# 1970 Arkansas gubernatorial election

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The 1970 Arkansas gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 1970.
Incumbent Republican Governor Winthrop Rockefeller ran for a third term but was defeated by Democratic nominee Dale Bumpers who won 61.66% of the vote. As of 2022, this was the last time Lee County voted for the Republican candidate.

## Primary elections

Primary elections were held on August 25, 1970, with the Democratic runoff held on September 8, 1970.

### Democratic primary
#### Candidates

* Dale Bumpers, Charleston city attorney
* William S. Cheek, businessman
* Robert C. Compton, lawyer and former Prosecuting Attorney
* Orval Faubus, former Governor
* Hayes C. McClerkin, Speaker of the Arkansas House of Representatives
* James M. Malone, Jr., farmer, son of J. M. Malone, unsuccessful candidate for Democratic nomination for governor in 1946
* Joe Purcell, incumbent Arkansas Attorney General
* Bill Wells, former state representative and Democratic candidate for Lieutenant Governor in 1968

#### Results

Democratic primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Orval Faubus | 156,578 | 36.36 |
| | Democratic | Dale Bumpers | 86,156 | 20.01 |
| | Democratic | Joe Purcell | 81,566 | 18.94 |
| | Democratic | Hayes C. McClerkin | 45,011 | 10.45 |
| | Democratic | Bill Wells | 32,543 | 7.56 |
| | Democratic | Robert C. Compton | 19,336 | 4.49 |
| | Democratic | James M. Malone | 6,718 | 1.56 |
| | Democratic | William S. Cheek | 2,725 | 0.63 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 430,633 | 100.00 |
Democratic primary run-off results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Dale Bumpers | 259,780 | 58.71 |
| | Democratic | Orval Faubus | 182,732 | 41.29 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 442,512 | 100.00 |

### Republican primary
#### Candidates

* Les Gibbs, former tax collector
* R. J. Hampton, president of Shorter College, North Little Rock; first black candidate for governor since 1920
* James MacKrell, Preacher, radio broadcaster, former public relations executive, and a Democratic candidate for governor in 1948
* Winthrop Rockefeller, incumbent Governor

#### Results

Republican primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Winthrop Rockefeller (incumbent) | 58,197 | 96.79 |
| | Republican | R. J. Hampton | 829 | 1.38 |
| | Republican | James MacKrell | 681 | 1.13 |
| | Republican | Les Gibbs | 423 | 0.70 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 60,130 | 100.00 |

## General election
### Candidates

* Dale Bumpers, Democratic
* Winthrop Rockefeller, Republican
* Walter L. Carruth, American Party, farmer

### Results overview

1970 Arkansas gubernatorial election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Democratic | Dale Bumpers | 375,648 | 61.66% | +14.09% |
| | Republican | Winthrop Rockefeller (incumbent) | 197,418 | 32.41% | −20.02% |
| | American | Walter L. Carruth | 36,132 | 5.93% | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 178,230 | 29.25% | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 609,198 | 100.00% | |
| | Democratic gain from Republican | Democratic gain from Republican | Swing | | |

