Arkansas' 2nd Congressional District election, 2020

Elections in Arkansas, 2020

• Election date: Nov. 3
• Registration deadline(s): Oct. 5
• Online registration: No
• Same-day registration: No
• Recount laws

• Early voting starts: Oct. 19
• Absentee/mail voting deadline(s): Nov. 3 (received)
• Processing, counting, and challenging absentee/mail-in ballots
• Voter ID: Photo ID
• Poll times: 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

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On the ballot: U.S. Senate • U.S. House • State Senate • State House • Special state legislative • Supreme court • Appellate courts • Local judges • State ballot measures • School boards

2022 → ← 2018
Arkansas' 2nd Congressional District
Democratic primary Republican primary General election
Election details
Filing deadline: November 11, 2019
Primary: March 3, 2020 Primary runoff: March 31, 2020 General: November 3, 2020 Pre-election incumbent: French Hill (Republican)
How to vote
Poll times: 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Voting in Arkansas
Race ratings
Cook Political Report: Toss-up Inside Elections: Toss-up Sabato's Crystal Ball: Lean Republican
Ballotpedia analysis
U.S. Senate battlegrounds U.S. House battlegrounds Federal and state primary competitiveness Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2020
See also
Arkansas' 2nd Congressional District U.S. Senate • 1st • 2nd • 3rd • 4th Arkansas elections, 2020 U.S. Congress elections, 2020 U.S. Senate elections, 2020 U.S. House elections, 2020 Alabama U.S. House racesAlaska U.S. House racesArizona U.S. House racesArkansas U.S. House racesCalifornia U.S. House racesColorado U.S. House racesConnecticut U.S. House racesDelaware U.S. House racesFlorida U.S. House racesGeorgia U.S. House racesHawaii U.S. House racesIdaho U.S. House racesIllinois U.S. House racesIndiana U.S. House racesIowa U.S. House racesKansas U.S. House racesKentucky U.S. House racesLouisiana U.S. House racesMaine U.S. House racesMaryland U.S. House racesMassachusetts U.S. House racesMichigan U.S. House racesMinnesota U.S. House racesMississippi U.S. House racesMissouri U.S. House racesMontana U.S. House racesNebraska U.S. House racesNevada U.S. House racesNew Hampshire U.S. House racesNew Jersey U.S. House racesNew Mexico U.S. House racesNew York U.S. House racesNorth Carolina U.S. House racesNorth Dakota U.S. House racesOhio U.S. House racesOklahoma U.S. House racesOregon U.S. House racesPennsylvania U.S. House racesRhode Island U.S. House racesSouth Carolina U.S. House racesSouth Dakota U.S. House racesTennessee U.S. House racesTexas U.S. House racesUtah U.S. House racesVermont U.S. House racesVirginia U.S. House racesWashington U.S. House racesWest Virginia U.S. House racesWisconsin U.S. House racesWyoming U.S. House racesSubmit

Incumbent French Hill (R) defeated Joyce Elliott (D) in the general election on November 3, 2020, in Arkansas' 2nd Congressional District.

Hill was first elected in 2014, and won his subsequent re-election campaigns in 2016 and 2018 by margins of 21.5 and 6.3 percentage points, respectively. In May 2020, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee announced the inclusion of Elliott in its Red to Blue program. Leading up to the election, Arkansas’ 2nd had been held by a Republican since 2011, following a 20-year period of Democrats holding the office.

The outcome of this race affected partisan control of the U.S. House of Representatives in the 117th Congress. All 435 seats in the House were up for election. At the time of the election, Democrats had a 232 to 198 majority over Republicans. The Libertarian Party had one seat. Four seats were vacant. Democrats defended 30 districts Donald Trump (R) won in 2016. Republicans defended five districts Hillary Clinton (D) won in 2016.

The 2nd Congressional District is located in central Arkansas. Conway, Faulkner, Perry, Pulaski, Saline, Van Buren, and White counties are included in the boundaries of the district.

Joyce Elliott completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection Survey. Click here to view her responses.

For more information about the Democratic primary, click here.
For more information about the Republican primary, click here.

This election was a battleground race. Other 2020 battlegrounds included:

New Jersey's 2nd Congressional District election, 2020 (July 7 Republican primary) United States Senate election in Georgia, 2020 (June 9 Democratic primary) United States Senate election in Oregon, 2020 (May 19 Republican primary)

Post-election analysis

The table below compares the vote totals in the 2020 presidential election and 2020 U.S. House election for this district. The presidential election data was compiled by Daily Kos.

Presidential and congressional election results, Arkansas' 2nd Congressional District, 2020
Race	Presidential	U.S. House
Democratic candidate	44.3	44.6
Republican candidate	53.1	55.4
Difference	8.8	10.8

Election procedure changes in 2020

See also: Changes to election dates, procedures, and administration in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020

Ballotpedia provided comprehensive coverage of how election dates and procedures changed in 2020. While the majority of changes occurred as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, some changes occurred for other reasons.

Arkansas modified its absentee/mail-in voting procedures for the November 3, 2020, general election as follows:

• Absentee/mail-in voting: Voters in the general election could cite concerns over COVID-19 as a valid excuse for voting absentee.

For a full timeline about election modifications made in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, click here.

Candidates and election results

General election

General election for U.S. House Arkansas District 2

Incumbent French Hill defeated Joyce Elliott in the general election for U.S. House Arkansas District 2 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		French Hill (R)	55.4	184,093
		Joyce Elliott (D)	44.6	148,410

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 332,503
= 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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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• J. Glenn Smith (Independent)

Democratic primary election

The Democratic primary election was canceled. Joyce Elliott advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House Arkansas District 2.

Republican primary election

The Republican primary election was canceled. Incumbent French Hill advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. House Arkansas District 2.

Candidate profiles

This section includes candidate profiles created in one of two ways. Either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey or Ballotpedia staff created a profile after identifying the candidate as noteworthy. Ballotpedia staff compiled profiles based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements.

French Hill

Party: Republican Party

Incumbent: Yes

Political Office: 

• U.S. House of Representatives (Assumed office: 2015)

Biography:  Hill graduated from Vanderbilt University with a degree in economics. He founded as chairman of Delta Trust & Bank. Hill also served as a senior policy advisor to President George H.W. Bush, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Treasury, and a senior advisor to Governor Mike Huckabee.

