Arkansas's 4th congressional district

Arkansas's 4th congressional district
Representative	Bruce Westerman R–Hot Springs
Area	20,951 sq mi (54,260 km2)
Distribution	66.2% urban 33.8% rural
Population (2019)	701,945[1]
Median household income	$43,824[2]
Ethnicity	71.9% White 19.6% Black 5.5% Hispanic 1.5% Two or more races 0.7% other 0.6% Asian
Cook PVI	R+20[3]

Arkansas's 4th congressional district is a congressional district located in the southwestern portion of the U.S. state of Arkansas. Notable towns in the district include Camden, Hope, Hot Springs, Magnolia, Pine Bluff, and Texarkana.

The district is currently represented by Republican Bruce Westerman.

Historically, the district has supported conservative Democrats such as Mike Ross and David Pryor, and was reckoned as a classic Yellow Dog Democrat district. However, the growing Republican trend in the state has overtaken the district since the start of the 21st century with the district supporting George W. Bush with 51% in 2004 and support grew as John McCain won the district in 2008 with 58% of the vote.

Recent US presidential election results[]

Year	Office	Results
2000	President	Bush 51 - 48%
2004	President	Bush 51 - 48%
2008	President	McCain 58 - 39%
2012	President	Romney 62 - 36%
2016	President	Trump 64 - 31%
2020	President	Trump 68 - 30%

List of members representing the district[]

Member	Party	Years	Cong ress	Electoral history
District created on March 4, 1875
Thomas M. Gunter	Democratic	March 4, 1875 – March 3, 1883	44th 45th 46th 47th	Redistricted from the 3rd district and re-elected in 1874. Re-elected in 1876. Re-elected in 1878. Re-elected in 1880. Retired.
Samuel W. Peel	Democratic	March 4, 1883 – March 3, 1885	48th	Elected in 1882. Redistricted to the 5th district.
John Henry Rogers	Democratic	March 4, 1885 – March 3, 1891	49th 50th 51st	Redistricted from the 3rd district and re-elected in 1884. Re-elected in 1886. Re-elected in 1888. Retired.
William L. Terry	Democratic	March 4, 1891 – March 3, 1901	52nd 53rd 54th 55th 56th	Elected in 1890. Re-elected in 1892. Re-elected in 1894. Re-elected in 1896. Re-elected in 1898. Lost renomination.
Charles C. Reid	Democratic	March 4, 1901 – March 3, 1903	57th	Elected in 1900. Redistricted to the 5th district.
John Sebastian Little	Democratic	March 4, 1903 – January 14, 1907	58th 59th	Redistricted from the 2nd district and Re-elected in 1902. Re-elected in 1904. Resigned when elected Governor of Arkansas
Vacant		January 14, 1907 – March 3, 1907	59th
William B. Cravens	Democratic	March 4, 1907 – March 3, 1913	60th 61st 62nd	Elected in 1906. Re-elected in 1908. Re-elected in 1910. Retired.
Otis Wingo	Democratic	March 4, 1913 – October 21, 1930	63rd 64th 65th 66th 67th 68th 69th 70th 71st	Elected in 1912. Re-elected in 1914. Re-elected in 1916. Re-elected in 1918. Re-elected in 1920. Re-elected in 1922. Re-elected in 1924. Re-elected in 1926. Re-elected in 1928. Died.
Vacant		October 21, 1930 – November 4, 1930	71st
Effiegene Locke Wingo	Democratic	November 4, 1930 – March 3, 1933	71st 72nd	Elected to finish her husband's term. Retired.
William B. Cravens	Democratic	March 4, 1933 – January 13, 1939	73rd 74th 75th 76th	Elected in 1932. Re-elected in 1934. Re-elected in 1936. Died.
Vacant		January 13, 1939 – September 12, 1939	76th
William Fadjo Cravens	Democratic	September 12, 1939 – January 3, 1949	76th 77th 78th 79th 80th	Elected to finish his father's term. Re-elected in 1940. Re-elected in 1942. Re-elected in 1944. Re-elected in 1946. Retired.[4]
Boyd Anderson Tackett	Democratic	January 3, 1949 – January 3, 1953	81st 82nd	Elected in 1948. Re-elected in 1950. Retired to run for governor.
Oren Harris	Democratic	January 3, 1953 – February 2, 1966	83rd 84th 85th 86th 87th 88th 89th	Redistricted from the 7th district and re-elected in 1952. Re-elected in 1954. Re-elected in 1956. Re-elected in 1958. Re-elected in 1960. Re-elected in 1962. Re-elected in 1964. Re-elected in 1966. Resigned to become US District judge for the Eastern and Western District of Arkansas.
Vacant		February 2, 1966 – November 8, 1966	89th
David Pryor	Democratic	November 8, 1966 – January 3, 1973	89th 90th 91st 92nd	Elected to finish Harris's term and begin own. Re-elected in 1968. Re-elected in 1970. Retired to run for U.S. senator.
Ray Thornton	Democratic	January 3, 1973 – January 3, 1979	93rd 94th 95th	Elected in 1972. Re-elected in 1974. Re-elected in 1976. Retired to run for U.S. Senator.
Beryl Anthony Jr.	Democratic	January 3, 1979 – January 3, 1993	96th 97th 98th 99th 100th 101st 102nd	Elected in 1978. Re-elected in 1980. Re-elected in 1982. Re-elected in 1984. Re-elected in 1986. Re-elected in 1988. Re-elected in 1990. Lost renomination.
Jay Dickey	Republican	January 3, 1993 – January 3, 2001	103rd 104th 105th 106th	Elected in 1992. Re-elected in 1994. Re-elected in 1996. Re-elected in 1998. Lost re-election.
Mike Ross	Democratic	January 3, 2001 – January 3, 2013	107th 108th 109th 110th 111th 112th	Elected in 2000. Re-elected in 2002. Re-elected in 2004. Re-elected in 2006. Re-elected in 2008. Re-elected in 2010. Retired to run for Governor.
Tom Cotton	Republican	January 3, 2013 – January 3, 2015	113th	Elected in 2012. Retired to run for U.S. Senator.
Bruce Westerman	Republican	January 3, 2015 – present	114th 115th 116th 117th	Elected in 2014. Re-elected in 2016. Re-elected in 2018. Re-elected in 2020. Incumbent.

