Closest U.S. Senate elections in Arkansas
The closest U.S. Senate election in Arkansas history was in 1996, a margin of 5.4 points. Y. Tim Hutchinson beat Winston Bryant, 445,942 to 400,241. Next closest are 2002 (7.8 points) and 2004 (11.8 points).
Every state is ranked together on Closest U.S. Senate elections in history. For every Senate race Arkansas has held, special elections included, see the Arkansas U.S. Senate hub.
What is the closest Senate race in Arkansas history?
The Arkansas Senate election decided by the narrowest margin was in 1996, 5.4 points. Y. Tim Hutchinson beat Winston Bryant, 445,942 to 400,241. The next closest were 2002 (7.8 points) and 2004 (11.8 points).
How is the margin measured?
As the gap in vote share between the first and second-place finishers, from the certified general-election count. It is not adjusted for recounts, runoffs or later court rulings; the figure is the result as certified.
Does this include special elections?
No. These are the regular general elections for Arkansas’s two Senate seats. Special elections to fill a vacancy appear on the Arkansas Senate hub, which lists every race including specials, and in a few states one of those is closer than anything here.
Why does the list start in 1914?
Because senators were chosen by state legislatures before the Seventeenth Amendment. 1914 is the first cycle of the popular-vote era for the Senate, so it is the first Arkansas election with a popular margin to measure.
| # | Election | Result | Votes | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1996 | Y. Tim Hutchinson R def. Winston Bryant D | 445,942 – 400,241 | 5.4 points |
| 2 | 2002 | Mark L. Pryor D def. Y. Tim Hutchinson R | 433,386 – 370,735 | 7.8 points |
| 3 | 2004 | Blanche Lambert Lincoln D def. Jim Holt R | 580,973 – 458,036 | 11.8 points |
| 4 | 1998 | Blanche Lambert Lincoln D def. Fay Boozman R | 385,878 – 295,870 | 12.8 points |
| 5 | 1984 | David H. Pryor D def. Ed Bethune R | 502,341 – 373,615 | 14.7 points |
| 6 | 2014 | Tom Cotton R def. Mark L. Pryor D | 478,819 – 334,174 | 17.1 points |
| 7 | 1980 | Dale Bumpers D def. Bill Clark R | 477,905 – 330,576 | 18.2 points |
| 8 | 1968 | J. William Fulbright D def. Charles T. Bernard R | 349,965 – 241,731 | 18.3 points |
| 9 | 1992 | Dale Bumpers D def. Mike Huckabee R | 553,635 – 366,373 | 20.4 points |
| 10 | 2010 | John Boozman R def. Blanche Lambert Lincoln D | 451,618 – 288,156 | 20.9 points |
| 11 | 1972 | John L. McClellan D def. Wayne H. Babbitt R | 386,398 – 248,238 | 21.8 points |
| 12 | 2016 | John Boozman R def. Conner Eldridge D | 661,984 – 400,602 | 23.6 points |
| 13 | 1986 | Dale Bumpers D def. Asa Hutchinson R | 433,122 – 262,313 | 24.6 points |
| 14 | 1920 | Thaddeus H. Caraway D def. Charles F. Cole R | 126,477 – 65,381 | 31.8 points |
| 15 | 2020 | Tom Cotton R def. Ricky Dale Harrington Jr. L | 793,871 – 399,390 | 33.1 points |
| 16 | 2022 | John Boozman R def. Natalie James D | 592,437 – 280,187 | 34.6 points |
| 17 | 1962 | J. William Fulbright D def. Robert A. Jones R | 214,867 – 98,013 | 37.3 points |
| 18 | 1924 | Joseph T. Robinson D def. Charles F. Cole R | 100,408 – 36,163 | 47.0 points |
| 19 | 1914 | James P. Clarke D def. Harry H. Myers R | 33,449 – 11,222 | 49.8 points |
| 20 | 2008 | Mark L. Pryor D def. Rebekah Kennedy G | 804,678 – 207,076 | 59.1 points |
| 21 | 1978 | David H. Pryor D def. Tom Kelly R | 395,506 – 84,308 | 60.2 points |
| 22 | 1956 | J. William Fulbright D def. Ben C. Henley R | 331,689 – 68,016 | 66.0 points |
| 23 | 1936 | Joseph T. Robinson D def. G. C. Ledbetter R | 154,866 – 27,746 | 69.0 points |
| 24 | 1926 | Thaddeus H. Caraway D def. Robert A. Jones R | 28,166 – 5,048 | 69.6 points |
| 25 | 1974 | Dale Bumpers D def. Robert A. Jones R | 461,056 – 82,026 | 69.8 points |