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Key Messages

The following key messages were curated by Ballotpedia staff. For more on how we identify key messages, click here.

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Hill said he would oppose the agenda of Nancy Pelosi (D) and House Democrats and contrasted it with his own record, which he said included reducing taxes, reducing the size of government, and growing the economy.

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Hill said he was results-focused and in touch with his constituents, while Joyce Elliott’s (D) campaign was dishonest and bolstered by wealthy Democratic donors and influencers.

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Hill said he embodied the Arkansas values of resiliency and hard work in his pursuit of coronavirus relief funding for the state.

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Show sources

Sources: French Hill's 2020 campaign website, "Elect French," accessed September 2, 2020; Facebook, "French Hill on July 13," accessed September 2, 2020; Facebook, "French Hill on August 11," accessed September 2, 2020; Youtube, "Together," August 18, 2020; French Hill's 2020 campaign website, "Meet French," accessed September 2, 2020

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House Arkansas District 2 in 2020.

Joyce Elliott

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Submitted Biography:  "I was born and raised in rural Willisville, Arkansas, population 152. My upbringing in Willisville instilled values of hard work and perseverance and inspired me to lead a life dedicated to public service. I put these lessons to the test at an early age as one of the first African American students to integrate her local high school. There, I overcame adversity to become the second African American to graduate from the newly integrated high school. My older sister was the first. After school, I spent 30 years teaching English and speech to provide high school students with opportunities I never had. But I saw forces outside the classroom affecting my students. With that in mind, I ran for office to expand my impact from students in my classroom to people all around the state. For nearly 20 years, I have served as a state legislator working to expand access to affordable healthcare, improve education outcomes, and support working families. For these efforts, I've been recognized as one of Arkansas's most effective legislators. "

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Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.

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I lead from experience. I know what it's like to struggle to make ends meet and I use this perspective to fight for middle and working class families.

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I have a track record of reaching across party lines to improve our quality of life-from expanding Medicaid to creating what became the #1 state pre-K program in America.

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As a 30-year public school teacher, I will work in Congress to help us have a world-class education system.

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House Arkansas District 2 in 2020.

Polls

See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls

Arkansas' 2nd Congressional District election, 2020: General election polls
Poll	Date	Hill	Elliott	Other	Margin of error	Sample size	Sponsor
Talk Business & Politics-Hendrix College	Oct. 11-13, 2020	46%	45.5%	8.5%	±4.9	644	--
Talk Business & Politics-Hendrix College	Sept. 4-9, 2020	48%	46%	7%	±4.3	698	--

Campaign finance

This section contains campaign finance figures from the Federal Election Commission covering all candidate fundraising and spending in this election. It does not include information on fundraising before the current campaign cycle or on spending by satellite groups. The numbers in this section are updated as candidates file new campaign finance reports. Candidates for Congress are required to file financial reports on a quarterly basis, as well as two weeks before any primary, runoff, or general election in which they will be on the ballot and upon the termination of any campaign committees. The chart below contains data from financial reports submitted to the Federal Election Commission.

Name	Party	Receipts*	Disbursements**	Cash on hand	Date
French Hill	Republican Party	$3,423,234	$3,059,236	$410,779	As of December 31, 2020
Joyce Elliott	Democratic Party	$3,543,887	$3,540,157	$3,730	As of December 31, 2020
Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2020. This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC). * According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee." ** According to the FEC, a disbursement "is a purchase, payment, distribution, loan, advance, deposit or gift of money or anything of value to influence a federal election," plus other kinds of payments not made to influence a federal election.

District analysis

See also: The Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index

See also: FiveThirtyEight's elasticity scores

The 2017 Cook Partisan Voter Index for this district was R+7, meaning that in the previous two presidential elections, this district's results were 7 percentage points more Republican than the national average. This made Arkansas' 2nd Congressional District the 169th most Republican nationally.

FiveThirtyEight's September 2018 elasticity score for states and congressional districts measured "how sensitive it is to changes in the national political environment." This district's elasticity score was 0.97. This means that for every 1 point the national political mood moved toward a party, the district was expected to move 0.97 points toward that party.

Race ratings

See also: Race rating definitions and methods

Ballotpedia provides race ratings from four outlets: The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, Sabato's Crystal Ball, and DDHQ/The Hill. Each race rating indicates if one party is perceived to have an advantage in the race and, if so, the degree of advantage:

• Safe and Solid ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge and the race is not competitive.
• Likely ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge, but an upset is possible.
• Lean ratings indicate that one party has a small edge, but the race is competitive.
• Toss-up ratings indicate that neither party has an advantage.

Race ratings are informed by a number of factors, including polling, candidate quality, and election result history in the race's district or state.

Race ratings: Arkansas' 2nd Congressional District election, 2020
Race tracker	Race ratings
	November 3, 2020	October 27, 2020	October 20, 2020	October 13, 2020
The Cook Political Report	Toss-up	Lean Republican	Lean Republican	Lean Republican
Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales	Toss-up	Tilt Republican	Tilt Republican	Lean Republican
Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball	Lean Republican	Lean Republican	Lean Republican	Lean Republican
Note: Ballotpedia updates external race ratings every week throughout the election season.

Noteworthy endorsements

See also: Ballotpedia: Our approach to covering endorsements

This section lists noteworthy endorsements issued in this election, including those made by high-profile individuals and organizations, cross-party endorsements, and endorsements made by newspaper editorial boards. It also includes a bulleted list of links to official lists of endorsements for any candidates who published that information on their campaign websites. Please note that this list is not exhaustive. If you are aware of endorsements that should be included, please click here.

Noteworthy endorsements
Endorsement	Hill (R)	Elliott (D)
Newspapers and editorials
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette	✔
Log Cabin Democrat		✔
Elected officials
Senator Kamala Harris (D)		✔
Governor Asa Hutchinson (R)	✔
Individuals
Former Vice President Joe Biden (D)		✔
Former President Barack Obama (D)		✔

Timeline

2020

• November 2020 (click to collapse)

  November

  • Nov. 2, 2020: The Cook Political Report shifted its rating of the race from Lean Republican to Toss-up.

