The 2020 Arkansas House of Representatives elections were held on November 3, 2020. Elections were held to elect representatives from all 100 House of Representatives districts across the U.S. state of Arkansas. It was held alongside numerous other federal, state, and local elections, including the 2020 Arkansas Senate elections.
Prior to the election, the National Conference of State Legislatures labeled this as one of many state and local races throughout the country that could effect partisan balance during post-census redistricting.
Republicans expanded their supermajority from 76âÂÂ24 to 77âÂÂ23, flipping the 9th and 11th districts, while Democrats flipped the 32nd district. While Arkansas was long a practically single-party state dominated by the Democratic Party during the Solid South, the rise of the Southern Strategy and the realignment of political parties has turned it and most other southern states into Republican strongholds. Republicans have controlled the House since the 2012 elections. Democratic strength is mostly isolated to Little Rock, the state capital and largest city, and Fayetteville, home to the University of Arkansas, as well as the Black Belt along the Mississippi Delta, with large populations of rural African Americans.
Seats where the margin of victory was under 10%:
Democrat Jimmie L. Wilson narrowly won by 5 percentage points ahead of Republican David Tollett, but Wilson was unanimously ruled ineligible to serve as a state representative by the Arkansas Supreme Court on October 26, 2020. Wilson was convicted of a misdemeanor 30 years earlier for "illegal use of federal farm loans and selling mortgaged crops." Despite being pardoned by President Bill Clinton in 2001, the court found a 2016 amendment to the Arkansas Constitution barring those who have been convicted of "deceit, fraud or false statement" from serving in public office barred Wilson from serving.
According to Ballotpedia, the general election in the 45th House district was cancelled, with incumbent Republican Jim Wooten winning without appearing on the ballot.
According to Ballotpedia, the general election in the 46th House district was cancelled, with incumbent Republican Les Eaves winning without appearing on the ballot.