2016 Arkansas Republican presidential primary

Part of the primaries for the 2016 US general election

2016 Arkansas Republican presidential primary

← 2012 March 1, 2016 (2016-03-01) 2020 →
← AL
GA →

40 pledged delegates to the Republican National Convention
 
Candidate Donald Trump Ted Cruz
Home state New York Texas
Delegate count 16 15
Popular vote 134,744 125,340
Percentage 32.79% 30.50%

 
Candidate Marco Rubio Ben Carson
Home state Florida Virginia
Delegate count 9 0
Popular vote 101,910 23,521
Percentage 24.80% 5.72%

Results by county
  Donald Trump
  30–40%
  40–50%
  50–60%
  Ted Cruz
  30-40%
  40–50%
  Marco Rubio
  30-40%
Elections in Arkansas
Seal of Arkansas
Presidential elections
Presidential primaries
Democratic
2000
2004
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024
Republican
2004
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024
U.S. Senate elections
U.S. House of Representatives elections
Mayoral elections
Mayoral elections
  • 1996
  • 2000
  • 2004
  • 2008
  • 2012
  • 2016
  • 2020
  • 2024
Mayoral elections
  • 1994
  • 1998
  • 2002
  • 2006
  • 2010
  • 2014
  • 2018
  • 2022
Mayoral elections
  • 1996
  • 2000
  • 2004
  • 2008
  • 2012
  • 2016
  • 2020
  • 2024
Mayoral elections
  • 1996
  • 2000
  • 2004
  • 2008
  • 2012
  • 2016
  • 2020
  • 2024
Mayoral elections
  • 1996
  • 2000
  • 2004
  • 2008
  • 2012
  • 2016
  • 2020
  • 2024
Mayoral elections
  • 1996
  • 2000
  • 2004
  • 2008
  • 2012
  • 2016
  • 2020
  • 2024
  • v
  • t
  • e

The 2016 Arkansas Republican presidential primary was won by Donald Trump with a plurality 32.8% support over Senator Ted Cruz, who competed heavily in Arkansas and hailed from neighboring Texas, with 30.5% support. While Marco Rubio earned the endorsement of Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson,[1] Ted Cruz competed aggressively with Trump for the state's Evangelical base.[2]

Twelve candidates appeared on the Republican presidential primary ballot.[3][4]

Polling

Aggregate polls

Source of poll

aggregation

Dates

administered

Dates

updated

Marco Rubio
Republican
Donald Trump
Republican
Ted Cruz
Republican
Margin
FiveThirtyEight until March 1, 2016 March 1, 2016 21.6% 25.6% 28.3% Trump +9.5
Poll source Date 1st 2nd 3rd Other
Primary results March 1, 2016 Donald Trump32.79% Ted Cruz30.50% Marco Rubio24.80% Ben Carson 5.72%, John Kasich 3.72%, Mike Huckabee 1.17%, Jeb Bush 0.58%, Rand Paul 0.28%, Chris Christie 0.15%, Carly Fiorina 0.10%, Rick Santorum 0.07%, Lindsey Graham 0.06%, Bobby Jindal 0.04%
SurveyMonkey[5]

Margin of error: ± ?% Sample size: 542

February 22–29, 2016 Donald Trump
34%
Ted Cruz

27%

Marco Rubio

20%

Ben Carson 8%, John Kasich 4%, Undecided 6%
Talk Business/Hendrix[6]

Margin of error: ± ?% Sample size: 457

February 4, 2016 Ted Cruz
27%
Marco Rubio
23%
Donald Trump
23%
Ben Carson 11%, Carly Fiorina 4%, John Kasich 4%, Jeb Bush 1%, Chris Christie 1%, Don't Know 6%
Opinion Savvy/Insider Advantage

Margin of error: ± 4.7%

Sample size: 428

August 2, 2015 Donald Trump
25.5%
Mike Huckabee
21.4%
Jeb Bush

9.2%

Ted Cruz 8.7%, Ben Carson 8.2%, Scott Walker 4.2%, Rand Paul 3.8%, John Kasich 3.1%, Marco Rubio 2.9%, Chris Christie 2.4%, Rick Perry 1.5%, Carly Fiorina 1.3%, Bobby Jindal 1.3%, Lindsey Graham 0.7%, Rick Santorum 0.3%, George Pataki 0%, Someone else 2.2%, Undecided 3.2%
Suffolk University

Margin of error: ± 7.5%

Sample size: 171

September 20–23, 2014 Mike Huckabee
39.27%
Rick Perry

8.38%

Ted Cruz

7.33%

Rand Paul 6.28%, Jeb Bush 4.71%, Chris Christie 4.71%, Marco Rubio 4.71%, Paul Ryan 3.14%, Bobby Jindal 2.62%, Rick Santorum 2.09%, Jon Huntsman Jr. 1.57%, Scott Walker 1.57%, John Kasich 1.05%, Other 2.09%, Undecided 10.47%
Mitt Romney
32.75%
Mike Huckabee
29.24%
Ted Cruz

