List of governors of Arkansas facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Governor of Arkansas
Flag of Arkansas
Great Seal of Arkansas
Incumbent Sarah Huckabee Sanders since January 10, 2023 (2023-01-10)
Government of Arkansas
Style	Governor (informal) The Honorable (formal)
Residence	Arkansas Governor's Mansion
Seat	State Capitol, Little Rock, Arkansas
Term length	Four years, renewable once
Constituting instrument	Constitution of Arkansas
Precursor	Governor of Arkansas Territory
Inaugural holder	James Sevier Conway
Formation	September 13, 1836 (188 years ago) (1836-09-13)
Deputy	Lieutenant Governor of Arkansas
Salary	$158,739 (2022)

The governor of Arkansas is like the top leader of the state of Arkansas. They are in charge of the state's executive branch, which means they make sure state laws are followed. The governor can approve or reject new laws passed by the Arkansas General Assembly. They can also call the legislature together for special meetings. Plus, they have the power to grant pardons, which means forgiving someone for a crime, except in very serious cases.

Arkansas has had 46 elected governors. There have also been 11 acting governors. These acting governors stepped in when a governor resigned or passed away. Before Arkansas became a state, the Arkansas Territory had four governors. These were chosen by the president of the United States.

One governor, Orval Faubus, served the longest. He was elected six times and was governor for 12 years (1955–1967). Bill Clinton was governor for almost 12 years too. He was elected five times in two different periods (1979–1981; 1983–1992). Mike Huckabee served for 10 years (1996–2007). The shortest time for an elected governor was John Sebastian Little, who served only 38 days. He resigned due to a health issue.

The current governor of Arkansas is Sarah Huckabee Sanders. She is a member of the Republican Party. She started her term on January 10, 2023.

Governors of Arkansas: A Historical Look

Leaders of Arkansas Territory

The area known as Arkansas Territory was created on July 4, 1819. It was separated from the Missouri Territory. The first person to act as governor was Robert Crittenden. He was the territorial secretary. He took on the governor's duties because the first appointed governor, James Miller, arrived nine months late.

Here are the governors who led Arkansas when it was a territory:

Governors of Arkansas Territory

No.	Governor		Term in office	Appointed by
1		James Miller (1776–1851)	March 3, 1819 – December 27, 1824 (resigned)	Monroe, JamesJames Monroe
2		George Izard (1776–1828)	March 3, 1825 – November 22, 1828 (died in office)	Monroe, JamesJames Monroe
				Adams, John QuincyJohn Quincy Adams
3		John Pope (1770–1845)	March 9, 1829 – March 9, 1835 (successor appointed)	Jackson, AndrewAndrew Jackson
4		William S. Fulton (1795–1844)	March 9, 1835 – September 13, 1836 (statehood)	Jackson, AndrewAndrew Jackson

Governors of the State of Arkansas

Arkansas officially became a state on June 15, 1836. Later, during the American Civil War, Arkansas left the United States on May 6, 1861. It then joined the Confederacy. When the state capital, Little Rock, was captured in 1863, the state government moved. A new government was set up by the Union. This meant that for a time, Arkansas had two governors at once! After the war, Arkansas rejoined the United States on June 22, 1868.

The first Arkansas Constitution said governors would serve four-year terms. This was changed to two years in 1874. Then, in 1984, an amendment made the terms four years again. Originally, governors could only serve eight years out of every twelve. But the 1874 constitution removed this limit. In 1992, a new rule was added: governors can only serve two terms in total.

For many years, if the governor's office became empty, the leader of the state senate would become the acting governor. This sometimes led to many changes in leadership very quickly. For example, after Governor John Sebastian Little resigned in 1907, three different senate leaders acted as governor before a new one was elected. If the senate leader couldn't serve, the speaker of the state house of representatives would step in.

In 1864, the state created the job of lieutenant governor. This person would also lead the senate and become acting governor if needed. This position was removed in 1874 but brought back in 1914. Now, the lieutenant governor takes over if the governor's office is empty. The governor and lieutenant governor are not elected as a team.

Before the Civil War, Arkansas was mostly a Democratic state. After the war, three Republican governors were elected. But then, it was 92 years before another Republican was chosen by voters.