• October 2020 (click to expand)

  October

  • Oct. 28, 2020: Inside Elections shifted its rating of the race from Tilt Republican to Toss-up.
  • Oct. 24, 2020: The Log Cabin Democrat endorsed Elliott.
  • Oct. 16, 2020: Inside Elections shifted its rating of the race from Lean Republican to Tilt Republican.
  • Oct. 15, 2020: A Talk Business & Politics-Hendrix College poll showed Hill at 46%, Elliott at 45.5%, and 8.5% undecided. The margin of error was ±4.9.
  • Oct. 5, 2020: Hill was endorsed by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

• September 2020 (click to expand)

  September

  • Sept. 30, 2020: Campaign finance filing deadline with the Federal Election Commission.
    • Hill: $2,994,303 in receipts
    • Elliott: $2,553,838 in receipts
  • Sept. 29, 2020:
    • Hill was endorsed by Governor Asa Hutchinson (R).
    • The Cook Political Report shifted its rating of the race from Likely Republican to Lean Republican.
  • Sept. 18, 2020: Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales shifted its rating of the race from Likely Republican to Lean Republican.
  • Sept. 16, 2020: Elliott was endorsed by Joe Biden (D).
  • Sept. 13, 2020: A poll conducted by Talk Business & Politics-Hendrix College showed Hill at 48%, Elliott at 46%, and 7% undecided with a margin of error of ±4.3.

• August 2020 (click to expand)

  August

  • Aug. 18, 2020: Hill's campaign released its first campaign ad for the general election.
  • Aug. 11, 2020: Elliott's campaign aired its first TV ad for the general election.
  • Aug. 3, 2020: Elliott was endorsed by former President Barack Obama (D).

Campaign advertisements

This section shows advertisements released in this race. Ads released by campaigns and, if applicable, satellite groups are embedded or linked below. If you are aware of advertisements that should be included, please email us.

French Hill

Supporting Hill

"French Hill has fought to strengthen Medicare and Social Security" - Hill campaign ad, released October 28, 2020

"French Hill: Real results for Arkansas. Real results for you." - Hill campaign ad, released October 27, 2020

"Liza" - Hill campaign ad, released October 20, 2020

"Promises Kept" - Hill campaign ad, released October 17, 2020

"Asa and French" - Hill campaign ad, released September 29, 2020

"China" - Hill campaign ad, released September 2, 2020

"Together" - Hill campaign ad, released August 18, 2020

• "French Hill's Bipartisan Pandemic Work For Arkansas" - Hill campaign ad, released November 1, 2020
• "French Hill is a principled, steady, and consistent leader..." - Hill campaign ad, released October 26, 2020

Opposing Elliott

"Rusty and Joyce" - Hill campaign ad, released October 2, 2020

"She'll Tax Anything" - Hill campaign ad, released September 9, 2020

• "ELLIOTT MISLEADS AGAIN!" - Hill campaign ad, released November 1, 2020
• "Elliott misleads again!" - Hill campaign ad, released November 1, 2020

Joyce Elliott

Supporting Elliott

"Joyce & Mike ask you to vote!" - Elliott campaign ad, released October 28, 2020

"Mike Beebe says Hello Arkansas!" - Elliott campaign ad, released October 28, 2020

"IN LINE" - Elliott campaign ad, released October 27, 2020

"Rise" - Elliott campaign ad, released October 17, 2020

"Perfect Match" - Elliott campaign ad, released September 8, 2020

"Class" - Elliott campaign ad, released August 27, 2020

"I Will Fight for You" - Elliott campaign ad, released June 1, 2020

Opposing Hill

"Teenagers" - Elliott campaign ad, released October 13, 2020

"Secret" - Elliott campaign ad, released October 7, 2020

"Proof" - Elliott campaign ad, released October 3, 2020

"This Bill" - Elliott campaign ad, released September 11, 2020

"Hands" - Elliott campaign ad, released August 11, 2020

Satellite group ads

Opposing Hill

"First" - Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee ad, released October 22, 2020

"Ride" - House Majority Pac ad, released October 15, 2020

Campaign themes

See also: Campaign themes

French Hill

Hill’s campaign website stated the following:

