| State: | Arkansas |
| District Number: | 1 |
| Image Caption: | Interactive map of district boundaries since January 3, 2023 |
| Representative: | Rick Crawford |
| Party: | Republican |
| Residence: | Jonesboro |
| English Area: | 17,521 |
| Metric Area: | 45,379 |
| Percent Urban: | 44.5 |
| Percent Rural: | 55.5 |
| Population: | 747,672[1] |
| Population Year: | 2022 |
| Median Income: | $50,233 |
| Percent White: | 73.3 |
| Percent Hispanic: | 3.9 |
| Percent Black: | 17.3 |
| Percent Asian: | 0.7 |
| Percent More Than One Race: | 4.2 |
| Percent Other Race: | 0.7 |
| Percent Blue Collar: | 35 |
| Percent White Collar: | 48.8 |
| Percent Gray Collar: | 16.2 |
| Cpvi: | R+22[2] |
Arkansas's 1st congressional district is a U.S. congressional district in eastern Arkansas that elects a representative to the United States House of Representatives. It is currently represented by Republican Rick Crawford. With a Cook Partisan Voting Index rating of R+22, it is the most Republican district in Arkansas, a state with an all-Republican congressional delegation.[2]
The Mississippi Delta became dominated by industrial agriculture in the 20th century, with cotton, rice, and soybeans by far the biggest exports from the region. The 1st District covers most of the Arkansas Delta area and stretches as far west as the Ozarks. The farming areas, despite their fertility, are generally poor by national standards. Jobs are limited and unemployment and undereducation are major issues. Rice farms receive substantial subsidies from the federal farming program. Three of the top five subsidy farms in the United States are in this district, and they have received more than $100 million since 1996.
Some manufacturing has taken place in the region recently. Several auto parts factories were built in Marion, and Toyota has considered it as the site for its seventh North American plant. Jonesboro is the largest city. It is home to a sizable food processing industry, with companies such as Nestle and Frito-Lay sited here. Jonesboro is also home to Arkansas State University (ASU)-Jonesboro. While Jonesboro is dominated by conservative white Republican voters, as are some of the hill counties, African Americans in the Mississippi River Delta are committed Democratic voters.
Until recently, this district makeup resulted in a fairly closely divided vote in national politics. However, the district has been swept up in the growing Republican trend in Arkansas. While Al Gore narrowly carried the district in 2000 with 50% of the vote, George W. Bush won the district in 2004. The district swung even more Republican in 2008, giving John McCain 58.69% of the vote while Barack Obama received 38.41% here. The Republican vote has steadily increased since then with Donald Trump tallying 65 percent of the vote in 2016, his best showing in the state.
Before the 2010 census, the 1st district represented portions of northeastern Arkansas, encompassing the counties of Arkansas, Baxter, Clay, Cleburne, Craighead, Crittenden, Cross, Fulton, Greene, Independence, Izard, Jackson, Lawrence, Lee, Lonoke, Mississippi, Monroe, Phillips, Poinsett, Prairie, Randolph, Saint Francis, Searcy, Sharp, Stone, and Woodruff.
The district was redesigned to take in additional counties in the southeastern portion that were part of the 4th district which in turn took the entire eastern Arkansas border. It is now more than 76% white, and they support Republican presidential candidates.
The district fully encompasses the counties of Arkansas, Baxter, Chicot, Clay, Cleburne, Craighead, Crittenden, Cross, Desha, Fulton, Greene, Independence, Izard, Jackson, Lawrence, Lee, Lincoln, Lonoke, Mississippi, Monroe, Phillips, Poinsett, Prairie, Randolph, Saint Francis, Sharp, Stone, and Woodruff. The district also encompasses parts of Jefferson and Searcy counties.
The 1st district now includes the entirety of the following counties, with the exception of Pulaski, which it shares with the 2nd and 4th districts. The only Pulaski County municipalities located in the 1st district are Scott (which is partially located in Lonoke County) and North Little Rock, portions of which are also found in the 2nd district.
| County | Seat | Population | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arkansas | Stuttgart, DeWitt | 16,307 | |
| 5 | Baxter | Mountain Home | 42,875 | |
| 9 | Boone | Harrison | 38,530 | |
| 17 | Chicot | Lake Village | 9,538 | |
| 21 | Clay | Piggott, Corning | 14,201 | |
| 31 | Craighead | Jonesboro, Lake City | 113,993 | |
| 35 | Crittenden | Marion | 47,139 | |
| 37 | Cross | Wynne | 16,420 | |
| 41 | Desha | Arkansas City | 10,479 | |
| 49 | Fulton | Salem | 12,421 | |
| 55 | Greene | Paragould | 46,743 | |
| 63 | Independence | Batesville | 38,320 | |
| 65 | Izard | Melbourne | 14,169 | |
| 67 | Jackson | Newport | 16,784 | |
| 75 | Lawrence | Walnut Ridge | 16,318 | |
| 77 | Lee | Marianna | 8,201 | |
| 79 | Lincoln | Star City | 12,898 | |
| 85 | Lonoke | Lonoke | 75,944 | |
| 89 | Marion | Yellville | 17,514 | |
| 93 | Mississippi | Blytheville, Osceola | 38,663 | |
| 95 | Monroe | Clarendon | 6,512 | |
| 107 | Phillips | Helena | 14,961 | |
| 111 | Poinsett | Harrisburg | 22,397 | |
| 117 | Prairie | Des Arc, DeValls Bluff | 8,036 | |
| 119 | Pulaski | Little Rock | 400,009 | |
| 121 | Randolph | Pocahontas | 18,907 | |
| 123 | St. Francis | Forrest City | 22,101 | |
| 129 | Searcy | Marshall | 7,806 | |
| 135 | Sharp | Ash Flat | 17,968 | |
| 137 | Stone | Mountain View | 12,671 | |
| 147 | Woodruff | Augusta | 5,964 |
| Year | Office | Results |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | President | Bush 51 - 45% |
| 2004 | President | Bush 54 - 44% |
| 2008 | President | McCain 59 - 38% |
| 2012 | President | Romney 61 - 36% |
| 2016 | President | Trump 65 - 30% |
| 2018 | Governor | Hutchinson 69 - 27% |
| 2020 | President | Trump 69 - 28% |
| Senate | Cotton 74 - 26% | |
| 2022 | Senate | Boozman 72 - 25% |
| Governor | Sanders 70 - 29% |
The district was created in 1853 after the 1850 United States Census added a second seat to the state. The seat then was split between this district and the .
