List of governors of Arkansas

The Governor of Arkansas is the head of the executive branch of Arkansas's state government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces.

List of governors
+ Governors of the Territory of ArkansasGovernorTerm in officeAppointed byNotes175pxJames Miller–December 27, 1824James Monroe275pxGeorge Izard–November 22, 1828John Quincy Adams375pxJohn Pope–March 9, 1835Andrew Jackson475pxWilliam S. Fulton–September 13, 1836

Governors of the State of Arkansas
+ Governors of the State of ArkansasGovernorTerm in officePartyElectionLt. Governor175px James Sevier Conway–November 4, 1840(not candidate for election)Democratic1836Office did not exist275pxArchibald Yell–April 29, 1844(resigned)Democratic1840—75pxSamuel Adams–November 9, 1844(not candidate for election)DemocraticPresident ofthe Senateacting asGovernor375pxThomas Stevenson Drew–January 10, 1849(resigned)Democratic18441848—Richard C. Byrd–April 19, 1849(not candidate for election)DemocraticPresident ofthe Senateacting asGovernor475pxJohn Selden Roane–November 15, 1852(not candidate for election)Democratic1849(special)575pxElias Nelson Conway–November 15, 1860(term limited)Democratic18521856675pxHenry Massey Rector–November 4, 1862(resigned)Democratic1860—Thomas Fletcher–November 15, 1862(successor took office)DemocraticPresident ofthe Senateacting asGovernor775pxHarris Flanagin–May 26, 1865(government-in-exiledisbanded)Democratic1862875pxIsaac Murphy–July 2, 1868(not candidate for election)Unionist1864 Calvin C. BlissHerndon p. 287975pxPowell Clayton–March 17, 1871(resigned)Republican1868 James M. JohnsonHerndon p. 293(resigned March 14, 1871)Vacant—75pxOzra Amander Hadley–January 6, 1873(not candidate for election)RepublicanPresident ofthe Senateacting asGovernor10Elisha Baxter–November 12, 1874(not candidate for election)Republican1872Volney V. SmithHerndon p. 3061175pxAugustus Hill Garland–January 11, 1877(not candidate for election)Democratic1874Office did not exist1275pxWilliam Read Miller–January 13, 1881(not candidate for election)Democratic187618781375pxThomas James Churchill–January 13, 1883(not candidate for election)Democratic18801475pxJames Henderson Berry–January 15, 1885(not candidate for election)Democratic18821575pxSimon Pollard Hughes Jr.–January 17, 1889(not candidate for election)Democratic188418861675pxJames Philip Eagle–January 14, 1893(not candidate for election)Democratic188818901775pxWilliam Meade Fishback–January 18, 1895(not candidate for election)Democratic18921875pxJames Paul Clarke–January 18, 1897(not candidate for election)Democratic18941975pxDaniel Webster Jones–January 18, 1901(not candidate for election)Democratic189618982075pxJeff Davis–January 18, 1907(not candidate for election)Democratic1900190219042175pxJohn Sebastian Little–February 11, 1907(resigned)Democratic1906—75pxJohn Isaac Moore–May 14, 1907(legislature adjourned)DemocraticPresident ofthe Senateacting asGovernor—75pxXenophon Overton Pindall–January 11, 1909(senate term expired)DemocraticPresident ofthe Senateacting asGovernor—Jesse M. Martin–January 14, 1909(successor took office)DemocraticPresident ofthe Senateacting asGovernor2275pxGeorge Washington Donaghey–January 16, 1913(not candidate for election)Democratic190819102375pxJoseph Taylor Robinson–March 8, 1913(resigned)Democratic1912—William Kavanaugh Oldham–March 13, 1913(new president ofthe senate elected)DemocraticPresident ofthe Senateacting asGovernor—Junius Marion Futrell–August 6, 1913(successor took office)DemocraticPresident ofthe Senateacting asGovernor24George Washington Hays–January 10, 1917(not candidate for election)Democratic1913(special)19142575pxCharles Hillman Brough–January 11, 1921(not candidate for election)Democratic191619182675pxThomas Chipman McRae–January 13, 1925(not candidate for election)Democratic1920192227Tom Terral–January 11, 1927(not candidate for election)Democratic19242875pxJohn Ellis Martineau–March 14, 1928(resigned)Democratic1926Harvey Parnell29Harvey Parnell–January 10, 1933(not candidate for election)DemocraticSucceeded fromLieutenantGovernorVacant1928Lee Cazort1930Lawrence Elery Wilson30Junius Marion Futrell–January 12, 1937(not candidate for election)Democratic1932Lee Cazort193431Carl Edward Bailey–January 14, 1941(lost election)Democratic1936Robert L. Bailey193832Homer Martin Adkins–January 9, 1945(not candidate for election)Democratic19401942James L. Shaver33Benjamin Travis Laney–January 11, 1949(not candidate for election)Democratic19441946Nathan Green Gordon3475pxSid McMath–January 13, 1953(not candidate for election)Democratic1948195035Francis Cherry–January 11, 1955(not candidate for election)Democratic19523675pxOrval Faubus–January 10, 1967(not candidate for election)Democratic19541956195819601962196437 Winthrop Rockefeller–January 12, 1971(lost election)Republican1966Maurice Britt19683875pxDale Bumpers–January 3, 1975(resigned)Democratic1970Bob C. Riley1972—Bob C. Riley–January 14, 1975(successor took office)DemocraticLieutenantGovernoracting asGovernorActing as Governor3975pxDavid Pryor–January 3, 1979(resigned)Democratic1974Joe Purcell1976—Joe Purcell–January 9, 1979(successor took office)DemocraticLieutenantGovernoracting asGovernorActing as Governor4075pxBill Clinton–January 19, 1981(lost election)Democratic1978Joe Purcell4175pxFrank D. White–January 11, 1983(lost election)Republican1980Winston Bryant4275pxBill Clinton–December 12, 1992(resigned)Democratic1982198419861990Jim Guy Tucker4375pxJim Guy Tucker–July 15, 1996(resigned)DemocraticSucceeded fromLieutenantGovernorVacantMike Huckabee(elected November 20, 1993)19944475pxMike Huckabee–January 9, 2007(term limited)RepublicanSucceeded fromLieutenantGovernorVacantWinthrop Paul Rockefeller(elected November 19, 1996)(died July 16, 2006)19982002Vacant4575pxMike Beebe–January 13, 2015(term limited)Democratic2006Bill Halter2010Mark Darr(resigned February 1, 2014)Vacant4675pxAsa Hutchinson–Republican2014Tim Griffin20184775pxSarah Huckabee Sanders–PresentRepublican2022Leslie Rutledge

Living former U.S. governors of Arkansas
As of February 2026, there are five living former Governors of Alaska, the oldest being Bill Clinton, who served as the 40th and 42nd Governor of Arkansas (served 1979-1981, 1983-1992), at 79. The most recent death of a former governor was that of Jim Guy Tucker, who served as the 43rd Governor of Arkansas (served 1992-1996) on February 13, 2025.

Notes

References

*