“	Pandemic Response Across Arkansas and America, the effects of COVID-19 on families and businesses have been dramatic and devastating. This virus that has swept across the globe since January has disproportionately impacted our smaller towns and rural communities. Further, our hospitals and healthcare providers have been whipsawed between shutting down their profit-making operations and preparing for enormous spikes in COVID-19 patients. Both led to huge financial burdens. I was proud to support four bills – all now laws – to combat the coronavirus and provide much-needed financial resources across our state and nation. I have worked in a bipartisan fashion to help rural communities receive direct funding to local hospitals and public schools through the passage of the CARES Act. The CARES Act also provided $100 million for high-speed Internet expansion in small towns and rural communities to ensure access to educational resources and economic opportunity. We still have gaps in Arkansas. I've spoken to teachers and superintendents about those gaps and how federal resources can be combined with state leadership and funding to prepare our schools for this fall. Additionally, the CARES Act allocated over $200 million for Arkansas’s support of healthcare providers and patients using telehealth, which is a lifeline for many in Arkansas's rural communities. To help even further, Rep. Cindy Axne (D-IA) and I introduced the emergency COVID-19 Telehealth Response Act to expand telehealth availability for Arkansans needing important therapeutic services during the pandemic. My priority is giving our healthcare providers serving on the front lines of this public health crisis the tools they need of Arkansas healthy and safe and ultimately back to work. I also led a letter seeking fair reimbursements for firefighters, emergency medical service providers (EMS) and other medical first responders who have been called upon much more during the pandemic. For our small businesses, I ensured that our small businesses could access the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) which was passed as part of the CARES Act. To date, the PPP program has facilitated over 40,000 Arkansas businesses getting nearly $3.4 billion and badly needed funding to get through the first weeks of the economic shutdown. Now, I continue to work with the Federal Reserve and Treasury to enhance our ability to get America's economy back up to full speed. Congress’ ultimate goal in our pandemic response is to keep American families safe, deliver outstanding public health, and learn to live with the virus until we get quality treatments and ultimately a vaccine all while preparing for the future. In response to the pandemic, in late March, I introduced the Securing America’s Vaccines for Emergencies (SAVE) Act. The COVID-19 pandemic revealed that the United States is too dependent upon other countries – including China – for the overwhelming portion of medical devices, ingredients for pharmaceuticals, and personal protective equipment – all of which the United States has desperately needed since the start of the year. This bill would amend the Defense Production Act to develop a presidential strategy diversify our supply chain to make the United States less dependent upon foreign manufacturers and bring key production capabilities back home to America. I am working alongside my colleagues to support Governor Hutchinson and our Arkansas leaders in their response to the virus. Jobs, Taxes & the Economy When I ran for Congress in 2014, I committed to seeking solutions that lead to job creation and rising income and wages for hard-working Arkansans and Americans. As a business person and entrepreneur, I wanted to be a voice for faster economic growth. I wanted to bring my experience as a former chamber of commerce volunteer to Congress to champion skilled and vocational job creation and expand good training and career opportunities for all Arkansans. As a former local business owner and community banker, I knew the limitations of our old, complex tax code and the burden it placed on our local economic growth. I knew the need for significant change which is why one of my first act as Congressman was to cosponsor the Tax Code Termination Act, which would repeal most of the former tax code and required Congress to have a new federal tax system in place. Our families, businesses, and auto manufacturers all wanted – and deserved – a tax code that’s not only fair and simple, but that also will spur economic development and growth. My purpose in cosponsoring the Tax Code Termination act was to see who would defend the status quo! So, it was refreshing that in 2016, House Republicans outlined an approach to tax reform that would cut taxes for most Arkansas families and let 90% of Arkansans have a simpler method of filing during tax time. Also, we proposed an overhaul of business taxation, closed loopholes, broadened the base, and made the U.S. tax system internationally competitive. Also, importantly for our families, our tax revisions doubled the child tax credit and provided needed funds for healthcare and other family needs. With hard work in the U.S. Senate and support from the President in his first year, this major tax reform and simplification was signed into law on in December 2017. This reform is a vast improvement over the old code – that status quo – and has resulted in higher wages, new job creation, and more career opportunities. Companies are investing millions in new plants and equipment and bringing jobs back from overseas. Over the last three years our economy added 7 million new jobs, prior to the Covid19 pandemic. January 2020 dawned with the best U.S. economy in 50 years. We had the lowest unemployment rate since Richard Nixon was president. We had the lowest unemployment rate recorded for Hispanics and African Americans. America was looking forward to 1.5 years of economic expansion. It was that same month that we learned that China was the set by an expanding novel coronavirus known as COVID – 19. That would change the outlook for the U.S. job market and the economy. Fortunately, we entered the year with an outstanding economic growth rate, strong financial institutions a well-trained workforce and a talented team at the U.S. Treasury and the Federal Reserve. It's that strong financial underpinning with actions taken by Congress that will beat the virus’s economic effect and return America to economic growth in the coming months. Encouraging Work Over the past three years, with the benefits of right-sized regulatory reforms, the tax cuts, and restructuring of our tax system in the 2017, jobs were being created and our economy was heavily in need of well-trained motivated workers. Record low unemployment in Arkansas resulted in the need for new strategies to enhance our workforce. In 2015, I founded the Congressional Skilled American Workforce Caucus, for which I serve as Co-Chair. In my work with this Caucus, I have found that we need to encourage students to stay in school and graduate. I support skills-training initiatives that benefit high school students and high school graduates, who don't believe that a four-year college degree is right for them straight out of high school. Those students need to get more skills and the opportunity for training in order to fill the job openings in Arkansas. We also need those mid-career men and women who feel stuck in their current opportunity to have the opportunity to learn new skills and successfully shift their career goals. For example, I met a former homebuilder who wanted a career restart following the 2008 recession. He is now a radiation technologist with a major healthcare system, and his two paid apprenticeships and additional training allowed him to make that change while earning important income for his family. I support public assistance policies that encourage work during the transition from dependence to independence because it provides an income and it facilitates dignity through work. Solid work requirements for all able-bodied people on welfare will lift people out of poverty. This is been proven time and time again. For those transitioning out of incarceration, it's not enough just to give them a change of clothes, a bus ticket, and some cash. Ex-offenders need transitional housing and skills development as well as support for any addiction-related challenges that they face. The President has lead in this area by signing the First Step Act into law. This important criminal justice reform law creates a process for every federal parolee to get the job skills and set transitional plans before they shift back to society. Arkansas has had many leaders in this important work before I ran for Congress in 2014. I was inspired by the leadership of then-President Fitz Hill at the historically black college in central Arkansas, Arkansas Baptist College. Dr. Hill showed me the tremendous work he was doing to help those parolees plan for a better life. I continue to engage and support policies