2006 Arkansas lieutenant gubernatorial election
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The 2006 Arkansas lieutenant gubernatorial election was held on November 7, 2006, to elect the Lieutenant Governor of Arkansas, concurrently with elections to the United States House of Representatives, governor, and other state and local elections. Primary elections were held on May 23, 2006, with primary runoff elections, if necessary, being held on June 13, 2006.[1]
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November 7, 2006
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| Turnout | 47.22% | ||||||||||||||||
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 County results Halter: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Holt: 50–60% | |||||||||||||||||
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Incumbent Republican lieutenant governor Winthrop Paul Rockefeller, who was term-limited from seeking a third full term in office, died on July 16, 2006, due to complications from myeloproliferative disorder.[2][3] The office then remained vacant until January 2007.
Former Social Security Administration commissioner Bill Halter, who had previously considered a run for governor, defeated state legislator Jim Holt in the general election, flipping party control of the office.[4] As of 2026, this election is the last time a Democrat was elected to the office of lieutenant governor.[5]
Republican primary
Candidates
Nominee
Eliminated in primary
- Charles Banks[7]
- Doug Matayo, state representative from the 93rd district (2003–present)[8]
Polling
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Jim Holt | 35,309 | 56.16 | |
| Republican | Charles Banks | 15,722 | 25.01 | |
| Republican | Doug Matayo | 11,837 | 18.83 | |
| Total votes | 62,868 | 100.0 | ||
Democratic primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Bill Halter, former acting commissioner of the Social Security Administration (2001)[11]
Eliminated in primary runoff
- Tim Wooldridge, state senator and former state representative[12]
Eliminated in primary
- Mike Hathorn, former state representative from the 90th district (2003–2005) and 24th district (1999–2003)[13]
- Jay Martin, majority leader of the Arkansas House of Representatives (2005–present) from the 40th district (2003–present)[14]
Polling
Regular primary
Runoff
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Bill Halter | 110,797 | 39.97 | |
| Democratic | Tim Wooldridge | 73,718 | 26.59 | |
| Democratic | Mike Hathorn | 68,531 | 24.72 | |
| Democratic | Jay Martin | 24,174 | 8.72 | |
| Total votes | 277,220 | 100.0 | ||
| Runoff election | ||||
| Democratic | Bill Halter | 97,279 | 56.50 | |
| Democratic | Tim Wooldridge | 74,906 | 43.50 | |
| Total votes | 172,185 | 100.0 | ||
General election
Polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[a] |
Margin of error |
Jim Holt (R) |
Bill Halter (D) |
Other/Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SurveyUSA/KTHV[17] | November 3–5, 2006 | 549 (LV) | ± 4.3% | 42% | 50% | 7% |
| SurveyUSA/KTHV[18] | October 22–24, 2006 | 572 (LV) | ± 4.2% | 39% | 54% | 7% |
| SurveyUSA/KTHV[19] | September 25–26, 2006 | 493 (LV) | ± 4.5% | 42% | 48% | 10% |
| SurveyUSA/KTHV[20] | August 27–29, 2006 | 538 (LV) | ± 4.3% | 41% | 50% | 8% |
| SurveyUSA/KTHV[21] | July 14–16, 2006 | 509 (LV) | ± 4.4% | 39% | 48% | 12% |
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Bill Halter | 437,490 | 57.36 | ||
| Republican | Jim Holt | 325,515 | 42.64 | ||
| Total votes | 763,005 | 100.0 | |||
| Democratic gain from Republican | |||||
Notes
- Key:
A – all adults
RV – registered voters
LV – likely voters
V – unclear