March 28, 2012

In the gubernatorial election of 1926, John E. Martineau became the first candidate since Reconstruction to defeat an incumbent Arkansas governor running for a second term. Martineau was also the first governor to broadcast his inaugural address on the radio. During his single term, he was best known for his efforts in developing innovative funding for the Arkansas highway system and relief efforts following the devastating Flood of 1927. He is shown here in his official gubernatorial portrait as the state’s twenty-eighth governor.