in Congress that enhance the ability of HBCUs to support training and education programs. In each Congress I've introduced the Shift Back to Society Act, which encourages the Justice Department to support our HBCUs to help provide transitional education for those returning to the community from incarceration, and, for the past four years, this provision has been included in the annual funding bills. Government Spending and Debt The COVID-19 pandemic has devastated our federal budget and our economy. COVID-19 will leave America with the largest government debt-to-GDP ratio since the end of World War II. At the end of World War II, the U.S. represented a majority of global output and were the envy of the world for our manufacturing talent and our prowess in leading the allies effort to defeat fascism. Today, our economy faces headwinds of the virus with no vaccine, and our country faces an increase in our national debt and an increased annual national deficit. As we deal with the pandemic and bring our economy back to full capacity, Americans need to develop a consensus that the federal government needs to quit trying to fix everything with a top-down, one-size-fits-all approach and instead shift power back to state and local governments. Both before the pandemic and probably long after, the federal government has grown too large and spends too much when compared to our national income. Each month I monitor the cases of the most egregious examples of wasteful government spending or poor management at the federal level. I reintroduced the "Golden Fleece" award to expose those egregious examples. Over the past six years, I have "awarded" over 50 fleeces for waste and mismanagement. I use each instance as a lesson in how the federal bureaucracy can do a better job of protecting our hard-earned tax dollars. Ultimately, upon the return to economic growth to really get our spending under control, the United States must reform its mandatory spending programs, cut low-priority spending, and stop performing functions best left to state and local governments – or to the private sector. It will require a cultural change, in which the federal government is smaller, more efficient, and effective as well as a much less expensive and intrusive part of our families’ lives. Getting such a collective action for cultural change by a majority of Congress and the president is difficult. With two thirds of all annual federal spending being mandatory and thereby not subject to the congressional appropriations process – meaning that it happens each year without a congressional vote – citizens need to be aware of and educated on this critically important goal. I have cosponsored two versions of balanced budget amendments to the U.S. Constitution to bring our spending in line. We must take the necessary steps to ensure that all taxpayer dollars are being used wisely, and we can no longer kick the can down the road on mandatory spending. The pandemic has driven this message home even more intensely. Our children and grandchildren depend on us to solve this growing debt problem and provide them a brighter future. Social Security, Medicare and Financial Security Social Security is a promise that the federal government has made to hard-working Arkansans, who have paid into the program and have earned these benefits. I am committed to strengthening Social Security for today's seniors and future beneficiaries. Further, I believe we must protect and strengthen Social Security, while eliminating fraud and abuse in this program The 2020 annual report of the Board of Trustees of the Federal Old-age and Survivors Insurance and Federal Disability Insurance Trust Funds estimated that Social Security Retirement Trust Fund will be exhausted by 2035. Congress must do more to effectively reform Social Security, prevent unprecedented cuts to benefits and ensure that Social Security beneficiaries receive the benefits they have earned and paid in. I have introduced the Social Security Disability Insurance Return to Work Act, which would modernize the Social Security Administration's classification of disability beneficiaries. The bill incentivizes returning to work for beneficiaries who have recovered from their disability such as an illness. According to the Congressional Research Service, the unemployment rate among working-age individuals with work-limiting disabilities has fallen from 24.4% in 1981 to 14.4% in 2013. In other words, compared to 30 years ago, a disability beneficiary is half as likely to return to work even if they have recovered and are able to go back to work. Likewise, in 2013, a fraction -- only 0.4% -- of all disability beneficiaries stopped receiving benefits because they returned to work. Due to the low return to work rate, it is essential that Congress act to implement an efficient, consistent and accurate disability determination in order to encourage return to work and save taxpayer dollars. I am committed to looking for other long-term solutions, and I will work with my colleagues to institute common sense, bipartisan solutions to ensure the availability of the central Social Security benefit for seniors and disabled individuals both now and in the future. Healthcare The Affordable Care Act (ACA), or “Obamacare,” that passed in 2011 was more than just a malfunctioning website. Big government, "one size fits all" $2.2 trillion solutions simply do not work in our large, complex country. Overly broad statutes have way too many unintended consequences. The ACA harmed and continues to harm Americans by limiting their choices, increasing healthcare costs and raising taxes on hard-working families and businesses. It also chipped away at the critical physician / patient relationship. During my years in Congress, I have consistently argued to replace the ACA with badly needed reforms that will increase choice and lower healthcare costs for all Arkansans while preserving access to full coverage for those Arkansans with pre-existing conditions. President Obama promised us that “if you like your healthcare plan, you can keep it” and that our insurance premiums would fall and healthcare access would improve. None of this was true, and in fact, the opposite happened. Time and time again over the past six years I've heard your complaints about plans that disappeared, increases in premiums, shockingly high deductibles leading to loss of healthcare coverage, and out-of-pocket costs that are out of reach for many families across the nation and especially in Arkansas. For years, the Democrats led by now Speaker Nancy Pelosi have refused to work with Republicans to generate bipartisan solutions to these challenges. Our healthcare system faces serious problems; we need targeted, surgical, and carefully considered reforms that acknowledge the complexity of our healthcare system. I have repeatedly voted to repeal this broken healthcare law and start over with those reforms that actually lower healthcare costs, protect pre-existing conditions, and improve access for Arkansas families. Despite Nancy Pelosi's opposition, I will not defend the status quo. Our families deserve better. Now, Speaker Pelosi and the Washington Democrats aren’t even considering reforms or Republican ideas. Instead, many in their party are pushing for something called “Medicare for All” which will result in rising medical costs, fewer doctors, and longer wait times as we have seen in England and other nations that have implemented this system. During my time in Congress I have worked hard to support healthcare particularly for our kids and in our rural areas and for our families that lack access to care. In 2018, Congress reauthorized the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) for six years. As a former member of the Board of Directors of Arkansas Children's Hospital, I know the benefits of this important program for our families. CHIP is strongly supported by a bipartisan majority and by me. Likewise, access to care in our rural areas and for our families that have a hard time accessing care is greatly benefited by the community health centers. Arkansas has over 100 community health centers. They do a terrific job providing primary care particularly for moms including prenatal care. They have been at the forefront of the fight against the pandemic, and I have long supported their efforts and serve on the Congressional Community Health Center Caucus. We are all grateful for their staffs and efforts. Education Like our healthcare system, changes are needed in the American education system. I believe the lack of equal access to a quality education is the civil rights issue of our day, and we must demand success, accountability, and results in every classroom. Some of these key approaches were included in the Every Student Succeeds Act that was signed into law in 2015. I also believe that the COVID-19 has exposed our weak distribution of Internet and broadband capabilities for both students and teachers. I continue to support funding and policy changes to enhance