Arkansas switched to a caucus system for the 1984 primary, which resulted in voter turnout in the Democratic primary from 450,000 in 1980, to 22,202 in 1984. The primary system was restored for the 1988 election.[2]
U.S. Senator Dale Bumpers was speculated as a possible presidential candidate and U.S. Senator Paul Simon, who supported a proposed Bumpers candidacy, stated that Bumpers would "have more support in the United States Senate than any other candidate". However, Bumpers announced on March 20, 1987, that he would not seek the nomination. Governor Bill Clinton was also speculated as a candidate, but he announced that he would not run on July 15.[3]
Arkansas was rarely visited during the primary by the major candidates with twenty visits from the Democratic candidates and nine from the Republican candidates. Republican primary turnout rose from 8,177 in 1980, to 19,040 in 1984, and to 68,305 in 1988. Half of the votes in the Republican primary came from within the 3rd congressional district.[4]
Turnout in the Democratic primary was 497,506. Dick Gephardt won four counties along the border of his home state of Missouri while Jesse Jackson won ten counties with high black populations.[5]Al Gore won 46% of the white vote.[6] The racial composition of the primary was 87% white and 13% black.[7] 13% of white voters participated in the Republican primary.[8]
Lottie Shackelford, the first black woman to serve as mayor of Little Rock, was one of the four chairs of the Democratic National Convention. Clinton gave the nomination speech for Dukakis at the convention.[9]
U.S. Representative Tommy F. Robinson, a conservative boll weevil, was denied a position as a superdelegate to the DNC. He was elected as a delegate pledged to Gore. While other delegates pledged to Gore switched to Dukakis, Robinson switched his support to Jackson stating that his speech "had touched my soul". He was critical of Dukakis during the campaign stating that he should spend time in "states like Arkansas speaking words we can understand" in response to Dukakis speaking Spanish at events in Texas and California and refused to endorse Dukakis. Robinson later joined the Republican Party on July 28, 1989.[10]
During the campaign Lloyd Bentsen visited six times, Dukakis visited three times, Dan Quayle visited twice, and Bush visited once. Ed Bethune, chair of the Republican Party of Arkansas, stated in October that recent polling showed the state as a tossup and later quoted Lee Atwater as saying "the state he has historically worried about was Arkansas".[13]
Bush's victory in Arkansas was with a percentage lower than his average in the rest of the south. Turnout among the voting age population in Arkansas declined from 52.5% in 1984, to 44.2% in 1988.[14] 63% of white voters supported Bush while 36% supported Dukakis.[15][16] The Democrats maintained their control over the Arkansas General Assembly.[17]
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