| Election Name: | 1872 Arkansas gubernatorial election |
| Country: | Arkansas |
| Type: | Presidential |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 1868 Arkansas gubernatorial election |
| Previous Year: | 1868 |
| Next Election: | 1874 Arkansas gubernatorial election |
| Next Year: | 1874 |
| Election Date: | 5 November 1872 |
| Nominee1: | Elisha Baxter |
| Party1: | Republican Party (United States) |
| Popular Vote1: | 41,775 |
| Percentage1: | 51.77% |
| Nominee2: | Joseph Brooks |
| Party2: | Liberal Republican Party (United States) |
| Popular Vote2: | 38,909 |
| Percentage2: | 48.22% |
| Map Size: | 200px |
| Governor | |
| Before Election: | Powell Clayton |
| Before Party: | Republican Party (United States) |
| After Election: | Elisha Baxter |
| After Party: | Republican Party (United States) |
The 1872 Arkansas gubernatorial election was held on 5 November 1872, in order to elect the Governor of Arkansas. Republican nominee Elisha Baxter defeated Liberal Republican nominee Joseph Brooks.[1] The results of the election led to the Brooks-Baxter War, in which Brooks unsuccessfully attempted to take control of the state government with force.[2]
On election day, 5 November 1872, Republican nominee Elisha Baxter won the election by a margin of 2,866 votes against his opponent Liberal Republican nominee Joseph Brooks, thereby retaining Republican control over the office of Governor. Baxter was sworn in as the 10th Governor of Arkansas on 6 January 1873. The results in Greene and Poinsett Counties were not counted and the results in Richland Township, Yell County were rejected. Scott County did not hold an election after the poll and registration books were stolen from the County Clerk's office.[3]
| Elisha Baxter | Joseph Brooks | Scattering | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Votes | % | Votes | % | Votes | % | |||
| Arkansas | 658 | 51.77% | 613 | 48.23% | 0 | 0.00% | 1271 | |
| Ashley | 730 | 48.60% | 772 | 51.40% | 0 | 0.00% | 1502 | |
| Benton | 241 | 17.28% | 1154 | 82.72% | 0 | 0.00% | 1395 | |
| Boone | 202 | 21.89% | 721 | 78.11% | 0 | 0.00% | 923 | |
| Bradley | 403 | 35.20% | 742 | 64.80% | 0 | 0.00% | 1145 | |
| Calhoun | 275 | 35.99% | 489 | 64.01% | 0 | 0.00% | 764 | |
| Carroll | 277 | 46.09% | 324 | 53.91% | 0 | 0.00% | 601 | |
| Chicot | 1657 | 85.59% | 279 | 14.41% | 0 | 0.00% | 1936 | |
| Clark | 1329 | 62.42% | 800 | 37.58% | 0 | 0.00% | 2129 | |
| Columbia | 761 | 39.05% | 1188 | 60.95% | 0 | 0.00% | 1949 | |
| Conway | 151 | 39.32% | 233 | 60.68% | 0 | 0.00% | 384 | |
| Craighead | 146 | 22.19% | 512 | 77.81% | 0 | 0.00% | 658 | |
| Crawford | 932 | 61.36% | 587 | 38.64% | 0 | 0.00% | 1519 | |
| Crittenden | 1911 | 86.63% | 295 | 13.37% | 0 | 0.00% | 2206 | |
| Cross | 303 | 35.86% | 542 | 64.14% | 0 | 0.00% | 845 | |
| Dallas | 322 | 31.54% | 699 | 68.46% | 0 | 0.00% | 1021 | |
| Desha | 764 | 64.75% | 416 | 35.25% | 0 | 0.00% | 1180 | |
