VOTE411 Voter Guide

By design, the function of a State Representative is written into the name of the office. Our job is to represent the interests of our constituents. The Challenge of the office comes in distinguishing when a Representative should follow the will of the people, and when they should step forward and lead the public to a better place. Each community designates a representative to be responsible for learning the issues so that every individual is not required to do so, but this requires a trust that the representative will take on that responsibility and make decisions to best represent the public with good judgment and discretion.

As a retired medical small business entrepreneur, I have coordinated between regulatory burdens, the management of employees, the retention of customer satisfaction and the provision of goods and services. I understand buying groceries on a fixed income and the challenge of navigating health insurance and Medicare plans. I am married to a retired educator who served as a naval ombudsman, have two veteran stepsons, and care for a veteran father. I have a mother in long term care with dementia, a son engaged in the firearm industry and one in agricultural news and publishing. There are few issues that affect my district that aren't a part of every family conversation. I know your daily concerns because I share them.

A democracy is healthy when all parties are being well represented. Unfortunately, as political influence consolidates, those constituents not a part of the mainstream soon feel marginalized and voiceless. One of the greatest challenges of a public servant is remembering that everyone has a voice and the responsibility of office includes representing voices with which you sometimes may not completely agree. Rebuilding a stronger democracy requires we start in the very soil where grass roots begin. I plan to get dirt under my fingernails doing the work required to re-establish the roots of a robust democratic republic.

My primary responsibility as State Representative is to debate and vote on legislation with the primary objective of helping make Arkansas the best possible place to live, work, raise a family, and start or grow a business. As a representative, I advocate for policies that I believe help achieve this goal. In addition to that, I help my constituents navigate state government and solve problems they have and work to improve my community by engaging and collaborating with citizens and community groups.

Over the course of 3 terms in the House of Representatives, I have introduced and passed over 30 bills into law that cover a number of different areas, including tax policy, education, workforce development, and many more. Prior to being elected to the House, I served as Chief of Staff to Lt. Governor Tim Griffin, which gave me valuable insights into the operations of state government. I maintain strong relationships with my House and Senate colleagues, which helps me advocate for my district and policies that move our state forward.

I have served on the House Revenue and Tax Committee for the past 4 years, and I plan to continue that work if re-elected by helping enact more pro-taxpayer legislation. My main priorities in this area are: (1) lowering the state income tax, (2) bringing more fairness to our property tax structure, and (3) working to eliminate anti-competitive taxes that make Arkansas less business-friendly.