | 182,885 | 74.90% | 0 | 0.00% | 61,274 | 25.10% | 0 | 0.00% | 244,159 | 100.0% | Republican Hold |
| Total | 760,415 | 71.16% | 111,347 | 10.42% | 196,512 | 18.39% | 303 | 0.03% | 1,068,577 | 100.0% | |
District 1
Incumbent Republican Rick Crawford, who had represented the district since 2011, ran for re-election.[1] He was re-elected with 63% of the vote in 2014. The district had a PVI of R+14.
Republican primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Rick Crawford, incumbent U.S. Representative
Democratic primary
There was no Democratic nominee for this election.
Libertarian primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Mark West[2]
General election
Debate
| No. | Date | Host | Moderator | Link | Republican | Libertarian |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Key: P Participant A Absent N Not invited I Invited W Withdrawn |
||||||
| Rick Crawford | Mark West | |||||
| 1 | Oct. 12, 2016 | Arkansas PBS | Steve Barnes | YouTube | P | P |
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Rick Crawford (incumbent) | 183,866 | 76.3 | |
| Libertarian | Mark West | 57,181 | 23.7 | |
| Total votes | 241,047 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
District 2
Incumbent Republican French Hill, who had represented the district since 2015, ran for re-election.[1] He was elected with 52% of the vote in 2014. The district had a PVI of R+8.
Republican primary
Candidates
Nominee
- French Hill, incumbent U.S. Representative
Eliminated in primary
- Brock Olree
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | French Hill (incumbent) | 86,474 | 84.5 | |
| Republican | Brock Olree | 15,811 | 15.5 | |
| Total votes | 102,285 | 100.0 | ||
Democratic primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Dianne Curry, former member of the Little Rock School Board and the Arkansas Division of Volunteerism[5]
Libertarian primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Chris Hayes, nominee for this seat in 2012 and for State Treasurer in 2014[2]
General election
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | French Hill (incumbent) | 176,472 | 58.4 | |
| Democratic | Dianne Curry | 111,347 | 36.8 | |
| Libertarian | Chris Hayes | 14,342 | 4.7 | |
| Write-in | 303 | 0.1 | ||
| Total votes | 302,464 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
District 3
Incumbent Republican Steve Womack, who had represented the district since 2011, ran for re-election.[1] He was re-elected with 79% of the vote in 2014. The district had a PVI of R+19.
Republican primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Steve Womack, incumbent U.S. Representative
Democratic primary
There was no Democratic nominee for this election for the third consecutive time in Arkansas's third congressional district (including redistricting).
Candidates
Declined
- Robbie Wilson, tax preparer[6]
Libertarian primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Steve Isaacson
Withdrawn
General election
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Steve Womack (incumbent) | 217,192 | 77.3 | |
| Libertarian | Steve Isaacson | 63,715 | 22.7 | |
| Total votes | 280,907 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
District 4
Incumbent Republican Bruce Westerman, who had represented the district since 2015, ran for re-election.[1] He was elected with 54% of the vote in 2014. The district had a PVI of R+15.
Republican primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Bruce Westerman, incumbent U.S. Representative
Democratic primary
There was no Democratic nominee for this election.
Libertarian primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Kerry Hicks[2]
General election
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Bruce Westerman (incumbent) | 182,885 | 74.9 | |
| Libertarian | Kerry Hicks | 61,274 | 25.1 | |
| Total votes | 244,159 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
See also
References
- ^ a b c d Wickline, Michael R. (July 24, 2015). "GOP hopefuls to pay '12 fees in '16 primary". Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Retrieved July 28, 2015.
- ^ a b c d Brawner, Steve (October 25, 2015). "Arkansas Libertarians Nominate 23, Including Full Congressional Slate". Talk Business & Politics. Retrieved October 27, 2015.
- ^ a b c d "2016 General Election and Nonpartisan Runoff Election Official County Results". Arkansas Secretary of State. Retrieved December 14, 2016.
- ^ "Preferential Primary and Nonpartisan General Election Official Results". Arkansas Secretary of State. Retrieved March 22, 2016.
- ^ Lyon, John (August 27, 2015). "Curry Announces Bid For 2nd District Congressional Seat". Southwest Times Record. Archived from the original on August 31, 2015. Retrieved August 27, 2015.
- ^ Brantley, Max (September 1, 2015). "Fort Smith Democrat exploring a 3rd District Congressional run". Arkansas Times. Retrieved September 8, 2015.
- ^ "Libertarian LaFrance Announces He Will Challenge Cong. Steve Womack". Talk Business & Politics. July 8, 2015. Retrieved October 21, 2015.