A general election was held in the U.S. state of Arkansas on November 8, 2022. All of Arkansas' executive officers were up for election as well as all four of the state's seats in the United States House of Representatives and a U.S. senator. Primaries were held on May 24, 2022, with runoff primaries on June 21. Polls were open from 7:30 AM to 7:30 PM CST.[1]
Incumbent Republican governor Asa Hutchinson was term-limited and not eligible for re-election. Two Republicans and five Democrats were qualified to be major party candidates. Following the primary elections, Republican Sarah Sanders faced Democrat Chris Jones in the general election.
The incumbent lieutenant governor was term-limited and instead ran for attorney general. Two Democrats, six Republicans, and a Libertarian ran for lieutenant governor.[2] In November 2021, retiring attorney general Leslie Rutledge withdrew from the governor's race and ran for lieutenant governor instead.[3] Rutledge won the Republican primary and easily defeated Democrat Kelly Krout in the general election.[4]
Incumbent secretary John Thurston ran for re-election. Originally facing two other Republicans and two Democrats, Thurston won the Republican primary and defeated Democratic candidate Anna Beth Gorman in the general election.[5][6]
Incumbent attorney general Leslie Rutledge was term-limited and not eligible for re-election, and instead ran for lieutenant governor. Incumbent lieutenant governor Tim Griffin won the Republican primary on May 24 and defeated Democrat Jesse Gibson in the general election.[7]
Incumbent treasurer Dennis Milligan was term-limited and not eligible for re-election, and instead ran for state auditor. In February 2021, Republican Mathew Pitsch declared his candidacy for treasurer of Arkansas in the 2022 election,[8] though lost his party primary to Arkansas House representative Mark Lowery.[9] Lowery defeated Democratic candidate Pam Whitaker in the general election.[10]
Incumbent auditor Andrea Lea was term-limited and unable to run for re-election.[11] Term-limited state treasurer Dennis Milligan entered the race as the Republican candidate and won against Democratic candidate Diamond Arnold-Johnson and Libertarian Simeon Snow.[12]
Four statewide measures appeared on the ballot in 2022, all of which failed.[25]
2022 Arkansas ballot measures
Name
Description
Votes
Type
Yes
%
No
%
Issue 1
Provides the legislature the authority to call itself into an extraordinary session, instead of the governor.[26]
335,569
39.10
522,693
60.90
Legislatively referred constitutional amendment
Issue 2
Establish a 60% vote threshold to approve ballot initiatives instead of a simple majority.[27]
353,815
40.88
511,580
59.12
Issue 3
Provides that the state government "shall not burden a person's freedom of religion even if the burden results from a rule of general applicability".[28]
433,475
49.59
440,687
50.41
Issue 4
Legalizes recreational marijuana for people over 21 years old and enacts a tax on marijuana sales.[29]