Arkansas’s ability to expand access. I believe strongly that all of our children – those college-bound and those that will begin their career directly after high school – need quality direction and curriculum that helps prepare them for their "pursuit of happiness". That's why I'm so pleased to promote policies that encourage concurrent credit and skilled workforce programs – two strategies that better prepare our young people, increase the affordability of education, and build the talent that we need for our state’s future economy. Central Arkansas examples of terrific concurrent credit and workforce skills training provided in a great learning environment include schools in Conway, Greenbrier, and North Little Rock. I'm also delighted to see that all of the school districts in Pulaski County have banded together to rollout the Ford Next Generation Learning program. Saline County has a workforce education campus being built that will partner with of all the school districts in the county. These are great local initiatives. I'm pleased that federal education policies facilitate this kind of local leadership and creativity. Many students and their families find that the traditional public school is not for them and they are attracted to a public charter school or homeschooling. This kind of school choice innovation is well-established in Arkansas and thousands of students, particularly low-income students are benefited by these important choices. As Vice Chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives Historically Black College and University (HBCU) Caucus, I have worked to develop the necessary resources for our HBCU’s use to grow and prosper. We are blessed in central Arkansas to have three HBCUs helping train young people for the jobs of tomorrow, Philander Smith, Arkansas Baptist College and Shorter College. I organized the first HBCU Summit held in central Arkansas on April 13, 2019. Held at the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center in Little Rock, more than 75 participants attended the summit including Jonathan Holifield, Executive Director of the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities; Dr. Michael Lomax, President and CEO, United Negro College Fund; Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott Jr.; and Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson. In addition, representatives from Arkansas’s four HBCU’s attended the summit to discuss the long-term sustainability and growth of Arkansas’s HBCUs. National Security Protecting the people of Arkansas by ensuring we have a strong national security is one of my top priorities in Congress. The annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) is one of the most bipartisan bills we ever consider in Congress. It has been signed into law for 59 straight years, and I have supported its passage every year I have been in Congress. It is also an honor to represent the men and women of the U.S. Air Force who serve at Little Rock Air Force Base (LRAFB). Central Arkansas is also the headquarters of the Arkansas National Guard. In 2015, a National Guard intelligence unit on LRAFB was being moved to Ft. Smith. I helped secure the Sensitive Compartmentalized Information Facility (SCIF) building on LRAFB with the help of Arkansas’s Congressional Delegation, the Air National Guard, and the U.S. Air Force thereby retaining a mission and personnel at LRAFB. This 10,000 square foot facility is currently a cyber training squadron with room to grow into an operational unit. Reforming the facility for use as a training unit saved millions of taxpayer dollars and makes central Arkansas more competitive in a growing cyber world. In 2019, I was honored to be named the Ranking Member of the House Financial Services Subcommittee on National Security, International Development and Monetary Policy. In this capacity, I have worked in a bipartisan fashion to help ensure that the U.S. and global banking systems remain safe from terrorists, drug cartels, and rogue states, like Iran, Russia, and North Korea. By better understanding how these bad actors move their money around the world, we give our law enforcement and intelligence agencies the tools they need to stop the financing of these nefarious actors. Veterans Another top priority for me during my time in Congress is supporting our nation’s veterans to ensure they receive the benefits and healthcare they have earned and deserved. From day one, I have had combat veterans on my team in Arkansas to ensure that my work on behalf of Arkansas’s veterans is being done by another service member who has been in their shoes. I am proud to have four veterans on my team – including two currently serving with the Arkansas National Guard – and during my six years have proudly employed seven veterans, including two female veterans. I have the largest veterans casework team in Arkansas, and our work on behalf of Arkansas’s veterans is second-to-none. My veterans team and I have closed more than two thousand cases for central Arkansas veterans and recovered over $20 million -- $5 million 2019 alone -- in back pay and earned benefits for Arkansas’s veterans from the Department of Veterans Affairs. Further, we have been able to obtain nearly 150 lost or missing military medals back service members and families, including four Silver Stars for a helicopter crew that had risked their life to rescue the crew of a downed C-130 during the Vietnam War. I also was able to obtain for the family of Pvt. Leroy Johnston medals deserved but denied dating back to World War I. Because of racial inequities, Pvt. Johnston’s military records were doctored and he was not awarded the medals he had earned. After this success, I introduced a bill to require a review of the records of African American, Asian American, Hispanic American, Jewish American, and Native American war veterans who appeared to have been denied recognition due to discrimination. The World War I Valor Medals Review Act – now law – will have a tremendous impact on the lives of the descendants of service member wrongly denied their due recognition. I also have supported numerous bills, including the VA Accountability Act and the VA MISSION Act, to improve care for veterans, provide the VA Secretary with sweeping new authority to fire corrupt or incompetent employees for cause, recoup bonuses, and hold employees accountable for their actions. We have also worked to enact into law important policies that reform construction project management at the VA and funding that will help to improve the appeals process for VA claims, offer more education opportunities for veterans, and address the backlog of disability claims for our nation’s heroes. Working with and for Arkansas’s veterans has been one of the most rewarding aspects of my work serving you in the People’s House. Also, it has been an honor to vote for bills – now laws – long-fought for by our veterans community including fixing the Widow’s Tax, to ensure that the widows of veterans who died from service connected conditions do not have their survivor benefits taxed, and extending benefits to additional Blue Water Vietnam Veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange during their service in Vietnam. Homeland Security and Immigration Reforms Border security has always been an important issue for Arkansans, and I made it a priority from day one to see our southern border firsthand to learn about its complex challenges. This is why I have been to the border six times in my five years in Congress, and I have visited a different part of the border each time. I learned that because each sector along the border is unique in geography, economy, and traditions, we must design coordinated, effective physical security, including a wall, fencing, sophisticated technology, and combine that with robust customs and border patrol manpower. Together, we can have a successful long-term secure border. Our immigration system is broken, and I will continue to support immigration proposals that include strong funding for border security; a merit-based immigration system; improving our visa system; and, establishing employment verification systems. America is a nation of immigrants, and many of our country’s most successful businesses are run by first- and second-generation immigrants. My happiest occasions as your Congressman are when I’ve spoken at U.S. naturalization ceremonies in Arkansas and have had the opportunity to welcome these new Americans to their country and congratulate their families. I am moved by the trials and tribulations of those new Americans who came to our country the right way, through a long and arduous legal process, and for them, I will continue to push for reform in our immigration system and support legal immigration. Conservation and our National Parks For five decades I have been an avid outdoorsman and believe that we must protect our public lands, such as national parks and wilderness, so that her future generations can learn about our nation's history