The speaker of the Arkansas House of Representatives is the speaker (presiding officer) of the Arkansas House of Representatives, the lower house of the Arkansas General Assembly. They serve as the leader and head of the Arkansas House, and can control what legislation comes to a vote. The speaker's counterpart in the State Senate is the president of the Senate. There has never been a woman speaker.

Position legacy Some early speakers went on to prominent political careers or leveraged the position into statewide positions. John Roane, James Berry, James P. Eagle and others became governor in the years after serving as speaker. J. C. Tappan was twice nominated by the Democrats, but declined to run both times. Albert Rust, Edward A. Warren, and Lewis E. Sawyer became US Representatives.

In recent times, the speaker has been a veteran member of the General Assembly.

Territorial House of Representatives Ambrose H. Sevier, 1827

List of speakers

# Speaker Took office Left office Party Notes Session 1 John Wilson September 12, 1836. December 4, 1837. Democratic 1st 2 Grandison Royston December 4, 1837. November 5, 1838. Democratic 1st 3 Gilbert Marshall November 5, 1838. November 2, 1840. Democratic 2nd 4 George Hill November 2, 1840. November 7, 1842. Democratic 3rd 5 W. S. Oldham November 7, 1842. November 4, 1844. Democratic 4th 6 John S. Roane November 4, 1844. November 2, 1846. Democratic 5th 7 Albert Rust November 2, 1846. November 4, 1848. Democratic 6th 8 Edward A. Warren November 4, 1848. November 4, 1850. Democratic 7th 9 T. B. Flournoy November 4, 1850. November 1, 1852. Democratic 8th 10 Benjamin P. Jett November 1, 1852. November 6, 1854. Democratic 9th 11 Samuel Mitchell November 6, 1854. November 1, 1858. Democratic 10th, 11th 12 O. H. Oates November 1, 1858. November 5, 1860. Democratic 12th 13 Bradley Bunch November 5, 1860. November 5, 1862. Democratic 13th 14 John Harrell November 5, 1862. April 11, 1864. Democratic 14th 15 H. B. Allis April 11, 1864. September 22, 1864. Democratic 15th J. F. Lowry September 22, 1864. October 2, 1864. Democratic In exile 16 Bradley Bunch November 5, 1866. April 2, 1868. Democratic 16th 17 J. G. Price April 2, 1868. January 2, 1871. Democratic 17th 18 C. W. Tankersley January 2, 1871. May 11, 1874. Democratic 18th, 19th 19 James Berry May 11, 1874. May 28, 1874. Democratic 19th 20 A. A. Pennington November 10, 1874. January 8, 1877. Democratic 20th 21 D. L. Kilgore January 8, 1877. January 13, 1879. Democratic 21st 22 J. T. Bearden January 13, 1879. January 8, 1881. Democratic 22nd 23 George Thornburgh January 8, 1881. January 8, 1883. Democratic 23rd 24 W. C. Braley January 8, 1883. January 12, 1885. Democratic 24th 25 James P. Eagle January 12, 1885. January 10, 1887. Democratic 25th 26 J. M. Hewitt January 10, 1887. January 10, 1889. Democratic 26th 27 B. B. Hudgins January 10, 1889. January 12, 1891. Democratic 27th 28 Elias W. Rector January 12, 1891. January 9, 1893. Democratic 28th 29 T. C. Humphrey January 9, 1893. January 14, 1895. Democratic 29th 30 John C. Colquitt January 14, 1895. January 11, 1897. Democratic 30th 31 J. C. Tappan January 11, 1897. January 9, 1899. Democratic 31st 32 A. F. Vandeventer January 9, 1899. January 14, 1901. Democratic 32nd 33 T. H. Humphreys January 14, 1901. January 12, 1903. Democratic 33rd 34 John I. Moore January 12, 1903. January 9, 1905. Democratic 34th 35 William W. Cate January 9, 1905. January 14, 1907. Democratic 35th 36 Allen Hamiter January 14, 1907. January 11, 1909. Democratic 36th 37 F. E. Brown January 11, 1909. January 12, 1911. Democratic 37th 38 R. F. Milwee January 12, 1911. January 13, 1913. Democratic 38th 39 Joe