Overview
since 2023 Arkansas has sent congressional delegations to the United States Senate and United States House of Representatives since it became a state in 1836, with the exception of the Civil War and Reconstruction period between 1861 and 1868. Arkansas first sent a voting representative to Congress in the 25th United States Congress, following its statehood. Each state elects at least one member of the House to a two-year term. The number of House members is proportional to the state's share of the national population, and changes every ten years with the results of the United States Census. Arkansas's representation began with one representative immediately after statehood, and peaked from 1903 to 1953 following the 1900 United States census, with seven seats in the House. Arkansas has sent four members to the House in each congressional delegation since 1963.
Current delegation
class="wikitable floatright" style="text-align: center;" - + Current U.S. senators from Arkansas - ! scope="row" rowspan=2 class="wikitable" ! CPVI : of the Arkansas delegation is Senator John Boozman, who has represented Arkansas in the Senate since 2011 and in Congress since 2001. The Cook Partisan Voting Index (CPVI) is a measure of how strongly partisan a state is. For each district or state, the CPVI measures the party leaning (Democratic or Republican) and the number of percentage points more partisan than the national average. For instance, a rating of R+4 would mean the district or state voted four percentage points more Republican than the national average, while a rating of D+9 would mean the district or state voted nine points more Democratic than the national average.
As of 2025, the CPVI rated all four districts in Arkansas as leaning Republican, with the 1st district, represented by Rick Crawford in the House, leaning most heavily at R+23, and the 2nd district, represented by French Hill in the House, leaning the least at R+8.
United States Senate
35 people have served as a U.S. senator from Arkansas, consisting of 33 men and two women, as well as 28 Democrats and 7 Republicans. Two, William K. Sebastian and Charles B. Mitchel, were expelled from the Senate because of Arkansas's secession from the Union at the start of the American Civil War; Sebastian was the only senator from a Confederate state to later be reinstated, albeit posthumously. For some time, he served with J. William Fulbright, known for the Fulbright Program, establishing an American student exchange program; his chairing of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, resulting in the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution and Fulbright hearings; and his opposition to the civil rights movement. Other senators from Arkansas also served in leadership roles in the Senate, including Joseph T.
Robinson, who served as Senate Majority Leader, Arkansas's senators are elected in classes II and III. Currently, Arkansas is represented in the Senate by Tom Cotton and John Boozman. - style="height:2em" ! scope="col" colspan="2" Class II senator ! scope="col" Congress ! scope="col" colspan="2" Class III senator - style="height:2em" William S. Fulton (J) rowspan="3" style="background: #D3D3D3" ! scope="row" (1835–1837) Ambrose H. Sevier (J) - style="height:2em" rowspan=4 William S. Fulton (D) ! scope="row" (1837–1839) rowspan="3" style="background: #D3D3D3" rowspan="7" Ambrose H.
Sevier (D) - style="height:2em" ! scope="row" (1839–1841) - style="height:2em" rowspan="4" ! scope="row" (1841–1843) - style="height:1.25em" ! scope="row" rowspan=2 (1843–1845) rowspan="5" - style="height:1.25em" rowspan=3 Chester Ashley (D) - style="height:2em" ! scope="row" (1845–1847) - style="height:1.25em" rowspan="4" style="background: #D3D3D3" ! scope="row" rowspan=2 (1847–1849) - style="height:1.25em" rowspan=9 William K.
Sebastian (D) rowspan=4 Solon Borland (D) - style="height:2em" ! scope="row" (1849–1851) rowspan="4" style="background: #D3D3D3" - style="height:2em" ! scope="row" (1851–1853) - style="height:1.25em" rowspan="4" ! scope="row" rowspan=2 (1853–1855) - style="height:1.25em" rowspan=4 Robert Ward Johnson (D) - style="height:2em" ! scope="row" (1855–1857) rowspan="3" - style="height:2em" ! scope="row" (1857–1859) - style="height:2em" rowspan="4" style="background: #D3D3D3" ! scope="row" (1859–1861) - style="height:2em" ! scope="row" rowspan=2 (1861–1863) rowspan="4" style="background: #D3D3D3" Charles B.
