The 1984 Arkansas gubernatorial election was held on November 6, 1984. Incumbent Governor

Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton (né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician and lawyer who was the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, ...

won reelection with a 25% margin of victory over Jonesboro businessman Woody Freeman. This was the last gubernatorial election in Arkansas before the implementation of Amendment 63, lengthening the term of the governor of Arkansas from two to four years. Winning his third of five terms as Governor of Arkansas, Clinton continued to serve this office until shortly after he was elected to the presidency in 1992.

Democratic primary

Democratic nominee

, incumbent Governor

Republican primary

Republican Nominee

* Woody Freeman, businessman

Campaign

During Governor Clinton's reelection campaign, he pointed to efforts in pushing through strong education reform including competency tests for new and working teachers and raising pay for most of Arkansas teachers, using anger from the Arkansas teachers’ unions to his advantage. Freeman attacked Clinton on not focusing on economic issues, pledging not to raise taxes and running the state government more like a business. Freeman saw some high profile visits from prominent Republicans, including then President

Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan (February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004) was an American politician and actor who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He was a member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party a ...

, who campaigned for Freeman. During a rally for the Reagan/Bush reelection campaign just days before election day Reagan told an audience, "Please send Woody Freeman to the Statehouse." Former Secretary of State

Henry Kissinger Henry Alfred Kissinger (May 27, 1923 – November 29, 2023) was an American diplomat and political scientist who served as the 56th United States secretary of state from 1973 to 1977 and the 7th National Security Advisor (United States), natio ...

also campaigned for Freeman during the election but seemed to have little of substance to offer the Arkansas candidate, and Governor Clinton on the campaign trail attacked the visit saying that, "I hope Mr. Kissinger tells us everything he knows about what Arkansas needs, and I hope my opponent tells Mr. Kissinger everything he knows about what Arkansas needs in a utility contractor."

Result

References

{{Portal bar, 1980s, Politics, United States

Gubernatorial A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the type of political region or polity, a ''governor'' ma ...

1984 Events January * January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888. * January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeas ...

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the West South Central region of the Southern United States. It borders Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, Texas to the southwest, and Oklahoma ...

November 1984 in the United States May 1984 in the United States Governorships of Bill Clinton