6.43%

Rick Perry 6.43%, Chris Christie 2.92%, Rand Paul 2.92%, Paul Ryan 2.34%, Jon Huntsman Jr. 1.75%, Marco Rubio 1.75%, Jeb Bush 1.17%, Rick Santorum 0.58%, Scott Walker 0.58%, Bobby Jindal 0%, John Kasich 0% Undecided 11.11%
Public Policy Polling

Margin of error: ± 4.5%

Sample size: 479

August 1–3, 2014 Mike Huckabee
33%
Ted Cruz

12%

Jeb Bush

10%

Chris Christie 8%, Rand Paul 7%, Scott Walker 6%, Bobby Jindal 5%, Marco Rubio 4%, Paul Ryan 3%, Someone else/Not sure 11%
Public Policy Polling

Margin of error: ± 5.4%

Sample size: 342

April 25–27, 2014 Mike Huckabee
38%
Ted Cruz

14%

Rand Paul

13%

Jeb Bush 10%, Chris Christie 4%, Bobby Jindal 3%, Marco Rubio 3%, Paul Ryan 3%, Cliven Bundy 2%, Someone else/Not sure 10%
Magellan Strategies

Margin of error: ± 3.35%

Sample size: 857

April 14–15, 2014 Mike Huckabee
57%
Rand Paul

9%

Jeb Bush

8%

Chris Christie 6%, Ted Cruz 6%, Marco Rubio 5%, John Kasich 2%, Scott Walker 1%, Undecided 7%

Results

Arkansas Republican primary, March 1, 2016
Candidate Votes Percentage Actual delegate count
Bound Unbound Total
Donald Trump 134,744 32.79% 16 0 16
Ted Cruz 125,340 30.50% 15 0 15
Marco Rubio 101,910 24.80% 9 0 9
Ben Carson 23,521 5.72% 0 0 0
John Kasich 15,305 3.72% 0 0 0
Mike Huckabee (withdrawn) 4,792 1.17% 0 0 0
Jeb Bush (withdrawn) 2,402 0.58% 0 0 0
Rand Paul (withdrawn) 1,151 0.28% 0 0 0
Chris Christie (withdrawn) 631 0.15% 0 0 0
Carly Fiorina (withdrawn) 411 0.10% 0 0 0
Rick Santorum (withdrawn) 292 0.07% 0 0 0
Lindsey Graham (withdrawn) 252 0.06% 0 0 0
Bobby Jindal (withdrawn) 169 0.04% 0 0 0
Unprojected delegates: 0 0 0
Total: 410,920 100.00% 40 0 40
Source: The Green Papers

Analysis

According to exit polls by Edison Research, Donald Trump carried 39% of non-college Republican voters in Arkansas.[7] Trump also won with 39% of veterans,[7] a key demographic for Republican candidates in the South. Cruz and Trump split Evangelical voters with 33% each,[7] which gave way to a close statewide result in the primary.

Many pundits were perplexed by Trump's dominance among culturally conservative Southern whites who were expected to view him as immoral, but he benefitted from voters' racial, cultural, and economic angst that mattered more than shared values.[8]

The week before the primary, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, daughter of former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, joined Donald Trump's campaign.[9]

See also

References

  1. ^ Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson Endorses Marco Rubio | Marco Rubio for President, retrieved June 11, 2022
  2. ^ Lipka, Michael. "A closer look at religion in the Super Tuesday states". Pew Research Center. Retrieved June 11, 2022.
  3. ^ James Jackson (November 10, 2015). "Candidates file for Arkansas primaries - News - The Sun-Times - Heber Springs, AR - Heber Springs, AR". The Sun-Times. Archived from the original on November 16, 2015. Retrieved January 21, 2016.
  4. ^ "Washington County, AR : March 1, 2016 Republican Preferential Primary Sample Ballots". Co.washington.ar.us. Archived from the original on January 29, 2016. Retrieved January 21, 2016.
  5. ^ "Trump's Lead Looks Steady in Run-Up to Super Tuesday". SurveyMonkey. Retrieved March 1, 2016.
  6. ^ "Poll: Hillary Clinton, Ted Cruz hold leads in Democratic, GOP Presidential primaries". Retrieved February 7, 2016.
  7. ^ a b c "2016 Election Center". CNN. Retrieved June 11, 2022.
  8. ^ Maxwell, Angie (December 30, 2020). "Why Trump Became a 'Confederate' President". The Forum. 18 (4): 493–529. doi:10.1515/for-2020-2107. ISSN 1540-8884.
  9. ^ "Mike Huckabee's Daughter Joins Donald Trump's Campaign". Time. Retrieved June 30, 2022.