Mitchel (D) - style="height:1.25em" rowspan=4 vacant rowspan=4 vacant - style="height:2em" ! scope="row" (1863–1865) - style="height:2em" rowspan="4" ! scope="row" (1865–1867) - style="height:1.25em" ! scope="row" rowspan=2 (1867–1869) rowspan="4" - style="height:1.25em" rowspan=2 Alexander McDonald (R) rowspan=3 Benjamin F. Rice (R) - style="height:2em" ! scope="row" (1869–1871) - style="height:2em" rowspan=3 Powell Clayton (R) rowspan="3" style="background: #D3D3D3" ! scope="row" (1871–1873) - style="height:2em" ! scope="row" (1873–1875) rowspan="3" style="background: #D3D3D3" rowspan=3 Stephen W. Dorsey (R) - style="height:2em" ! scope="row" (1875–1877) - style="height:2em" rowspan=5 Augustus H. Garland (D) rowspan="3" ! scope="row" (1877–1879) - style="height:2em" ! scope="row" (1879–1881) rowspan="3" rowspan=3 James D.
Walker (D) - style="height:2em" ! scope="row" (1881–1883) - style="height:2em" rowspan="4" style="background: #D3D3D3" ! scope="row" (1883–1885) - style="height:1.25em" ! scope="row" rowspan=2 (1885–1887) rowspan="4" style="background: #D3D3D3" rowspan=10 James K. Jones (D) - style="height:1.25em" rowspan=11 James H. Berry (D) - style="height:2em" ! scope="row" (1887–1889) - style="height:2em" rowspan="3" ! scope="row" (1889–1891) - style="height:2em" ! scope="row" (1891–1893) rowspan="3" - style="height:2em" ! scope="row" (1893–1895) - style="height:2em" rowspan="3" style="background: #D3D3D3" ! scope="row" (1895–1897) - style="height:2em" ! scope="row" (1897–1899) rowspan="3" style="background: #D3D3D3" - style="height:2em" ! scope="row" (1899–1901) - style="height:2em" rowspan="3" ! scope="row" (1901–1903) - style="height:2em" ! scope="row" (1903–1905) rowspan="3" rowspan="9" James P.
Clarke (D) - style="height:2em" ! scope="row" (1905–1907) - style="height:2em" rowspan=3 Jeff Davis (D) rowspan="5" style="background: #D3D3D3" ! scope="row" (1907–1909) - style="height:2em" ! scope="row" (1909–1911) rowspan="5" style="background: #D3D3D3" - style="height:1.25em" ! scope="row" rowspan=3 (1911–1913) - style="height:2em" John N. Heiskell (D) - style="height:2em" William M. Kavanaugh (D) - style="height:2em" rowspan=15 Joseph T. Robinson (D) rowspan="4" ! scope="row" (1913–1915) - style="height:1.25em" ! scope="row" rowspan=2 (1915–1917) rowspan="4" - style="height:1.25em" rowspan=3 William F. Kirby (D) - style="height:2em" ! scope="row" (1917–1919) - style="height:2em" rowspan="3" style="background: #D3D3D3" ! scope="row" (1919–1921) - style="height:2em" ! scope="row" (1921–1923) rowspan="3" style="background: #D3D3D3" rowspan="6" Thaddeus H.
Caraway (D) - style="height:2em" ! scope="row" (1923–1925) - style="height:2em" rowspan="3" ! scope="row" (1925–1927) - style="height:2em" ! scope="row" (1927–1929) rowspan="4" - style="height:2em" ! scope="row" (1929–1931) - style="height:1.25em" rowspan="4" style="background: #D3D3D3" ! scope="row" rowspan=2 (1931–1933) - style="height:1.25em" rowspan=9 Hattie Caraway (D) - style="height:2em" ! scope="row" (1933–1935) rowspan="4" style="background: #D3D3D3" - style="height:2em" ! scope="row" (1935–1937) - style="height:1.25em" rowspan="5" ! scope="row" rowspan=2 (1937–1939) - style="height:1.25em" rowspan=3 John E. Miller (D) - style="height:2em" ! scope="row" (1939–1941) rowspan="4" - style="height:1.25em" ! scope="row" rowspan=2 (1941–1943) - style="height:2em" Lloyd Spencer (D) - style="height:2em" rowspan=18 John L.