| Member | Party | Year | Cong ress | Electoral history | Location | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District created March 4, 1853 | ||||||||
| align=left | Alfred B. Greenwood | Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1853 – March 3, 1859 | Elected in 1853. Re-elected in 1854. Re-elected in 1856. Retired. | |||
| align=left | Thomas C. Hindman | Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1859 – March 3, 1861 | Elected in 1858. Re-elected in 1860 but resigned due to Civil War. | |||
| Vacant | nowrap | March 4, 1861 – June 22, 1868 | Civil War and Reconstruction | |||||
| align=left | Logan H. Roots | Republican | nowrap | June 22, 1868 – March 3, 1871 | Elected in 1868 to finish term. Re-elected in 1868. Lost re-election. | |||
| align=left | James M. Hanks | Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1871 – March 3, 1873 | Elected in 1870. Retired. | |||
| align=left | Asa Hodges | Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1873 – March 3, 1875 | Elected in 1872. Retired. | |||
| align=left | Lucien C. Gause | Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1875 – March 3, 1879 | Elected in 1874. Re-elected in 1876. Retired. | |||
| align=left | Poindexter Dunn | Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1879 – March 3, 1889 | Elected in 1878. Re-elected in 1880. Re-elected in 1882. Re-elected in 1884. Re-elected in 1886. Retired. | |||
| align=left | William H. Cate | Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1889 – March 5, 1890 | Elected in 1888. Lost contested election. | |||
| align=left | Lewis P. Featherstone | Labor | nowrap | March 5, 1890 – March 3, 1891 | Successfully contested William H. Cate's 1888 election. Lost re-election. | |||
| align=left | William H. Cate | Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1891 – March 3, 1893 | Elected in 1890. Retired.[3] | |||
| align=left | Philip D. McCulloch Jr. | Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1893 – March 3, 1903 | Elected in 1892. Re-elected in 1894. Re-elected in 1896. Re-elected in 1898. Re-elected in 1900. Retired. | |||
| align=left | Robert B. Macon | Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1903 – March 3, 1913 | Elected in 1902. Re-elected in 1904. Re-elected in 1906. Re-elected in 1908. Re-elected in 1910. Lost renomination. | |||
| align=left | Thaddeus H. Caraway | Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1913 – March 3, 1921 | Elected in 1912. Re-elected in 1914. Re-elected in 1916. Re-elected in 1918. Retired to run for U.S. senator. | |||
| align=left | William J. Driver | Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1921 – January 3, 1939 | Elected in 1920. Re-elected in 1922. Re-elected in 1924. Re-elected in 1926. Re-elected in 1928. Re-elected in 1930. Re-elected in 1932. Re-elected in 1934. Re-elected in 1936. Lost renomination. | |||
| align=left | Ezekiel C. Gathings | Democratic | nowrap | January 3, 1939 – January 3, 1969 | Elected in 1938. Re-elected in 1940. Re-elected in 1942. Re-elected in 1944. Re-elected in 1946. Re-elected in 1948. Re-elected in 1950. Re-elected in 1952. Re-elected in 1954. Re-elected in 1956. Re-elected in 1958. Re-elected in 1960. Re-elected in 1962. Re-elected in 1964. Re-elected in 1966. Retired. | |||
| align=left | Bill Alexander | Democratic | nowrap | January 3, 1969 – January 3, 1993 | Elected in 1968. Re-elected in 1970. Re-elected in 1972. Re-elected in 1974. Re-elected in 1976. Re-elected in 1978. Re-elected in 1980. Re-elected in 1982. Re-elected in 1984. Re-elected in 1986. Re-elected in 1988. Re-elected in 1990. Lost renomination. | |||
| align=left | Blanche Lincoln | Democratic | nowrap | January 3, 1993 – January 3, 1997 | Elected in 1992. Re-elected in 1994. Retired. | 1993–2003 | ||
Marion Berry | Democratic | January 3, 1997 – January 3, 2011 | Elected in 1996. Re-elected in 1998. Re-elected in 2000. Re-elected in 2002. Re-elected in 2004. Re-elected in 2006. Re-elected in 2008. Retired. | |||||
| 2003–2013 | ||||||||
Rick Crawford | Republican | January 3, 2011 – present | Elected in 2010. Re-elected in 2012. Re-elected in 2014. Re-elected in 2016. Re-elected in 2018. Re-elected in 2020. Re-elected in 2022. | |||||
| 2013–2023 | ||||||||
| 2023–present | ||||||||
See main article: U.S. House election, 2002.
See main article: U.S. House election, 2004.
See main article: U.S. House election, 2006.
See main article: U.S. House election, 2008.
See main article: U.S. House election, 2010.
See main article: U.S. House election, 2012.
See main article: U.S. House election, 2014.
See main article: U.S. House election, 2016.
See main article: U.S. House election, 2018.
The 2018 election was held on November 6, 2018.
See main article: 2020 United States House of Representatives elections in Arkansas.
See main article: 2022 United States House of Representatives elections in Arkansas.