John Thurston (politician)
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John Thurston | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 34th Secretary of State of Arkansas | |
| Assumed office January 15, 2019 | |
| Governor | Asa Hutchinson Sarah Huckabee Sanders |
| Preceded by | Mark Martin |
| Land Commissioner of Arkansas | |
| In office January 11, 2011 – January 15, 2019 | |
| Governor | Mike Beebe Asa Hutchinson |
| Preceded by | Mark Wilcox |
| Succeeded by | Tommy Land |
| Personal details | |
| Born | John Manuel Thurston December 27, 1972 Little Rock, Arkansas, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Joanna Thurston |
| Children | 5 |
| Education | Henderson State University Agape College |
John Manuel Thurston (born December 27, 1972) is an American politician who is the current Secretary of State of Arkansas; he was elected in November 2018, and won re-election in 2022.
He previously was Arkansas Commissioner of State Lands. A Republican, he was first elected to that position in November 2010, took office in January 2011, and was reelected in November 2014 to a second term.[1]
Early life[edit]
Thurston graduated in 1991 from Sheridan High School in Grant County in southern Arkansas. He then attended Agape College in the capital city of Little Rock. He is a former licensed Christian minister and a Certified Religious Assistant in the Arkansas state prison system. He worked 13 years for Agape Church in Little Rock before entering politics.[1]
Lands Commissioner[edit]
Thurston is the first Republican to be elected as Land Commissioner since the office became elective in 1874.[2] In 2014, Thurston was elected as the president of the Western States Land Commissioners Association;[3] the organization's winter conference was held in Little Rock that year.[4]
Arkansas Secretary of State[edit]
Limited to two terms as state lands commissioner, Thurston announced in June 2016 he would run in 2018 for election as Arkansas secretary of state. As important issues, he cited election security, physical security, political accessibility, and redistricting of legislative boundaries.[5] Thurston faced Trevor Drown in the Republican primary election,[6] and was chosen as the Republican nominee.[7] Running against former Director of Elections, Susan Inman, as the Democratic nominee, Thurston won election on November 6, 2018, as the next Arkansas Secretary of State.[8] Thurston won re-election on November 6, 2022.
Electoral history[edit]
2010 general election[edit]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | John M. Thurston | 396,263 | 52.68 | |
| Democratic | L.J. Bryant | 355,996 | 47.32 | |
| Turnout | 752,259 | 36.17 | ||
| Republican gain from Democratic | ||||
2014 general election[edit]
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | John Thurston (R) | Mark Robertson (D) | Elvis D. Presley (L) | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Policy Polling | October 30–November 1, 2014 | 1,092 | ± 3% | 45% | 36% | 9% | 10% |
| Public Policy Polling | September 18–21, 2014 | 1,453 | ± 2.6% | 38% | 33% | 7% | 22% |
| Public Policy Polling | August 1–3, 2014 | 1,066 | ± 3% | 40% | 29% | 10% | 22% |
| Public Policy Polling | April 25–27, 2014 | 840 | ± 3.4% | 28% | 27% | 17% | 29% |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | John Thurston (Incumbent) | 471,848 | 57.17 | |
| Democratic | Mark Robertson | 302,048 | 36.59 | |
| Libertarian | Elvis D. Presley | 51,518 | 6.24 | |
| Majority | 169,800 | 20.57% | ||
| Total votes | 825,414 | 100 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
2018 elections[edit]
2022 elections[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ a b "John Thurston, Commissioner of State Lands". Arkansas Commissioner of State Lands. Archived from the original on September 23, 2015. Retrieved September 27, 2015.
- ^ Reeves, Landon (May 2, 2014). "Meet your candidates: Early voting in May 20 election begins Monday". Carroll County News. Arkansas. Retrieved September 27, 2015.
- ^ "Thurston elected to head up commissioners' group". Associated Press. July 29, 2014. Retrieved September 27, 2015.
- ^ "WSLCA 2014 Winter Conference Agenda" (PDF). Texas General Land Office. January 12, 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 29, 2015. Retrieved September 27, 2015.
- ^ Brantley, Max (June 2, 2016). "Good news from the secretary of state". Arkansas Times. Retrieved July 24, 2016.
- ^ "State Land Commissioner officially announces he will seek State Secretary of State's Office". Talk Business & Politics. October 23, 2017. Retrieved April 19, 2018.
- ^ Carroll, Scott. "Thurston wins Republican primary for Arkansas secretary of state". KATV. Retrieved November 12, 2018.
- ^ Clement, Katie. "John Thurston takes seat as Secretary of State". KATV. Retrieved November 12, 2018.
- ^ "2010 General Election Turnout Rates". February 4, 2012. Archived from the original on July 22, 2013. Retrieved July 9, 2013.
- ^ "2010 General Election & Non Partisan Judicial Runoff Election Statewide Results by Contest". Arkansas Secretary of State. November 29, 2010. Retrieved September 28, 2015.
- ^ "November 4, 2014 General election and nonpartisan runoff election Official results". Arkansas Secretary of State. Retrieved November 23, 2014.
External links[edit]
Statewide elected officials and legislative leaders of Arkansas | ||
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