1998 Arkansas gubernatorial election

1998 Arkansas gubernatorial election

← 1994 November 3, 1998 2002 →

Nominee Mike Huckabee Bill Bristow Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 421,989 272,923 Percentage 59.77% 38.66%

County results Huckabee:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80% Bristow:      50–60%

Governor before election Mike Huckabee Republican Elected Governor Mike Huckabee Republican

Elections in Arkansas
Federal government Presidential elections 1836 1840 1844 1848 1852 1856 1860 1868 1872 1876 1880 1884 1888 1892 1896 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 Presidential primaries Democratic 2008 2012 2016 2020 Republican 2008 2012 2016 2020 U.S. Senate elections 1924 1930 1932 1936 1937 1938 1942 1944 1948 1950 1954 1956 1960 1962 1966 1968 1972 1974 1978 1980 1984 1986 1990 1992 1996 1998 2002 2004 2008 2010 2014 2016 2020 2022 U.S. House elections 1920 1921 6th sp 1922 1923 6th sp 1924 1926 1928 1930 4th sp 1932 1933 5th sp 1934 1936 1938 1939 4th sp 1940 1942 1944 1946 1948 1950 1952 1954 1956 1958 1960 1961 6th sp 1962 1964 1966 4th sp 1968 1970 1972 1974 1976 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2001 3rd sp 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022
State government Gubernatorial elections 1862 1886 1888 1890 1892 1894 1896 1898 1900 1902 1910 1912 1913 1914 1916 1918 1922 1926 1930 1932 1940 1942 1944 1946 1948 1950 1952 1954 1956 1958 1960 1962 1964 1966 1968 1970 1972 1974 1976 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 2022 State elections 2006 2010 2014 2018 2020 2022 State Senate elections 2020 2022
Ballot measures 2004 Constitutional Amendment 3 2008 Proposed Initiative Act No. 1 2012 Issue 1 2018
Little Rock Mayoral elections 1994 2018
v t

The 1998 Arkansas gubernatorial election took place on November 3, 1998 for the post of Governor of Arkansas. Incumbent Republican governor Mike Huckabee defeated Democratic nominee Bill Bristow to win a full term in office. As of 2022, this is the last time Pulaski County, Jefferson County, Crittenden County, and Phillips County voted for the Republican candidate.

Democratic primary[]

Candidates[]

• Bill Bristow, attorney
• Dirk Anderson, farmer
• Johnny Hoyt, state representative

Results[]

Republican primary[]

Candidates[]

• Mike Huckabee, incumbent Governor of Arkansas
• Gene McVay, army colonel

Results[]

General election[]

Campaign[]

In the beginning of the race, it was suspected that Republican nominee, incumbent governor Mike Huckabee would have to face a hard-fought election. Huckabee had assumed the office of governor in July 1996 after Jim Guy Tucker resigned over implications of his involvement in the Whitewater affair.^[2] Because Huckabee had not yet been elected to the post, and the aftermath of Tucker's resignation had temporarily tarnished the title of Governor, it was deemed the Democratic challenger, Jonesboro attorney Bill Bristow, would be of worthy competition. However, Huckabee's appeal as an honest Southern Baptist minister in the wake of scandal and his brief but high-profile experience opposed to Bristow's lack thereof made him a much more attractive candidate amongst the Arkansas electorate.^[3] His well-funded grassroots campaign across all portions of the state and Bristow's lack of support from the Democratic Party, which was more focused on Blanche Lincoln's U.S. Senate race, enabled him to soar in the polls. On election day, Huckabee won the election with nearly 60% of the vote, the largest margin for any Republican Governor of Arkansas since Reconstruction till Asa Hutchinson’s 2018 election performance of 65.3%.

According to a CNN exit poll, Huckabee received 48% of the African-American vote in his 1998 election;^[4] but some experts have questioned whether those numbers are a representative sample on how he did on the whole in the election.^[5]

Results[]

References[]