and see the beauty of our extraordinary country. I had this in mind when I introduced H.R. 2611, the Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site Boundary Modification Act, which exemplifies my commitment to history, preservation, and conservation. I was joined in sponsoring this important measure by the House and Senate Arkansas delegation and my friend, civil rights icon Congressman John Lewis (D-GA). The bill passed by unanimous consent in the House and Senate and was signed into law by the president. This measure expands the National Historic Site designation to the houses across the street from Central High School because of the importance of the streetscape in the events that unfolded in September 1957. Already, this bill is helping to preserve these homes to ensure they will forever stand is a living monument to the Little Rock Nine’s brave actions to integrate Central High School. In 2018, I successfully drafted and passed legislation that expanded the Flatside Wilderness Area located in Perry County. My goal was to make the area more accessible to visitors and to ensure the Flatside Wilderness remains an integral part of what makes Arkansas the “Natural State”. President Trump signed my Flatside Wilderness Act into law on January 10, 2019. In the act, I named the 640-acre addition for former second congressional district Congressman Ed Bethune, a distinguished conservationist and the legislative father of the original Flatside Wilderness Act, which was signed into law by President Ronald Reagan in 1984. The act also initiated a study by the U.S. Forest Service of approximately 2,000 acres adjoining the Flatside Wilderness to determine if these qualify for inclusion as well. I was proud to be an original cosponsor on the land and water conservation fund (LWCF) legislation that improves public lands management, protects cherished landscapes, and increases public access for recreation while protecting private property rights. This bill also included a permanent reauthorization of the LWCF. It was signed into law on March 12, 2019. Also, I was very pleased to be an original cosponsor of the Restore our Parks and Public Lands Act, which will reduce the maintenance backlog of the National Park Service and ensure our National Parks remain attractive places for all Americans to visit. This bill was included as a part of the Great American Outdoors Act, which has passed the Senate, and will come back to the House for approval in July. China China under the leadership of Communist party leader and authoritarian Xi Jinping has the goal of being the leading economic and military power in the world. We’ve seen this with its aggressive expansion in the South China Sea and East China Sea, and China has consistently increased its military budget since Xi took power in 2013. China’s history of intellectual property theft from American businesses and the American military has been well documented for several decades, and China’s “one belt, one road” initiative takes advantage of developing nations by offering financial opportunities with caveats that require the host nation to pledge or give up things like rights to critical natural resources or strategic locations. We’ve seen these “debt traps” in Africa, SE Asia, and even in our own backyard in South America. Over the past three decades, the United States and our allies around the world have given the Communists in China plenty of opportunities to be a constructive participant in the world order, but frankly, we’ve seen that China has no desire to follow these norms. This was proven true with the outbreak of the novel Coronavirus. We will never know how many lives would have not been lost around the world had China taken the outbreak of Coronavirus seriously from the beginning. I have used my position as the Lead Republican on the House Financial Services Subcommittee for National Security, International Development and Monetary Policy, to reign in some of China’s economic levers. The House passed my bill, the Ensuring Chinese Debt Transparency Act, which pushes for greater transparency of financing provided by China to another country through our international financial institutions, such as the International Monetary Fund. This bill will allow developing countries greater transparency about the costs of doing business with China before they agree to financial help from the Communist government. Further, in response to the current pandemic, I have introduced the Securing America’s Vaccines for Emergencies (SAVE) Act, which would require the president to develop a strategy under the Defense Production Act to better secure the critical supply chains for our medicines, vaccines, personal protective equipment, and medical devices. Finally, it’s becoming more apparent to the world that China is a pervasive abuser of human rights and religious freedom, the protection of which is a foundational principle of American foreign policy. It is in that regard that President Trump recently signed two bills into law related to this issue. The first, is the Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act, which imposes sanctions on individuals responsible for human rights abuses against China’s Muslim Uyghur population. The video evidence of China putting Muslim Uyghurs on trains is shocking and the comparison to Nazi Germany putting Jews on trains during the Holocaust is undeniable. The second bill President Trump has signed into law is the Hong Kong Autonomy Act, which imposes sanctions on those responsible for failing to preserve Hong Kong’s autonomy. President Trump has already used the power he was given in these bills to sanction Chinese companies and members of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). It is important that now, more than ever, that we continue to work with our allies to hold the CCP accountable for its aggressive conduct while at the same time recognizing the critical need to engage the people of China. Russia Over the past four years, Americans have read must about Vladimir Putin and Russia and the threat to American elections. Putin is a bad actor, and Russia as a nuclear power is a distinct and destabilizing force in Western Europe and the Middle East. We've certainly witnessed that in the catastrophic Obama foreign policy errors of allowing Russian to invade the Ukraine, take over and occupy Crimea, and become an essential co-conspirator in the murder and mayhem occurring in Syria. For our part, the United States has passed significant sanctions legislation including the Sergei Magninsky Act, which is named for a Moscow accountant killed by Putin in a corruption scandal. More than 50 individuals are designated under this law for human rights abuses and corruption. The success of this law being used against Russia is one reason I supported the Global Magnitsky Human Rights and Accountability Act in the 114th Congress. This bill applied the same sanctions penalties for human rights abuses and corruption across the globe. Further, the Trump administration has levied sanctions against sectors of the Russian economy and key Russians in the Russian Federation. The United States has imposed sanctions related to the Russian invasion of Ukraine to nearly 700 individuals through the Countering Russian Influence in Europe and Eurasia Act, which I supported in 2017. We have also sanctioned Russian officials and the Russian intelligence agency for its malicious cyber activities, including interference in U.S. elections. We also have sanctioned Russia for propping up illegitimate and dictatorial regimes in Syria and Venezuela. The economic pressure that the United States is putting on Russia today is significant. Given all that, it's essential that you understand that although Russia is one of the largest physical countries in the world occupying some 6.6 square million miles of territory, it remains a commodity-dependent, vulnerable country. Likewise Russia has a GDP that is roughly the same as Spain, which has a third the population, and a per capita GDP a quarter of Germany, which has half the population. Moreover, the country is a demographic basket case with low life expectancy of age 66 for men and low birth rates.1 And, analysts expect that by 2040 the Russian national population will shrink below 120 million (compared to 141.7 million today) with ethnic Russians actually being only a tiny majority. This economic insecurity, increased global isolation, and demographic chaos accounts for Putin’s extreme aggression and intimidation of the border states that made up the former Soviet Union. I believe the goals for any future relationship between the United States and Russia should include: Allied unity within NATO Resolution of the Syrian civil war and political crisis Resolution of the conflict of the Donbass region of Ukraine Honest engagement with the United States and China on arms-control issues Increased pressure on Putin and his regime through use of financial and economic sanctions	”
—French Hill’s campaign website (2020)