Hardage January 13, 1913. January 11, 1915. Democratic 39th 40 L. E. Sawyer January 11, 1915. January 8, 1917. Democratic 40th 41 Lee Cazort January 8, 1917. January 13, 1919. Democratic 41st 42 C. P. Newton January 13, 1919. Democratic 42nd 43 Joe Joiner January 26, 1920. January 8, 1923. Democratic 42nd, 43rd 44 Howard Reed January 8, 1923. January 12, 1925. Democratic 44th 45 Thomas A. Hill January 12, 1925. January 10, 1927. Democratic 45th 46 Reece Caudle January 10, 1927. January 14, 1929. Democratic 46th 47 W. H. Abington January 14, 1929. January 12, 1931. Democratic 47th 48 Irving C. Neale January 12, 1931. January 9, 1933. Democratic 48th 49 Kemp Toney January 9, 1933. January 14, 1935. Democratic 49th 50 Harve B. Thorn January 14, 1935. January 11, 1937. Democratic 50th 51 John M. Bransford January 11, 1937. January 13, 1941. Democratic 51st, 52nd 52 Means Wilkinson January 13, 1941. January 11, 1943. Democratic 53rd 53 R. W. Griffith January 11, 1943. January 8, 1945. Democratic 54th 54 Horace Northcutt January 8, 1945. January 13, 1947. Democratic 55th 55 Roy L. Riales Sr. January 13, 1947. January 10, 1949. Democratic 56th 56 Carl Hendrix January 10, 1949. January 8, 1951. Democratic 57th 57 James R. Campbell January 8, 1951. January 12, 1953. Democratic 58th 58 Carroll Hollensworth January 12, 1953. January 10, 1955. Democratic 59th 59 Charles F. Smith January 10, 1955. January 14, 1957. Democratic 60th 60 Glenn Walther January 14, 1957. January 12, 1959. Democratic 61st 61 E. C. Fleeman January 12, 1959. January 9, 1961. Democratic 62nd 62 John P. Bethell January 9, 1961. January 14, 1963. Democratic 63rd 63 Marion Crank January 14, 1963. January 11, 1965. Democratic 64th 64 J. H. Cottrell Jr. January 11, 1965. January 19, 1967. Democratic 65th 65 Sterling R. Cockrill January 9, 1967. January 13, 1969. Democratic 66th 66 Hayes McClerkin January 13, 1969. January 11, 1971. Democratic 67th 67 Ray S. Smith, Jr. January 11, 1971. January 8, 1973. Democratic 68th 68 Buddy Turner January 8, 1973. January 13, 1975. Democratic 69th 69 Cecil L. Alexander January 13, 1975. January 10, 1977. Democratic 70th 70 James L. Shaver, Jr. January 10, 1977. January 8, 1979. Democratic 71st 71 John E. Miller January 8, 1979. January 12, 1981. Democratic 72nd 72 Lloyd McCuiston January 12, 1981. January 10, 1983. Democratic 73rd 73 John Paul Capps January 10, 1983. January 14, 1985. Democratic 74th 74 Lacy Landers January 14, 1985. January 1987. Democratic 75th 75 Ernest Cunningham January 1987. January 1989. Democratic 76th 76 B. G. Hendrix January 1989. January 1991. Democratic 77th 77 John Lipton January 1991. January 1993. Democratic 78th 78 Doc Bryan January 1993. January 1995. Democratic 79th 79 Bobby Hogue January 1995. January 1999. Democratic 80th, 81st 80 Bob Johnson January 1999 January 2001 Democratic 82nd 81 Shane Broadway January 2001 January 2003 Democratic 83rd 82 Herschel W. Cleveland January 2003 January 2005 Democratic 84th 83 Bill Stovall January 2005 January 2007 Democratic 85th 84 Benny Petrus January 2007 January 2009 Democratic 86th 85 Robbie Wills January 2009 January 2011 Democratic 87th 86 Robert S. Moore Jr. January 2011 January 2013 Democratic 88th 87 Davy Carter January 2013 January 2015 Republican 89th 88 Jeremy Gillam January 2015 June 15, 2018 Republican 90th, 91st 89 Matthew Shepherd June 15, 2018 January 13, 2025 Republican 91st, 92nd, 93rd, 94th 90 Brian S. Evans January 13, 2025 Present Republican 95th Notes:

See also Governor of Arkansas List of presidents pro tempore of the Arkansas Senate List of Arkansas General Assemblies

References

Bibliography

External links http://house.legis.state.ar.us/