Here is a list of the governors of Arkansas since it became a state:

Governors of Arkansas

No.	Governor			Term in office	Party	Election	Lt. Governor
1			James Sevier Conway (1796–1855)	September 13, 1836 – November 4, 1840 (did not run)	Democratic	1836	Office did not exist
2			Archibald Yell (1797–1847)	November 4, 1840 – April 29, 1844 (resigned)	Democratic	1840
—			Samuel Adams (1805–1850)	April 29, 1844 – November 9, 1844 (successor took office)	Democratic	President of the Senate acting
3			Thomas Stevenson Drew (1802–1879)	November 9, 1844 – January 10, 1849 (resigned)	Democratic	1844
						1848
—			Richard C. Byrd (1805–1854)	January 10, 1849 – April 19, 1849 (successor took office)	Democratic	President of the Senate acting
4			John Selden Roane (1817–1867)	April 19, 1849 – November 15, 1852 (did not run)	Democratic	1849 (special)
5			Elias Nelson Conway (1812–1892)	November 15, 1852 – November 15, 1860 (term-limited)	Democratic	1852
						1856
6			Henry Massey Rector (1816–1899)	November 15, 1860 – November 3, 1862 (resigned)	Independent Democratic	1860
—			Thomas Fletcher (1817–1880)	November 3, 1862 – November 15, 1862 (successor took office)	Democratic	President of the Senate acting
7			Harris Flanagin (1817–1874)	November 15, 1862 – June 1, 1865 (government in exile disestablished)	Independent	1862
8			Isaac Murphy (d. 1882)	January 20, 1864 – July 2, 1868 (did not run)	Independent	Provisional governor appointed by constitutional convention
						1864		Bliss, Calvin C.Calvin C. Bliss
9			Powell Clayton (1833–1914)	July 2, 1868 – March 17, 1871 (resigned)	Republican	1868		Johnson, James M.James M. Johnson (resigned March 14, 1871)
							Vacant
—			Ozra Amander Hadley (1826–1915)	March 17, 1871 – January 6, 1873 (successor took office)	Republican	President of the Senate acting
10			Elisha Baxter (1827–1899)	January 6, 1873 – November 12, 1874 (did not run)	Republican	1872		Smith, Volney V.Volney V. Smith
11			Augustus Hill Garland (1832–1899)	November 12, 1874 – January 11, 1877 (did not run)	Democratic	1874	Office did not exist
12			William Read Miller (1823–1887)	January 11, 1877 – January 13, 1881 (lost nomination)	Democratic	1876
						1878
13			Thomas James Churchill (1824–1905)	January 13, 1881 – January 13, 1883 (did not run)	Democratic	1880
14			James Henderson Berry (1841–1913)	January 13, 1883 – January 15, 1885 (did not run)	Democratic	1882
15			Simon Pollard Hughes Jr. (1830–1906)	January 15, 1885 – January 17, 1889 (lost nomination)	Democratic	1884
						1886
16			James Philip Eagle (1837–1904)	January 17, 1889 – January 14, 1893 (did not run)	Democratic	1888
						1890
17			William Meade Fishback (1831–1903)	January 14, 1893 – January 18, 1895 (did not run)	Democratic	1892
18			James Paul Clarke (1854–1916)	January 18, 1895 – January 18, 1897 (did not run)	Democratic	1894
19			Daniel Webster Jones (1839–1918)	January 18, 1897 – January 18, 1901 (did not run)	Democratic	1896
						1898
20			Jeff Davis (1862–1913)	January 18, 1901 – January 18, 1907 (did not run)	Democratic	1900
						1902
						1904
21			John Sebastian Little (1851–1916)	January 18, 1907 – February 11, 1907 (resigned)	Democratic	1906
—			John Isaac Moore (1856–1937)	February 11, 1907 – May 14, 1907 (legislature adjourned)	Democratic	President of the Senate acting
—			Xenophon Overton Pindall (1873–1935)	May 14, 1907 – January 11, 1909 (senate term expired)	Democratic	President of the Senate acting
—			Jesse M. Martin (1877–1915)	January 11, 1909 – January 14, 1909 (successor took office)	Democratic	President of the Senate acting
22			George Washington Donaghey (1856–1937)	January 14, 1909 – January 16, 1913 (lost nomination)	Democratic	1908
						1910
23			Joseph Taylor Robinson (1872–1937)	January 16, 1913 – March 8, 1913 (resigned)	Democratic	1912
—			William Kavanaugh Oldham (1865–1938)	March 8, 1913 – March 13, 1913 (new president of the senate elected)	Democratic	President of the Senate acting