### Results by county

County results :
| County | Dale Bumpers Democratic Party | Dale Bumpers Democratic Party | Winthrop Rockefeller Republican Party | Winthrop Rockefeller Republican Party | Walter L. Carruth American Party | Walter L. Carruth American Party | Total votes |
| County | # | % | # | % | # | % | Total votes |
| Arkansas | 4824 | 63.95% | 2058 | 27.28% | 661 | 8.76% | 7543 |
| Ashley | 4955 | 66.07% | 2104 | 28.05% | 441 | 5.88% | 7500 |
| Baxter | 4119 | 53.89% | 3411 | 44.63% | 113 | 1.48% | 7643 |
| Benton | 8471 | 55.98% | 6134 | 40.53% | 528 | 3.49% | 15133 |
| Boone | 4873 | 67.94% | 2150 | 29.98% | 149 | 2.08% | 7172 |
| Bradley | 2964 | 63.95% | 1317 | 28.41% | 354 | 7.64% | 4635 |
| Calhoun | 1501 | 64.70% | 622 | 26.81% | 197 | 8.49% | 2320 |
| Carroll | 2976 | 62.46% | 1700 | 35.68% | 89 | 1.87% | 4765 |
| Chicot | 2475 | 48.15% | 2455 | 47.76% | 210 | 4.09% | 5140 |
| Clark | 4795 | 67.83% | 1936 | 27.39% | 338 | 4.78% | 7069 |
| Clay | 4048 | 69.34% | 1615 | 27.66% | 175 | 3.00% | 5838 |
| Cleburne | 3250 | 75.69% | 770 | 17.93% | 274 | 6.38% | 4294 |
| Cleveland | 1864 | 70.50% | 461 | 17.44% | 319 | 12.07% | 2644 |
| Columbia | 4992 | 65.68% | 2397 | 31.54% | 212 | 2.79% | 7601 |
| Conway | 4326 | 66.48% | 1941 | 29.83% | 240 | 3.69% | 6507 |
| Craighead | 10570 | 70.69% | 3867 | 25.86% | 515 | 3.44% | 14952 |
| Crawford | 5169 | 67.19% | 1872 | 24.33% | 652 | 8.48% | 7693 |
| Crittenden | 5644 | 54.73% | 4279 | 41.49% | 390 | 3.78% | 10313 |
| Cross | 3471 | 67.49% | 1414 | 27.49% | 258 | 5.02% | 5143 |
| Dallas | 2240 | 61.27% | 1094 | 29.92% | 322 | 8.81% | 3656 |
| Desha | 3283 | 57.69% | 2180 | 38.31% | 228 | 4.01% | 5691 |
| Drew | 3085 | 65.55% | 1344 | 28.56% | 277 | 5.89% | 4706 |
| Faulkner | 7974 | 71.51% | 2741 | 24.58% | 436 | 3.91% | 11151 |
| Franklin | 3776 | 77.50% | 700 | 14.37% | 396 | 8.13% | 4872 |
| Fulton | 2062 | 71.65% | 756 | 26.27% | 60 | 2.08% | 2878 |
| Garland | 10442 | 55.63% | 6261 | 33.35% | 2069 | 11.02% | 18772 |
| Grant | 2745 | 74.63% | 480 | 13.05% | 453 | 12.32% | 3678 |
| Greene | 5781 | 73.34% | 1894 | 24.03% | 208 | 2.64% | 7883 |
| Hempstead | 4161 | 63.03% | 2156 | 32.66% | 285 | 4.32% | 6602 |
| Hot Spring | 5321 | 67.04% | 1792 | 22.58% | 824 | 10.38% | 7937 |
| Howard | 3044 | 72.03% | 1077 | 25.49% | 105 | 2.48% | 4226 |
| Independence | 5735 | 71.74% | 1935 | 24.21% | 324 | 4.05% | 7994 |
| Izard | 2339 | 77.07% | 608 | 20.03% | 88 | 2.90% | 3035 |
| Jackson | 4484 | 66.87% | 1806 | 26.93% | 416 | 6.20% | 6706 |
| Jefferson | 12914 | 49.48% | 10639 | 40.76% | 2546 | 9.76% | 26099 |
