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1986 Arkansas gubernatorial election
	County results Clinton: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80%; White: 50–60% 60–70%
Governor before election; Bill Clinton; Democratic	Elected Governor ; Bill Clinton; Democratic

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.

Clinton had defeated former Governor Orval Faubus for the Democratic nomination, while White defeated former Lieutenant Governor Maurice Britt in the Republican primary.

Background

This was the first gubernatorial election following the enactment of a constitution amendment in 1984, that increased the office's term from two years to four years.^[1]

Democratic primary

Clinton won the Democratic primary with 60.58% of the vote against Orval Faubus with 33.5% and W. Dean Goldsby with 5.92%.^[2]

Democratic Primary
Candidate	Votes	%
Bill Clinton (incumbent)	315,397	60.58%
Orval Faubus	174,402	33.50%
W. Dean Goldsby	30,829	5.92%
Total votes	520,628	100%

Results by County

Democratic Primary
County	Clinton	Faubus	Goldsby	Margin
Arkansas	62.78%	32.75%	4.48%	30.03%
Ashley	60.74%	34.34%	4.92%	26.40%
Baxter	67.69%	26.81%	5.50%	40.88%
Benton	75.39%	19.78%	4.83%	55.61%
Boone	44.17%	51.40%	4.43%	7.23%
Bradley	61.20%	34.77%	4.03%	26.43%
Calhoun	55.29%	38.91%	5.80%	16.38%
Carroll	47.15%	48.45%	4.40%	1.30%
Chicot	76.06%	18.67%	5.27%	57.39%
Clark	65.48%	29.30%	5.23%	36.18%
Clay	57.86%	34.30%	7.85%	23.56%
Cleburne	48.63%	46.07%	5.31%	2.56%
Cleveland	42.46%	53.89%	3.66%	11.43%
Columbia	56.11%	34.80%	9.09%	21.31%
Conway	55.28%	38.60%	6.12%	16.68%
Craighead	63.29%	28.74%	7.98%	34.55%
Crawford	54.02%	35.77%	10.21%	18.25%
Crittenden	75.60%	17.23%	7.17%	58.37%
Cross	64.93%	27.63%	7.44%	37.30%
Dallas	56.82%	38.68%	4.51%	18.14%
Desha	70.94%	24.93%	4.14%	46.01%
Drew	63.46%	33.31%	3.23%	30.15%
Faulkner	52.91%	39.19%	7.90%	13.72%
Franklin	42.59%	51.60%	5.81%	9.01%
Fulton	54.64%	33.50%	11.86%	21.14%
Garland	62.74%	32.77%	4.49%	29.97%
Grant	46.86%	49.12%	4.01%	2.26%
Greene	62.83%	27.55%	9.62%	35.28%
Hempstead	60.85%	32.40%	6.75%	28.45%
Hot Spring	54.25%	40.77%	4.97%	13.48%
Howard	56.17%	38.43%	5.40%	17.74%
Independence	46.57%	47.75%	5.68%	1.18%
Izard	55.58%	37.12%	7.30%	18.46%
Jackson	58.65%	36.35%	5.00%	22.30%
Jefferson	68.76%	26.15%	5.09%	42.61%
Johnson	52.07%	41.72%	6.21%	10.35%
Lafayette	63.22%	31.63%	5.15%	31.59%
Lawrence	53.10%	37.18%	9.72%	15.92%
Lee	69.24%	24.73%	6.03%	44.51%
Lincoln	61.52%	35.50%	2.98%	26.02%
Little River	66.37%	26.16%	7.47%	40.21%
Logan	47.27%	43.27%	9.46%	4.00%
Lonoke	56.56%	39.24%	4.20%	17.32%
Madison	23.43%	74.31%	2.25%	50.88%
Marion	53.87%	37.94%	8.18%	15.93%
Miller	65.18%	28.97%	5.85%	36.21%
Mississippi	69.25%	23.85%	6.90%	45.40%
Monroe	61.58%	34.79%	3.63%	26.79%
Montgomery	51.68%	42.44%	5.88%	9.24%
Nevada	55.69%	36.62%	7.70%	19.07%
Newton	No results
Ouachita	64.69%	29.97%	5.34%	34.72%
Perry	50.26%	44.43%	5.31%	5.83%
Phillips	66.54%	22.10%	11.36%	44.44%
Pike	51.71%	41.37%	6.92%	10.34%
Poinsett	62.91%	30.14%	6.95%	32.77%
Polk	60.41%	31.39%	8.20%	29.02%
Pope	50.57%	44.10%	5.33%	6.47%
Prairie	47.61%	48.05%	4.34%	0.44%
Pulaski	70.79%	25.78%	3.43%	45.01%
Randolph	57.75%	33.35%	8.90%	24.40%
St. Francis	67.02%	27.28%	5.70%	39.74%
Saline	59.03%	36.40%	4.58%	22.63%
Scott	52.51%	33.35%	14.14%	19.16%
Searcy	54.95%	41.55%	3.50%	13.40%
Sebastian	60.36%	32.63%	7.02%	27.73%
Sevier	62.53%	32.11%	5.36%	30.42%
Sharp	57.75%	34.64%	7.61%	23.11%
Stone	42.86%	51.10%	6.03%	8.24%
Union	61.78%	30.84%	7.39%	30.94%
Van Buren	49.09%	45.31%	5.60%	3.78%
Washington	68.29%	26.80%	4.91%	41.49%
White	56.88%	38.51%	4.61%	18.37%
Woodruff	72.90%	23.68%	3.42%	49.22%
Yell	47.35%	45.62%	7.03%	1.73%

Result

Clinton won the election with almost 64% of the vote.

Arkansas gubernatorial election, 1986 ^[3]^: 18
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Bill Clinton (incumbent)	439,802	63.90%	+1.35%
	Republican	Frank D. White	248,427	36.10%	−1.35%
Total votes			688,229	100.00
	Democratic hold

References

^ Moreland, Steed & Baker 1991, p. 144.
^ McCuen, Bill (1986). "Arkansas Election Results 1986" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on November 9, 2022. Retrieved March 3, 2023.
^ "Arkansas Election Results 1986" (PDF). Arkansas Secretary of State. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 10, 2017. Retrieved October 29, 2016.