Redistricting Process: Arkansas congressional and state legislative redistricting is the responsibility of a Board of Apportionment consisting of the governor, secretary of state, and attorney general. The history of Arkansas’ Board of Apportionment is quite colorful. The disputed 1872 gubernatorial election in Arkansas led to a brief shooting war between the forces of Radical Republican carpetbagger Joseph Brooks and Republican scalawag (a term for southerners who supported reconstruction) Elisha Baxter. Baxter’s eventual victory placed him in a position to rewrite the Arkansas state constitution, including its clauses on redistricting. He took power over redistricting from the unfriendly state legislature and placed it in the hands of the governor, secretary of state, and attorney general, effectively granting himself the power to redistrict. The law has not been changed since 1874.
Governor: Democrat Mike Beebe
Legislature: Democrats control both chambers.
Number of Congressional Seats in 2011: 4 (no change from 2010)
2011 Ideal District Population: 728,979
Link to Arkansas Board of Apportionment
Current District by District Politics and Demographics
1st District– Republican Rick Crawford
2010 Congressional Results: Crawford 51.8%
2008 Congressional Results: Marion Berry (D) 100%
2006 Congressional Results: Berry 69%
2004 Congressional Results: Berry 67%
2008 Presidential Results: McCain 59% Obama 38%
2004 Presidential Results: Bush 52% Kerry 47%
District Population: 687,694
Over/Under Populated by: 41,285
White Population: 540,189
African American Population: 113,714
Hispanic Population: 18,670
See more demographic information from the 2010 Census for the 1st District.*
2nd District– Republican Tim Griffin
2010 Congressional Results: Griffin 58%
2008 Congressional Results: Vic Snyder (D) 77%
2006 Congressional Results: Snyder 61%
2004 Congressional Results: Snyder 58%
2008 Presidential Results: McCain 54% Obama 44%
2004 Presidential Results: Bush 51% Kerry 48%
District Population: 751,377
Over/Under Populated by: 22,398
White Population: 529,961
African American Population: 155,640
Hispanic Population: 39,278
See more demographic information from the 2010 Census for the 2nd District.
3rd District– Republican Steve Womack
2010 Congressional Results: Womack 72%
2008 Congressional Results: John Boozman (R) 79%
2006 Congressional Results: Boozman 62%
2004 Congressional Results: Boozman 59%
2008 Presidential Results: McCain 64% Obama 33%
2004 Presidential Results: Bush 62% Kerry 36%
District Population: 822,564
Over/Under Populated by: 93,585
White Population: 654,007
African American Population: 19,425
Hispanic Population: 97,929
See more demographic information from the 2010 Census for the 3rd District.
4th District– Democrat Mike Ross
2010 Congressional Results: Ross 58%
2008 Congressional Results: Ross 86%
2006 Congressional Results: Ross 75%
2004 Congressional Results: Ross 100%
2008 Presidential Results: McCain 58% Obama 39%
2004 Presidential Results: Bush 51% Kerry 48%
District Population: 654,283
Over/Under Populated by: 74,696
White Population: 449,312
African American Population: 158,323
Hispanic Population: 30,173
See more demographic information from the 2010 Census for the 4th District.
*In some browsers, the link to the 2010 Census page may link to a table of demographics for several states as opposed to the districts for the specific state. If this occurs, click the “Back to Search” link at the top of the page and then click on the arrow next to “Geographies” in the left column. Select “All Congressional Districts within Arkansas” and then close the box. Click on the link for “Race, Hispanic or Latino, Age and Housing Occupancy: 2010” and the correct table should appear.
Redistricting Process taken from Rose Institute study “Redistricting in America.”