Recent US House election results[]

2002[]

Arkansas’s 4th Congressional District House Election, 2002

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Michael Avery Ross*	119,633	60.56%
	Republican	Jay Dickey	77,904	39.44%
Majority			41,729	21.12%
Total votes			197,537	100.00
	Democratic hold

2004[]

Arkansas’s 4th Congressional District House Election, 2004

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Michael Avery Ross*	243,003	100.00%
Majority			243,003	100.00%
Total votes				100.00
	Democratic hold

2006[]

Arkansas’s 4th Congressional District House Election, 2006

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Michael Avery Ross*	128,236	74.73%
	Republican	Joe Ross	43,360	25.27%
Majority			84,876	49.46%
Total votes			171,596	100.00
	Democratic hold

2008[]

Arkansas’s 4th Congressional District House Election, 2008

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Michael Avery Ross*	203,178	86.17%
	Green	J. Joshua Drake	32,603	13.83%
Majority			170,575	72.34%
Total votes			235,781	100.00
	Democratic hold

2010[]

Arkansas’s 4th Congressional District House Election, 2010

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Michael Avery Ross*	102,479	57.53%
	Republican	Beth Anne Rankin	71,526	40.15%
	Green	J. Joshua Drake	4,129	2.32%
Majority			30,953	17.38%
Total votes			178,134	100.00
	Democratic hold

2012[]

Arkansas’s 4th Congressional District House Election, 2012

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Tom Cotton	154,149	59.53%
	Democratic	Gene Jeffress	95,013	36.69%
	Libertarian	Bobby Tullis	4,984	1.92%
	Green	J. Joshua Drake	4,807	1.86%
Majority			59,136	22.84%
Total votes			258,953	100.00
	Republican gain from Democratic

2014[]

Arkansas’s 4th Congressional District House Election, 2014

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Bruce Westerman (incumbent)	110,789	54%
	Democratic	James Lee Witt	87,742	43%
	Libertarian	Ken Hamilton	7,598	3%
Majority			23,047	11%
Total votes			206,131	100.00%
	Republican hold

2016[]

Arkansas’s 4th Congressional District House Election, 2016

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Bruce Westerman (incumbent)	182,885	75%
	Libertarian	Ken Hamilton	61,274	25%
Majority			121,611	50%
Total votes			244,159	100.00%
	Republican hold

2018[]

Arkansas’s 4th Congressional District House Election, 2018^[5]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Bruce Westerman (incumbent)	136,740	66.74%
	Democratic	Hayden Shamel	63,984	31.23%
	Libertarian	Tom Canada	3,952	1.93%
	Write-in		216	0.11%
Total votes			204,892	100%
	Republican hold

2020[]

Arkansas’s 4th Congressional District House Election, 2020

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Bruce Westerman (incumbent)	191,617	69.7
	Democratic	William Hanson	75,750	27.5
	Libertarian	Frank Gilbert	7,668	2.8
Total votes			275,035	100.0
	Republican hold

References[]

Specific

General

• Martis, Kenneth C. (1989). The Historical Atlas of Political Parties in the United States Congress. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.
• Martis, Kenneth C. (1982). The Historical Atlas of United States Congressional Districts. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.
• Congressional Biographical Directory of the United States 1774–present

Coordinates: 34°13′11″N 93°12′16″W / 34.21972°N 93.20444°W / 34.21972; -93.20444