—			Junius Marion Futrell (1870–1955)	March 13, 1913 – August 6, 1913 (successor took office)	Democratic	President of the Senate acting
24			George Washington Hays (1863–1927)	August 6, 1913 – January 10, 1917 (did not run)	Democratic	1913 (special)
						1914
25			Charles Hillman Brough (1876–1935)	January 10, 1917 – January 12, 1921 (did not run)	Democratic	1916
						1918
26			Thomas Chipman McRae (1851–1929)	January 12, 1921 – January 14, 1925 (did not run)	Democratic	1920
						1922
27			Tom Terral (1882–1946)	January 14, 1925 – January 11, 1927 (lost nomination)	Democratic	1924
28			John Ellis Martineau (1873–1937)	January 11, 1927 – March 14, 1928 (resigned)	Democratic	1926		Parnell, HarveyHarvey Parnell
29			Harvey Parnell (1880–1936)	March 14, 1928 – January 10, 1933 (did not run)	Democratic	Succeeded from lieutenant governor	Vacant
						1928		Cazort, LeeLee Cazort
						1930		Wilson, Lawrence EleryLawrence Elery Wilson
30			Junius Marion Futrell (1870–1955)	January 10, 1933 – January 12, 1937 (did not run)	Democratic	1932		Cazort, LeeLee Cazort
						1934
31			Carl E. Bailey (1894–1948)	January 12, 1937 – January 14, 1941 (lost nomination)	Democratic	1936		Bailey, Robert L.Robert L. Bailey
						1938
32			Homer Martin Adkins (1890–1964)	January 14, 1941 – January 9, 1945 (did not run)	Democratic	1940
						1942		Shaver, James L.James L. Shaver
33			Benjamin T. Laney (1896–1977)	January 9, 1945 – January 11, 1949 (did not run)	Democratic	1944
						1946		Gordon, Nathan GreenNathan Green Gordon
34			Sid McMath (1912–2003)	January 11, 1949 – January 13, 1953 (lost nomination)	Democratic	1948
						1950
35			Francis Cherry (1908–1965)	January 13, 1953 – January 11, 1955 (lost nomination)	Democratic	1952
36			Orval Faubus (1910–1994)	January 11, 1955 – January 10, 1967 (did not run)	Democratic	1954
						1956
						1958
						1960
						1962
						1964
37			Winthrop Rockefeller (1912–1973)	January 10, 1967 – January 12, 1971 (lost election)	Republican	1966		Britt, MauriceMaurice Britt
						1968
38			Dale Bumpers (1925–2016)	January 12, 1971 – January 3, 1975 (resigned)	Democratic	1970		Riley, Bob C.Bob C. Riley
						1972
—			Bob C. Riley (1924–1994)	January 3, 1975 – January 14, 1975 (successor took office)	Democratic	Succeeded from lieutenant governor	Vacant
39			David Pryor (1934–2024)	January 14, 1975 – January 3, 1979 (resigned)	Democratic	1974		Purcell, JoeJoe Purcell
						1976
—			Joe Purcell (1923–1987)	January 3, 1979 – January 9, 1979 (successor took office)	Democratic	Succeeded from lieutenant governor	Vacant
40			Bill Clinton (b. 1946)	January 9, 1979 – January 13, 1981 (lost election)	Democratic	1978		Purcell, JoeJoe Purcell
41			Frank D. White (1933–2003)	January 13, 1981 – January 11, 1983 (lost election)	Republican	1980		Bryant, WinstonWinston Bryant
42			Bill Clinton (b. 1946)	January 11, 1983 – December 12, 1992 (resigned)	Democratic	1982
						1984
						1986
						1990		Tucker, Jim GuyJim Guy Tucker
43			Jim Guy Tucker (b. 1943)	December 12, 1992 – July 15, 1996 (resigned)	Democratic	Succeeded from lieutenant governor	Vacant
								Huckabee, MikeMike Huckabee (elected November 20, 1993)
						1994
44			Mike Huckabee (b. 1955)	July 15, 1996 – January 9, 2007 (term-limited)	Republican	Succeeded from lieutenant governor	Vacant
								Rockefeller, Winthrop PaulWinthrop Paul Rockefeller (elected November 19, 1996) (died July 16, 2006)
						1998
						2002
							Vacant
45			Mike Beebe (b. 1946)	January 9, 2007 – January 13, 2015 (term-limited)	Democratic	2006		Halter, BillBill Halter
						2010		Darr, MarkMark Darr (resigned February 1, 2014)
							Vacant
46			Asa Hutchinson (b. 1950)	January 13, 2015 – January 10, 2023 (term-limited)	Republican	2014		Griffin, TimTim Griffin
						2018
47			Sarah Huckabee Sanders (b. 1982)	January 10, 2023 – Incumbent	Republican	2022		Rutledge, LeslieLeslie Rutledge

See also

• List of Arkansas General Assemblies