| Johnson | 4181 | 70.64% | 1437 | 24.28% | 301 | 5.09% | 5919 |
| Lafayette | 1837 | 55.52% | 1253 | 37.87% | 219 | 6.62% | 3309 |
| Lawrence | 4255 | 73.53% | 1211 | 20.93% | 321 | 5.55% | 5787 |
| Lee | 2561 | 44.29% | 2724 | 47.11% | 497 | 8.60% | 5782 |
| Lincoln | 2366 | 60.81% | 1261 | 32.41% | 264 | 6.78% | 3891 |
| Little River | 1934 | 61.57% | 1103 | 35.12% | 104 | 3.31% | 3141 |
| Logan | 4782 | 71.84% | 1594 | 23.95% | 280 | 4.21% | 6656 |
| Lonoke | 5395 | 67.93% | 1817 | 22.88% | 730 | 9.19% | 7942 |
| Madison | 2610 | 61.76% | 1514 | 35.83% | 102 | 2.41% | 4226 |
| Marion | 1877 | 59.68% | 1228 | 39.05% | 40 | 1.27% | 3145 |
| Miller | 5593 | 60.06% | 3099 | 33.28% | 621 | 6.67% | 9313 |
| Mississippi | 8655 | 56.87% | 6247 | 41.05% | 316 | 2.08% | 15218 |
| Monroe | 2227 | 45.34% | 2021 | 41.14% | 664 | 13.52% | 4912 |
| Montgomery | 1683 | 70.54% | 517 | 21.67% | 186 | 7.80% | 2386 |
| Nevada | 2518 | 66.99% | 1071 | 28.49% | 170 | 4.52% | 3759 |
| Newton | 1611 | 55.53% | 1197 | 41.26% | 93 | 3.21% | 2901 |
| Ouachita | 6675 | 61.01% | 3705 | 33.86% | 561 | 5.13% | 10941 |
| Perry | 1515 | 65.05% | 701 | 30.10% | 113 | 4.85% | 2329 |
| Phillips | 4020 | 38.92% | 4851 | 46.97% | 1457 | 14.11% | 10328 |
| Pike | 2202 | 73.57% | 596 | 19.91% | 195 | 6.52% | 2993 |
| Poinsett | 5528 | 72.87% | 1828 | 24.10% | 230 | 3.03% | 7586 |
| Polk | 2788 | 63.01% | 1228 | 27.75% | 409 | 9.24% | 4425 |
| Pope | 6405 | 69.00% | 2523 | 27.18% | 355 | 3.82% | 9283 |
| Prairie | 2471 | 74.07% | 627 | 18.79% | 238 | 7.13% | 3336 |
| Pulaski | 43097 | 53.43% | 32326 | 40.08% | 5235 | 6.49% | 80658 |
| Randolph | 3039 | 72.50% | 1003 | 23.93% | 150 | 3.58% | 4192 |
| Saline | 7961 | 68.75% | 2429 | 20.98% | 1189 | 10.27% | 11579 |
| Scott | 2588 | 76.01% | 702 | 20.62% | 115 | 3.38% | 3405 |
| Searcy | 2042 | 71.78% | 672 | 23.62% | 131 | 4.60% | 2845 |
| Sebastian | 16187 | 62.78% | 8271 | 32.08% | 1324 | 5.14% | 25782 |
| Sevier | 2558 | 73.59% | 714 | 20.54% | 204 | 5.87% | 3476 |
| Sharp | 2098 | 62.68% | 1056 | 31.55% | 193 | 5.77% | 3347 |
| St. Francis | 4222 | 47.04% | 3767 | 41.97% | 987 | 11.00% | 8976 |
| Stone | 2084 | 70.67% | 734 | 24.89% | 131 | 4.44% | 2949 |
| Union | 9628 | 63.22% | 4839 | 31.77% | 763 | 5.01% | 15230 |
| Van Buren | 2651 | 68.43% | 983 | 25.37% | 240 | 6.20% | 3874 |
| Washington | 11647 | 54.81% | 8933 | 42.04% | 668 | 3.14% | 21248 |
| White | 9399 | 74.62% | 2557 | 20.30% | 639 | 5.07% | 12595 |
| Woodruff | 2290 | 60.63% | 1120 | 29.65% | 367 | 9.72% | 3777 |
| Yell | 3795 | 76.42% | 993 | 20.00% | 178 | 3.58% | 4966 |
| Totals | 375648 | 61.66% | 197418 | 32.41% | 36132 | 5.93% | 609198 |