2014 Arkansas gubernatorial election
The 2014 Arkansas gubernatorial election was held on November 4, 2014, to elect the governor of Arkansas, concurrently with the [2014 United States Senate 2014 United States Senate election in Arkansas|election in Arkansas|election] to Arkansas's Class II U.S. Senate seat, as well as other elections to the United States Senate in other states and elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections. This was the last time the Arkansas governor's changed partisan control.
Incumbent Governor Mike Beebe was ineligible to run for re-election due to term limits established by the Arkansas Constitution. Arkansas is one of 9 states that limits its governors to two terms for life. Democrats nominated former U.S. representative Mike Ross and Republicans nominated former DEA Administrator, former U.S. representative and 2006 Arkansas gubernatorial nominee Asa Hutchinson. This was the only Democratic-held governorship up for election in a state that Mitt Romney won in the 2012 presidential election.
Hutchinson won the general election by the largest margin recorded for a Republican in an open-seat gubernatorial race since Reconstruction, a record held until 2022. The race was called for Hutchinson roughly half an hour after the polls closed; his victory gave Republicans complete control of state government for the first time since 1874.
Democratic primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Mike Ross, former U.S. representative
Eliminated in primary
- Lynette "Doc" Bryant, activist
Withdrew
- Bill Halter, former lieutenant governor of Arkansas and candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2010
- Dustin McDaniel, Arkansas Attorney General
Declined
- Shane Broadway, interim director of the Department of Higher Education and former state senator
- John Burkhalter, former State Highway Commissioner
- Conner Eldridge, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas
- G. David Gearhart, chancellor of the University of Arkansas
- Pat Hays, former mayor of North Little Rock
- Keith Ingram, state senator
- Bruce Maloch, state senator
- Michael Malone, president and CEO of the Northwest Arkansas Council
- Vic Snyder, former U.S. representative
- Paul Suskie, former chairman of the Arkansas Public Service Commission and candidate for Attorney General of Arkansas in 2006
- Chris Thomason, chancellor of the University of Arkansas Community College at Hope and former state representative
- Robert F. Thompson, state senator
- Darrin Williams, state representative, former speaker of the Arkansas House of Representatives
Polling
| Poll source | Date administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Bill Halter | Mike Ross | Undecided |
| Clark Research | July 23–27, 2013 | 370 | ± 5% | 26% | 40% | 34% |
Republican primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Asa Hutchinson, former administrator of the DEA, former U.S. representative and nominee for governor in 2006
Eliminated in primary
- Curtis Coleman, founder of a food safety company and candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2010
Withdrew
- Debra Hobbs, state representative
Declined
- Davy Carter, Speaker of the Arkansas House of Representatives
- Tom Cotton, U.S. representative for Arkansas's 4th congressional district
- Rick Crawford, U.S. representative for Arkansas's 1st congressional district
- Mark Darr, former lieutenant governor of Arkansas
- G. David Gearhart, chancellor of the University of Arkansas
- Tim Griffin, U.S. representative for Arkansas's 2nd congressional district
- Missy Irvin, state senator
- Jim Keet, former state senator and nominee for governor in 2010
- Johnny Key, state senator
- Mark Martin, Secretary of State of Arkansas
- Sheffield Nelson, businessman and nominee for governor in 1990 and 1994
- Steve Womack, U.S. representative Arkansas's 3rd congressional district
Third parties
Candidates
Declared
- Josh Drake, attorney and nominee for Arkansas's 4th congressional district in 2008, 2010 and 2012
- Frank Gilbert, DeKalb Township Constable, former mayor of Tull and nominee for the state senate in 2012
Declined
- Sheffield Nelson, businessman and Republican nominee for governor in 1990 and 1994
General election
Debates
- , September 19, 2014 - C-SPAN
- , October 7, 2014 - C-SPAN
Polling
| Poll source | Date administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Lynette Bryant | Asa Hutchinson | Other | Undecided |
| Talk Business/Hendrix College | April 3–4, 2014 | 1,068 | ± 3% | 27.5% | 48% | 8% | 17% |
| Poll source | Date administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Bill Halter | Asa Hutchinson | Other | Undecided |
| Talk Business/Hendrix College | February 20, 2013 | 675 | ± 3.8% | 31% | 47% | — | 22% |
| Poll source | Date administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Dustin McDaniel | Asa Hutchinson | Other | Undecided |
| Public Policy Polling | January 10–13, 2013 | 600 | ± 4.0% | 33% | 46% | — | 22% |
| Poll source | Date administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Mike Ross | Curtis Coleman | Other | Undecided |
| Public Policy Polling | April 25–27, 2014 | 840 | ± 3.4% | 43% | 33% | — | 24% |
| Talk Business/Hendrix College | April 3–4, 2014 | 1,068 | ± 3% | 48% | 30% | 7% | 15% |
Results
By congressional district
Hutchinson won all four congressional districts.| District | Ross | Hutchinson | Representative |
| 43% | 54% | Rick Crawford | |
| 46% | 52% | French Hill | |
| 33% | 64% | Steve Womack | |
| 44% | 53% | Bruce Westerman |