John Thurston (politician)

John Manuel Thurston (born December 27, 1972) is the current Secretary of State of Arkansas; elected in November 2018, he has served in the position since January 2019.

John Thurston
34th Secretary of State of Arkansas
Assumed office
January 15, 2019
GovernorAsa Hutchinson
Preceded byMark Martin
Land Commissioner of Arkansas
In office
January 11, 2011 – January 15, 2019
GovernorMike Beebe
Asa Hutchinson
Preceded byMark Wilcox
Succeeded byTommy Land
Personal details
Born
John Manuel Thurston

(1972-12-27) December 27, 1972
Little Rock, Arkansas, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
Spouse(s)Joanna Thurston
Children5
EducationHenderson State University
Agape College

He previously served as 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

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

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

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]

Electoral history

2010 general election
Thurston counties in red, Bryant counties in blue (2010)
Commissioner of State Lands election[9][10]
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
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%
Arkansas Commissioner of State Lands election, 2014[11]
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
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References
  1. "John Thurston, Commissioner of State Lands". Arkansas Commissioner of State Lands. Archived from the original on September 23, 2015. Retrieved September 27, 2015.
  2. Reeves, Landon (May 2, 2014). "Meet your candidates: Early voting in May 20 election begins Monday". Carroll County News. Arkansas. Retrieved September 27, 2015.
  3. "Thurston elected to head up commissioners' group". Associated Press. July 29, 2014. Retrieved September 27, 2015.
  4. "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.
  5. Brantley, Max (June 2, 2016). "Good news from the secretary of state". Arkansas Times. Retrieved July 24, 2016.
  6. "State Land Commissioner officially announces he will seek State Secretary of State's Office". Talk Business & Politics. October 23, 2017. Retrieved April 19, 2018.
  7. Carroll, Scott. "Thurston wins Republican primary for Arkansas secretary of state". KATV. Retrieved November 12, 2018.
  8. Clement, Katie. "John Thurston takes seat as Secretary of State". KATV. Retrieved November 12, 2018.
  9. "2010 General Election Turnout Rates". February 4, 2012. Archived from the original on July 22, 2013. Retrieved July 9, 2013.
  10. "2010 General Election & Non Partisan Judicial Runoff Election Statewide Results by Contest". Arkansas Secretary of State. November 29, 2010. Retrieved September 28, 2015.
  11. "November 4, 2014 General election and nonpartisan runoff election Official results". Arkansas Secretary of State. Retrieved November 23, 2014.
Political offices
Preceded by
Mark Wilcox		 Land Commissioner of Arkansas
2011–2019		 Succeeded by
Tommy Land
Preceded by
Mark Martin		 Secretary of State of Arkansas
2019–present		 Incumbent
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