1970_Arkansas_gubernatorial_election
The 1970 Arkansas gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 1970.
For related races, see 1970 United States gubernatorial elections.
Quick Facts Nominee, Party ...
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 County results Bumpers: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Rockefeller: 40–50% | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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[update], this was the last time Lee County voted for the Republican candidate.
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[1]
- William S. Cheek, businessman[2]
- Robert C. Compton, lawyer and former Prosecuting Attorney [2][3]
- 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[2][4]
- Joe Purcell, incumbent Arkansas Attorney General
- Bill Wells, former state representative and Democratic candidate for Lieutenant Governor in 1968[5]
Results
More information Party, Candidate ...
| 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 | 430,633 | 100.00 | ||
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More information Party, Candidate ...
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Dale Bumpers | 259,780 | 58.71 | |
| Democratic | Orval Faubus | 182,732 | 41.29 | |
| Total votes | 442,512 | 100.00 | ||
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Republican primary
Candidates
- Les Gibbs, former tax collector[2][8]
- R. J. Hampton, president of Shorter College, North Little Rock;[9] first black candidate for governor since 1920[10]
- James MacKrell, Preacher, radio broadcaster, former public relations executive, and a Democratic candidate for governor in 1948[2]
- Winthrop Rockefeller, incumbent Governor
Results
More information Party, Candidate ...
| 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 | 60,130 | 100.00 | ||
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Candidates
- Dale Bumpers, Democratic
- Winthrop Rockefeller, Republican
- Walter L. Carruth, American Party, farmer[1]
Results overview
More information Party, Candidate ...
| 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 | 178,230 | 29.25% | |||
| Turnout | 609,198 | 100.00% | |||
| Democratic gain from Republican | Swing | ||||
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Results by county
More information County, Dale Bumpers Democratic Party ...
| County | Dale Bumpers | Winthrop Rockefeller | Walter L. Carruth | 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 |
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- "Defeat of Faubus a Sharp Break With Political Past in Arkansas". New York Times. New York, NY. September 10, 1970. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
- "Faubus is leader in Arkansas vote". New York Times. New York, NY. August 26, 1970. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
- "Classroom to be Named for Law Grad". University of Arkansas. May 12, 2004. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
- "James Miller Malone, Jr., September 30, 1926 - April 27, 2014". Boyd Funeral Home. Lonoke, AR. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
- Urwin 1991, p. 176.
- Congressional Quarterly 1998, p. 100.
- America Votes 9, p. 37.
- Urwin 1991, p. 178.
- "Negro to Seek Nomination For Governor in Arkansas". New York Times. New York, NY. June 17, 1970. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
- Urwin 1991, p. 177.
- Congressional Quarterly 1998, p. 42.
- America Votes 9, p. 32.
- America Votes 9, pp. 34–35.
- Gubernatorial Elections, 1787-1997. Washington, D.C.: Congressional Quarterly Inc. 1998. ISBN 1-56802-396-0.
- Scammon, Richard M., ed. (1972). America Votes 9: a handbook of contemporary American election statistics, 1970. Washington, D.C.: Governmental Affairs Institute. ISBN 9780871870339.
- Urwin, Cathy Kunzinger (1991). Agenda for Reform: Winthrop Rockefeller as Governor of Arkansas, 1967-71. Fayetteville, AR: University of Arkansas Press. ISBN 1-55728-200-5.