McClellan (D) rowspan="3" style="background: #D3D3D3" ! scope="row" (1943–1945) - style="height:2em" ! scope="row" (1945–1947) rowspan="3" style="background: #D3D3D3" rowspan="15" J.
William Fulbright (D) - style="height:2em" ! scope="row" (1947–1949) - style="height:2em" rowspan="3" ! scope="row" (1949–1951) - style="height:2em" ! scope="row" (1951–1953) rowspan="3" - style="height:2em" ! scope="row" (1953–1955) - style="height:2em" rowspan="3" style="background: #D3D3D3" ! scope="row" (1955–1957) - style="height:2em" ! scope="row" (1957–1959) rowspan="3" style="background: #D3D3D3" - style="height:2em" ! scope="row" (1959–1961) - style="height:2em" rowspan="3" ! scope="row" (1961–1963) - style="height:2em" ! scope="row" (1963–1965) rowspan="3" - style="height:2em" ! scope="row" (1965–1967) - style="height:2em" rowspan="3" style="background: #D3D3D3" ! scope="row" (1967–1969) - style="height:2em" ! scope="row" (1969–1971) rowspan="3" style="background: #D3D3D3" - style="height:2em" ! scope="row" (1971–1973) - style="height:2em" rowspan="4" ! scope="row" (1973–1975) - style="height:2em" ! scope="row" (1975–1977) rowspan="4" rowspan=13 Dale Bumpers (D) - style="height:1.25em" ! scope="row" rowspan=2 (1977–1979) - style="height:2em" Kaneaster Hodges Jr.
(D) - style="height:2em" rowspan=9 David Pryor (D) rowspan="3" style="background: #D3D3D3" ! scope="row" (1979–1981) - style="height:2em" ! scope="row" (1981–1983) rowspan="3" style="background: #D3D3D3" - style="height:2em" ! scope="row" (1983–1985) - style="height:2em" rowspan="3" ! scope="row" (1985–1987) - style="height:2em" ! scope="row" (1987–1989) rowspan="3" - style="height:2em" ! scope="row" (1989–1991) - style="height:2em" rowspan="3" style="background: #D3D3D3" ! scope="row" (1991–1993) - style="height:2em" ! scope="row" (1993–1995) rowspan="3" style="background: #D3D3D3" - style="height:2em" ! scope="row" (1995–1997) - style="height:2em" rowspan=3 Tim Hutchinson (R) rowspan="3" ! scope="row" (1997–1999) - style="height:2em" ! scope="row" (1999–2001) rowspan="3" rowspan=6 Blanche Lincoln (D) - style="height:2em" ! scope="row" (2001–2003) - style="height:2em" rowspan=6 Mark Pryor (D) rowspan="3" style="background: #D3D3D3" ! scope="row" (2003–2005) - style="height:2em" ! scope="row" (2005–2007) rowspan="3" style="background: #D3D3D3" - style="height:2em" ! scope="row" (2007–2009) - style="height:2em" rowspan="3" ! scope="row" (2009–2011) - style="height:2em" ! scope="row" (2011–2013) rowspan="3" rowspan=8 John Boozman (R) - style="height:2em" ! scope="row" (2013–2015) - style="height:2em" rowspan=6 Tom Cotton (R) rowspan="3" style="background: #D3D3D3" ! scope="row" (2015–2017) - style="height:2em" ! scope="row" (2017–2019) rowspan="3" style="background: #D3D3D3" - style="height:2em" ! scope="row" (2019–2021) - style="height:2em" rowspan="3" ! scope="row" (2021–2023) - style="height:2em" ! scope="row" (2023–2025) rowspan="2" - style="height:2em" ! scope="row" (2025–2027)
United States House of Representatives
Arkansas has been represented in the House since 1819, when James Woodson Bates was sent to Congress as a delegate from Arkansas Territory, except for during the American Civil War. Wilbur Mills was elected in 1938, serving as the powerful chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee from 1957 until his retirement in 1977, following scandals related to his alcoholism and an affair with stripper Fanne Foxe. Some representatives have gone on to serve in other political and judicial offices after their time in Congress, including Thomas C. McRae, who later served as governor of Arkansas; Tim Griffin, who later served as lieutenant governor of Arkansas; Asa Hutchinson, who later became governor of Arkansas and led both the Drug Enforcement Administration and part of the Department of Homeland Security; and Ray Thornton, who later served on the Arkansas Supreme Court.
