In 2006, Mike Beebe became the first Democratic governor in Arkansas in 10 years after a 14-point victory over former congressman and federal Homeland Security official Asa Hutchinson in November's election.

As of April 2009, no one from either major political party has announced plans to challenge him in 2010.

Beebe was elected without opposition to the state Senate in 1982 and never had an opponent on the ballot until his run for governor in 2006.

He was elected attorney general in 2002.

(Last updated by Andrew DeMillo on April 17, 2009.)

Blanche Lincoln launched her re-election bid in 2009 with a Little Rock fundraiser headlined by Vice President Joe Biden. As of April 2009, state Sen. Kim Hendren of Gravette was the only Republican who had announced he would run against the incumbent senator. But the state GOP had targeted her seat as its top prize for the 2010 and several Republicans were considering a run. Those who said they may run against Lincoln include state Sen. Gilbert Baker of Conway and former interim U.S. Attorney Tim Griffin.

Lincoln was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1998, defeating Republican state Sen. Fay Boozman with 55 percent of the vote.

Lincoln was re-elected to the U.S. Senate in 2004, defeating Republican Jim Holt with 56 percent of the vote.

Prior to her Senate career, Lincoln was a two-term f the U.S. House. In 1992, she defeated then-U.S. Rep. Bill Alexander, a 24-year incumbent, in Arkansas' 1st District Democratic primary. She easily defeated a Republican challenger in November. She won re-election in 1994, though by a closer-than-expected 54-46 percent margin over Jonesboro lawyer Warren Dupwe. She did not seek re-election in 1996, choosing instead to leave Congress and raise her infant twins.

(Last updated by Andrew DeMillo on April 20, 2009.)

After winning the Senate seat in a hotly contested race in 2002, Mark Pryor did not face any major party opposition in the 2008 race and won a second term in the Senate. He was helped partly by strong fundraising and began the spring of 2008 with nearly $3.7 million in the bank for his re-election bid. Green Party member Rebekah Kennedy, who lost a bid for state attorney general in 2006, ran against Pryor.

Pryor took 80 percent of the vote against Kennedy in the 2008 election.

Pryor first was elected to the state House of Representatives in 1990 and served two terms.

He was elected state attorney general in 1998.

(Last updated by Andrew DeMillo on April 16, 2009.)