The 1986 Arkansas gubernatorial election was conducted on November 4, 1986, to elect the Governor of Arkansas.
Incumbent Democratic Governor Bill Clinton stood for re-election. He had been elected in 1982 and re-elected in 1984, and sought a third consecutive term and fourth overall (Clinton had been first elected in 1978). His opponent was former Republican Governor Frank D. White, who was seeking to return to the office he had defeated Clinton for in the 1980 election.
The 1980 Arkansas gubernatorial election was a biennial election for the governorship of Arkansas. One-term Democratic governor and future president Bill Clinton was narrowly defeated by Republican Frank D. White. It was only the third time since Reconstruction that a Republican candidate had won the state's governorship.
Clinton ran again two years later and regained the governorship, continuing to serve until he was elected to the presidency in 1992.
View the full Wikipedia page for 1980 Arkansas gubernatorial electionThe 1982 Arkansas gubernatorial election was held on November 2, 1982. Former Democratic governor Bill Clinton regained the position after having narrowly been defeated by Republican candidate Frank D. White at the previous election. Clinton held the position from January 1983 until he resigned after being elected president in 1992. As of 2026, this is the last time that an incumbent governor of Arkansas lost re-election.
View the full Wikipedia page for 1982 Arkansas gubernatorial election