Each district uses a popular vote to elect a member of Arkansas's delegation in the House of Representatives. While it has sent varying numbers of representatives to Congress over the years, Arkansas has sent four representatives to the House since 1963, following the 1960 United States census. Arkansas is currently represented in the House by four Republicans: Rick Crawford, French Hill, Steve Womack, and Bruce Westerman.
1819–1836: 1 non-voting delegate
The Arkansas Territory was created on March 2, 1819, and it sent a non-voting delegate to the House.
1836–1853: 1 seat
Following statehood on June 15, 1836, Arkansas had one seat in the House.
1853–1863: 2 seats
Following the 1850 census, Arkansas was apportioned two seats in the House.
1863–1873: 3 seats
Following the 1860 census, Arkansas was apportioned three seats.
1873–1883: 4 seats
Following the 1870 census, Arkansas was apportioned four seats.
1883–1893: 5 seats
Following the 1880 census, Arkansas was apportioned five seats.
1893–1903: 6 seats
Following the 1890 census, Arkansas was apportioned six seats.
1903–1953: 7 seats
Following the 1900 census, Arkansas was apportioned seven seats.
1953–1963: 6 seats
Following the 1950 census, Arkansas was apportioned six seats.
1963–present: 4 seats
Since the 1960 census, Arkansas has been apportioned four seats. ! scope="col" Congress ! scope="col" ! scope="col" ! scope="col" ! scope="col" - style="height:2.5em" ! scope="row" rowspan=4 Ezekiel C. Gathings (D) rowspan=8 Wilbur Mills (D) rowspan=3 James William Trimble (D) rowspan=2 Oren Harris (D) - style="height:1.5em" ! scope="row" rowspan=2 - style="height:1.5em" rowspan=4 David Pryor (D) - style="height:2.5em" ! scope="row" rowspan=14 John Paul Hammerschmidt (R) - style="height:2.5em" ! scope="row" rowspan=13 Bill Alexander (D) - style="height:2.5em" ! scope="row" - style="height:2.5em" ! scope="row" rowspan=3 Ray Thornton (D) - style="height:2.5em" ! scope="row" - style="height:2.5em" ! scope="row" Jim Guy Tucker (D) - style="height:2.5em" ! scope="row" rowspan=3 Ed Bethune (R) rowspan=8 Beryl Anthony Jr.
(D) - style="height:2.5em" ! scope="row" - style="height:2.5em" ! scope="row" - style="height:2.5em" ! scope="row" rowspan=3 Tommy F. Robinson (D) - style="height:2.5em" ! scope="row" - style="height:1.5em" ! scope="row" rowspan=2 - style="height:2em" Tommy F.
Robinson (R) - style="height:2.5em" ! scope="row" rowspan=3 Ray Thornton (D) - style="height:2.5em" ! scope="row" rowspan=2 Blanche Lincoln (D) rowspan=2 Tim Hutchinson (R) rowspan=4 Jay Dickey (R) - style="height:2.5em" ! scope="row" - style="height:2.5em" ! scope="row" rowspan=8 Marion Berry (D) rowspan=8 Vic Snyder (D) rowspan=3 Asa Hutchinson (R) - style="height:2.5em" ! scope="row" - style="height:1.5em" ! scope="row" rowspan=2 rowspan=7 Mike Ross (D) - style="height:1.5em" rowspan=5 John Boozman (R) - style="height:2.5em" ! scope="row" - style="height:2.5em" ! scope="row" - style="height:2.5em" ! scope="row" - style="height:2.5em" ! scope="row" - style="height:2.5em" ! scope="row" rowspan=8 Rick Crawford (R) rowspan=2 Tim Griffin (R) rowspan=8 Steve Womack (R) - style="height:2.5em" ! scope="row" Tom Cotton (R) - style="height:2.5em" ! scope="row" rowspan=6 French Hill (R) rowspan=6 Bruce Westerman (R) - style="height:2.5em" ! scope="row" - style="height:2.5em" ! scope="row" - style="height:2.5em" ! scope="row" - style="height:2.5em" ! scope="row" - style="height:2.5em" ! scope="row"
See also
*List of United States congressional districts *Arkansas's congressional districts *Political party strength in Arkansas