I entered this race to fight for our future.
I am determined to secure the funding and support for high-quality government services, infrastructure development, and the growth of our towns and communities. The Primary Election is scheduled for Tuesday, March 5, 2024, and I would be grateful to receive your vote and trust.
I’ve lived here my whole life and talked to my neighbors about the issues facing our communities. As your State Representative, I will fight to secure investments in education, our economy, community safety, and rural hospitals.
As the Helena Regional Hospital Board Chair, I worked hard to keep our rural hospitals open. I will fight for further investments in all of our local hospitals, and I won’t be silent as politicians force folks off of their health insurance.
Affordable, high-quality local healthcare is a life-and-death issue. So many folks rely on our hospital in Helena, and I’ve been honored to serve as the Board Chair. During my tenure, we have secured new investments in the largest healthcare facility in District 62 and prevented the hospital from closing entirely. The Helena Regional Healthcare Center is one of our largest employers and is one of the only healthcare providers in our area that operates 24/7. I’m proud to have served on the team that ensured our healthcare professionals can continue to save lives and serve patients in Phillips, Lee, Desha, Monroe, St. Francis, and Arkansas Counties.
I know what it takes to keep our rural hospitals open, and I’ll be an advocate for better Medicaid reimbursement, higher wages for healthcare workers and custodial staff, and technology investments that keep our quality of care competitive.
When people don’t have healthcare, it’s harder for rural hospitals to stay open. That’s why it’s a tragedy that the current administration has kicked off or interrupted the healthcare of 432,000 Arkansans, including newborns. Keeping folks on Medicaid and increasing access will be my priorities in the legislature. No one should be kicked off of Medicaid if they are eligible.
I am ready to advocate for our local school district's students, teachers, and staff. I have worked in our local school district for decades, and my wife has been a Teacher and Counselor at the Helena-West Helena School District for 29 years. Our schools need unique attention and resources that I will advocate for as your State Representative.
Raising teacher pay was a step in the right direction, but we can do more to give students the resources they need to thrive. Addressing the problems in our district means we have to talk about providing additional resources to our public schools for students who are low-income, disabled, or learning English as a second language.
I’ve worked to provide high-quality technical support in our schools, and I want to equip our teachers and students with the most up-to-date technology. We need high-quality workforce preparation programs and job training. It’s a shame that students in Little Rock and Fayetteville receive more from our state education system than those in our local Delta schools. I will advocate for equality in resource distribution across the state to secure the investments we need to thrive.
In the legislature, I will be ready to deliver solutions for our schools and mitigate the damage done by the disastrous LEARNS Act. School districts like Marvell-Elaine and Lee County will be most negatively affected by the LEARNS Act, and I’ve already seen the consequences begin to take hold. I will work to keep our schools open and to restore local control to our school districts.
I care deeply about my neighbors in District 62, and I will report to you. I will advocate for Eastern Arkansas, and I won’t be afraid to ask tough questions about how the government spends your taxpayer dollars. Transparency in government should be our priority in Little Rock.
Sometimes, it feels like the folks in Little Rock don’t want us to know what they’re up to. In 2023, the legislature attacked and undermined transparency more than in the past ten years. I won’t be quiet about the needs of Eastern Arkansas.
I will ensure that the folks in Little Rock don’t overlook the folks in the Delta. We need a real advocate for economic development, jobs, and growth in our area. There’s far too much nonsense happening at the State Capitol— and not enough focus on helping people struggling to get by daily. I will fight for the much-needed infrastructure improvements for our water treatment systems, roads and bridges, and broadband internet capacity.
Corruption in government prevents good work from being done. I want to serve in the State House to deliver solutions for people in my community, and I won’t let politicians rip off the folks they’re supposed to serve. I’ll speak out against unethical behavior. I will lead with integrity and fight for the interests of working people, not rich politicians, lobbyists, or CEOs.