2008 United States presidential election in Arkansas

2008 United States presidential election in Arkansas

← 2004 November 4, 2008 2012 →

Nominee John McCain Barack Obama Party Republican Democratic Home state Arizona Illinois Running mate Sarah Palin Joe Biden Electoral vote 6 0 Popular vote 638,017 422,310 Percentage 58.72% 38.86%

County Results Congressional District Results Precinct Results McCain   40-50%   50-60%   60-70%   70-80%   80–90%   90-100% Obama   40–50%   50–60%   60–70%   70–80%   80–90%   90-100% Tie/No Data

President before election George W. Bush Republican Elected President Barack Obama Democratic

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 2024 Presidential primaries Democratic 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024 Republican 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024 U.S. Senate elections 1836 1837 1840 1843 1844 sp 1846 1848 1848 sp 1853 1855 1859 1868 1870 1876 1877 1878 1883 1885 1885 sp 1889 1891 1895 1897 1901 1903 1906 1907 1909 1913 1913 sp 1914 1916 sp 1918 1920 1924 1926 1930 1932 1932 sp 1936 1937 sp 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 2026 2028 U.S. House of Representatives elections 1836 1837 1838 1840 1842 1844 1846 1847 AL sp 1848 1851 1852 1853 1854 1856 1858 1860 1868 1870 1872 1874 1876 1878 1880 1882 1884 1885 3rd sp 1886 1888 1890 1892 1894 2nd sp 1896 1898 1900 1902 1904 1906 1908 1910 1912 1913 6th sp 1914 1916 1918 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 2024
State government State elections 2006 2010 2014 2018 2020 2022 2024 Gubernatorial elections 1836 1840 1844 1848 1849 sp 1852 1856 1860 1862 (C) 1864 (U) 1868 1872 1874 1876 1878 1880 1882 1884 1886 1888 1890 1892 1894 1896 1898 1900 1902 1904 1906 1908 1910 1912 1913 sp 1914 1916 1918 1920 1922 1924 1926 1928 1930 1932 1934 1936 1938 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 2026 Lieutenant gubernatorial elections 2022 Secretary of State elections 2022 Attorney General elections 2022 Treasurer elections 2022 2024 (special) Senate elections 2020 2022 2024 House of Representatives elections 2020 2022 2024
Ballot measures 1990 Amendment 3 2004 Amendment 3 2008 Act 1 2012 Issue 1 2018 Issue 5
Little Rock Mayoral elections 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 2022
Fayetteville Mayoral elections 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024
Fort Smith Mayoral elections 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 2022
Springdale Mayoral elections 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024
Jonesboro Mayoral elections 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024
Rogers Mayoral elections 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024
Conway Mayoral elections 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024
v t e

The 2008 United States presidential election in Arkansas took place on November 4, 2008, and was part of the 2008 United States presidential election. State voters chose six representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

Arkansas was won by Republican John McCain by a 19.86% margin of victory, a much greater margin than George W. Bush attained in 2004, despite a large national Democratic trend. This was likely due to the issue of race in the presidential election.^[1] Prior to the election, all 17 news organizations considered this a state McCain would win, or otherwise a red state. The state trended dramatically Republican in 2008, as McCain received over 4% more of the statewide popular vote than Bush earned in 2004 and more than doubled his margin of victory. Only five counties swung more Democratic in 2008, and the vast majority of counties swung heavily Republican, some by as much as 30%.^[2] Of the ten counties with the largest percentage swing to the Republicans in the U.S. during this election, six of them were located in Arkansas.^[3]

Obama became the first Democrat to ever win the White House without carrying Arkansas. Since 1996, Arkansas has rapidly transformed from a Democratic stronghold into one of the most Republican states in the nation. It was also one of the six states where neither Obama nor McCain won during the primary season, and the strongest of five states that swung rightward in this election, the others being Oklahoma, Louisiana, Tennessee, and West Virginia.

Despite McCain's landslide victory in the state's presidential race, Democratic Senator Mark Pryor easily won re-election on the same ballot which he did not face Republican opposition. This was the first time Arkansas did not vote for the winner of the presidential election since 1968.