| Drew | 482 | 27.85% | 1249 | 72.15% | 0 | 0.00% | 1731 | |
| Franklin | 528 | 67.43% | 255 | 32.57% | 0 | 0.00% | 783 | |
| Fulton | 152 | 26.12% | 430 | 73.88% | 0 | 0.00% | 582 | |
| Grant | 204 | 32.69% | 420 | 67.31% | 0 | 0.00% | 624 | |
| Greene | No results | |||||||
| Hempstead | 1356 | 67.23% | 661 | 32.77% | 0 | 0.00% | 2017 | |
| Hot Spring | 268 | 26.83% | 731 | 73.17% | 0 | 0.00% | 999 | |
| Independence | 818 | 57.69% | 600 | 42.31% | 0 | 0.00% | 1418 | |
| Izard | 200 | 24.42% | 619 | 75.58% | 0 | 0.00% | 819 | |
| Jackson | 424 | 55.57% | 339 | 44.43% | 0 | 0.00% | 763 | |
| Jefferson | 2860 | 73.58% | 1027 | 26.42% | 0 | 0.00% | 3887 | |
| Johnson | 128 | 62.75% | 76 | 37.25% | 0 | 0.00% | 204 | |
| Lafayette | 1601 | 73.34% | 582 | 26.66% | 0 | 0.00% | 2183 | |
| Lawrence | 122 | 17.89% | 560 | 82.11% | 0 | 0.00% | 682 | |
| Lincoln | 1000 | 56.05% | 784 | 43.95% | 0 | 0.00% | 1784 | |
| Little River | 505 | 65.93% | 261 | 34.07% | 0 | 0.00% | 766 | |
| Sarber | 792 | 74.30% | 274 | 25.70% | 0 | 0.00% | 1066 | |
| Madison | 497 | 48.44% | 529 | 51.56% | 0 | 0.00% | 1026 | |
| Marion | 162 | 19.85% | 654 | 80.15% | 0 | 0.00% | 816 | |
| Mississippi | 386 | 48.68% | 407 | 51.32% | 0 | 0.00% | 793 | |
| Monroe | 862 | 54.11% | 731 | 45.89% | 0 | 0.00% | 1593 | |
| Montgomery | 173 | 30.73% | 390 | 69.27% | 0 | 0.00% | 563 | |
| Nevada | 511 | 36.16% | 902 | 63.84% | 0 | 0.00% | 1413 | |
| Newton | 332 | 66.27% | 169 | 33.73% | 0 | 0.00% | 501 | |
| Ouachita | 1073 | 50.00% | 1073 | 50.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 2146 | |
| Perry | 167 | 67.89% | 79 | 32.11% | 0 | 0.00% | 246 | |
| Phillips | 3959 | 80.91% | 934 | 19.09% | 0 | 0.00% | 4893 | |
| Pike | 233 | 67.15% | 114 | 32.85% | 0 | 0.00% | 347 | |
| Poinsett | No results | |||||||
| Polk | 121 | 26.30% | 339 | 73.70% | 0 | 0.00% | 460 | |
| Pope | 531 | 62.84% | 314 | 37.16% | 0 | 0.00% | 845 | |
| Prairie | 589 | 34.67% | 1110 | 65.33% | 0 | 0.00% | 1699 | |
| Pulaski | 3041 | 48.29% | 3253 | 51.65% | 4 | 0.06% | 6298 | |
| Randolph | 289 | 57.80% | 211 | 42.20% | 0 | 0.00% | 500 | |
| Saline | 9 | 1.19% | 745 | 98.81% | 0 | 0.00% | 754 | |
| Scott | No results | |||||||
| Searcy | 380 | 78.19% | 106 | 21.81% | 0 | 0.00% | 486 | |
| Sebastian | 1009 | 63.10% | 590 | 36.90% | 0 | 0.00% | 1599 | |
| Sevier | 265 | 38.52% | 423 | 61.48% | 0 | 0.00% | 688 | |
| Sharp | 124 | 19.02% | 528 | 80.98% | 0 | 0.00% | 652 | |
| St. Francis | 792 | 48.41% | 844 | 51.59% | 0 | 0.00% | 1636 | |
| Union | 1347 | 61.65% | 838 | 38.35% | 0 | 0.00% | 2185 | |
| Van Buren | 138 | 50.36% | 136 | 49.64% | 0 | 0.00% | 274 | |
| Washington | 723 | 39.92% | 1088 | 60.08% | 0 | 0.00% | 1811 | |
| White | 335 | 16.94% | 1642 | 83.06% | 0 | 0.00% | 1977 | |
| Woodruff | 688 | 58.55% | 487 | 41.45% | 0 | 0.00% | 1175 | |
| Yell | 537 | 34.07% | 1039 | 65.93% | 0 | 0.00% | 1576 | |
| Total | 41775 | 51.77% | 38909 | 48.22% | 4 | 0.00% | 80688 | |