Arkansas Treasurer

	Arkansas Treasurer
	; ; ;
	General information
Office Type:	Partisan
Office website:	Official Link
Compensation:	$95,694
2025 FY Budget:	$3,934,090,426
Term limits:	Two terms
	Structure
Length of term:	Four years
Authority:	Constitution of Arkansas, Amendment 63, Article 6
Selection Method:	Elected
	Current Officeholder
	Arkansas Treasurer John Thurston; Republican Party; Assumed office: January 1, 2025
	Elections
Next election:	November 3, 2026
Last election:	November 5, 2024
	Other Arkansas Executive Offices
	Governor • Lieutenant Governor • Secretary of State • Attorney General • Treasurer • Auditor • Commissioner of Education • Agriculture Secretary • Insurance Commissioner • Commissioner of State Lands • Natural Resources Exec. Director • Labor Director • Public Service Commission

The Treasurer of the State of Arkansas is the chief financial officer of the government of Arkansas. The treasurer acts as the state's bank, accepting deposits in the form of taxes and fees, and disbursing funds to state agencies based on warrants from the auditor's office. The office is also responsible for providing state aid to local governments and investing the state's cash funds.^[1]

Current officeholder

The current Arkansas Treasurer is John Thurston (R). Thurston assumed office in 2025.

Authority

The office of treasurer is established by Article 6 of the Arkansas Constitution.^[2]

Constitution of Arkansas, Amendment 63

The Executive Department of this State shall consist of a Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, Treasurer of State, Auditor of State, Attorney General and Commissioner of State Lands, all of whom shall keep their offices at the seat of government, and hold their offices for the term of four (4) years, and until their successors are elected and qualified.

Qualifications

The Arkansas Constitution requires all elected or appointed officeholders to be an elector. That is, they must fulfill the state's voter registration requirements -- being a U.S. citizen, a resident of Arkansas, at least 18 years old. Felons and citizens judged to be mentally incompetent by a court are also ineligible to vote and, by extension, to hold office.

Other requirements to complete a voter registration form -- essentially, qualifications to be an elector -- are given by Amendment 59, Section 6 of the constitution.

Incumbents may not hold any other state, federal, or civil office, and may not have ever been convicted of "embezzlement of public money, bribery, forgery, or other infamous crime."

Constitution of Arkansas, Article 19, Section 3

No persons shall be elected to, or appointed to fill a vacancy in, any office who does not possess the qualifications of an elector.

Constitution of Arkansas, Article 5, Section 9

No person hereafter convicted of embezzlement of public money, bribery, forgery or other infamous crime, shall be eligible to the General Assembly or capable of holding any office of trust or profit in this State.

Constitution of Arkansas, Amendment 51, Section 6

(6) The mail voter registration application form shall include the following questions along with boxes for the applicant to check "yes" or "no" in response:
(A) "Are you a citizen of the United States of America and an Arkansas resident?;"
(B) "Will you be eighteen (18) years of age on or before election day?;"
(C) "Are you presently adjudged mentally incompetent by a court of competent jurisdiction?;"
(D) "Have you ever pleaded guilty or nolo contendere to, or found guilty of a felony without your sentence having been discharged or pardoned?;" and
(E) "Do you claim the right to vote in another county or state?."
(7) The mail voter registration application form shall include the following statements immediately following the questions asked in subdivision (a)(6) of this section:
(A) "If you checked "No" in response to either questions A or B, do not complete this form.;"
(B) "If you checked "Yes" in response to one or more of questions C, D, or E, do not complete this form.;" and

Elections

Arkansas state government organizational chart

Arkansans elect their treasurer for four-year terms during federal midterm election years (2006, 2010, 2014, etc.). Treasurers, like all Arkansas executives, served two-year terms until 1982, when Amendment 63 to the Constitution of Arkansas increased the term length to its current level. The first elections held under the new system occurred in 1986, and every four years since.^[3]

2024

See also: Arkansas Treasurer election, 2024

General election

Special general election for Arkansas Treasurer

John Thurston defeated John Pagan and Michael Pakko in the special general election for Arkansas Treasurer on November 5, 2024.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	John Thurston (R)	65.4	755,156
	John Pagan (D)	30.3	350,210
	Michael Pakko (L)	4.3	49,847

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,155,213
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Democratic primary election

Special Democratic primary for Arkansas Treasurer

John Pagan advanced from the special Democratic primary for Arkansas Treasurer on March 5, 2024.

		Candidate
✔		John Pagan

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Special Republican primary for Arkansas Treasurer

John Thurston advanced from the special Republican primary for Arkansas Treasurer on March 5, 2024.

		Candidate
✔		John Thurston

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Libertarian convention

Special Libertarian convention for Arkansas Treasurer

Michael Pakko advanced from the special Libertarian convention for Arkansas Treasurer on February 25, 2024.

		Candidate
✔		Michael Pakko (L)

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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