Joyce Elliott

Elliott’s campaign website stated the following:

“	Healthcare This campaign is about addition, not subtraction. So is my healthcare policy. “First, do no harm.” There isn’t a family in Arkansas or in America that can afford to go without healthcare coverage. The challenge is how do we get there? We can’t go backward or pursue policies that would disrupt the hard fought-progress we’ve already achieved. Let’s explore every smart policy we can to bring more people in: further expanding Medicaid, incentivizing employers to make it easier to cover their employees, lowering the age of Medicare, stopping prescription drug price gouging, and pursuing a public option where insurance isn't connected to employment. We’re in a pandemic. Washington politicians made this all worse by looking out for themselves instead of looking out for the people. They literally threw out the pandemic response playbook, delaying and denying along the way. Public service is the answer to this public health crisis. There’s no reason for everyday Arkansans to pay the human and economic cost of this catastrophe. The People’s House took a good first step and made COVID-19 testing free. We need to go further to provide healthcare to those who've tested positive. Increase access to quality mental health care for a time where it seems everyone's baseline level of stress has gone up. We can’t let COVID-19 bankrupt people. It’s already done too much. My Healthcare Priorities: Strengthen and Secure the Affordable Care Act Expand Affordable Care Act enrollment options during periods of mass-unemployment Stand up to prescription drug price-gouging through, including increased oversight for pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) Make Washington work for small states in securing COVID-19 relief, resources, and funding Help Medicaid Expansion do more for rural hospitals and the uninsured Protect Social Security and Medicare so seniors don't lose affordable coverage Economy COVID-19 has done more damage to our economy in a few weeks than the 2008 financial crisis did in a few years. Week-to-week unemployment filings show new millions out of work. We need experienced leadership to help us persevere in this crisis. After 2008, I worked with the governor to champion a funding package through the State Senate to support worker training programs, attract outside investment to Arkansas, and create thousands of jobs. Thanks to this program, companies like Caterpillar, HP, and Mitsubishi brought good paying jobs to Arkansas. This economic downturn is different from 2008. Everyone is hurting, and no individual could have planned for this. We can’t penalize people for not pulling themselves up by their bootstraps right now. I don’t favor making things easier only for the wealthy and well-connected. In the State Capitol, I focused on measures like cutting the grocery tax, something that helps everyone. That’s what I’ll do in Washington as well. Public servants in Washington should look out for both employers and employees in this crisis. There’s a clear divide between which industries—through no fault of their own—can adapt to COVID-19 and those that can’t. It’s not realistic for every employer to completely retool and every employee to completely retrain in a few months. Paycheck protection and bridge-loans are the humane, sane thing to do. My Economic Priorities: Expand medical leave, hazard pay, and unemployment insurance to recover from COVID-19 Targeted tax relief for working and middle-class families Design smart federal incentives that help state leaders bring investment and jobs to Arkansas through place-based economic growth Support initiatives in the artistic and creative sectors to harness untapped potential from downtown to the countryside Fight for paycheck protection for employees and bridge loans to employers affected by COVID-19 Increase Congressional oversight, on the trillions of dollars spent on relief to ensure Washington insiders, lobbyists, and big donors don’t skim off the top Infrastructure In my decades in the State Legislature, I've always looked at infrastructure as a bipartisan issue. There aren't Republican roads or Democratic roads, just roads. They need maintenance and improvement, and the federal government needs to fund its fair share. One of the great disappointments of this administration has been the lack of investment in rebuilding our nation’s infrastructure. The president missed a critical opportunity to begin new infrastructure projects with bipartisan support. The Highway Trust Fund needs adequate funding now—Arkansas has over 760 bridges that have been deemed “structurally deficient,” and our roads need over $500 per driver per year to stay functional. The COVID-19 pandemic has shown us that internet access should be a public utility. It’s an investment critical to public health and national defense. When schools and businesses closed, having dependable internet at home became key to academic and professional success. Let’s leave no stone unturned: create municipal wifi projects and build public broadband into rural areas. Funding infrastructure isn't just about paving potholes or making it easier on your tires. Our roads connect towns big and small. Communities dependent on tourism need good roads to bring in business. Being able to hop in a car and explore—that's a fundamental part of being an Arkansan and an American. I want the government to ensure we have the ability to do that. My Infrastructure Priorities: Help our infrastructure pass safety standards with federal funding Conduct asset audits in rural areas so policymakers and the people know what resources they have and how best they can grow. Invest in rural broadband as the future moves more and more online Empower and incentivize utilities to build out broadband Education I was a teacher for 30 years, and I’m still a teacher at heart. In my classroom, I saw how a good education coupled with opportunity can propel students above their lot in life. That’s the American Dream, and the way we preserve it and expand it for more Arkansans is through a world-class education system. In the State Capitol, I led the fight to secure $40 million and create Arkansas’s Pre-K program, which became the #1 program nationwide. I helped pass teacher pay increases so we can help attract folks from all backgrounds in our classrooms. Since then, we’ve seen a concerning drop in government funding for teachers and students from Pre-K all the way to higher education. That isn’t right. Ask any economist—they’d tell you investing in education for our children and young adults is a surefire way to grow our economy long-term. It helps our kids, our families, and our communities. In Congress, I will push for policies to equip states with the resources they need to help their students, families, and teachers. The COVID-19 pandemic is putting a spotlight on the inequalities in our school system. How can we expect students to learn equally from online classes when many of our students don't have adequate internet access? How can students who need to work to put themselves through school continue supporting themselves? This crisis underscores the need for us to help students have a fair shot at a high-quality education. My Education Priorities: Keep equity front-of-mind when we craft education policy from testing, to teacher pay, to after-school programs Serve on the Education Committee and provide more federal support for struggling schools Make Pre-K available nationwide, modeled after Arkansas’s Better Chance for School Success program Expand funding for Federal Pell Grants to keep up with rising college costs Build out broadband as part of our public education infrastructure Healing Arkansas This pandemic has exposed significant problems and expanded the divisions in our communities. Families are struggling to make ends meet, businesses are facing an uncertain future, and doctors are going without many of the resources they need to combat COVID-19. We need a comprehensive plan that addresses the immediate issues while fixing the broken foundation that magnifies the problems we’re dealing with right now. ‍Arkansas received $1.25 Billion from the federal government in the CARES Act. Resources of this magnitude don’t come around often. Let’s get this right by investing in the long-term health and quality of life for all Arkansans. Joyce Elliott’s longstanding ties to the community, experience in the state legislature, and platform as a policy innovator on the congressional campaign trail put her in a unique position to chart a course for Arkansas in this crucial time. Part I: $100 Million Investment in UAMS $1.25 BILLION RELIEF FUND PLAN The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) hospital system serves as the frontline in our state’s fight against the current health crisis. So many critical policies—the Affordable Care Act, Medicaid Expansion, and protections for pre-existing conditions—can’t be implemented properly without supporting UAMS. Long before COVID-19, UAMS has led our state in healthcare advancement. Nearly half of all physicians in the state and physicians in rural areas were educated at UAMS. Additionally, UAMS is at the forefront of innovation, producing advancements in medical technology and patient services. The UAMS medical system reaches every corner of Arkansas with positive and impactful services. Healthcare workers and essential employees at UAMS are working tirelessly to combat COVID-19 and maintain normal healthcare operations, often without the protective equipment they need. Our state must invest $100 million in UAMS to support the system’s tens of thousands of employees as they work to keep our citizens healthy. Investment in the UAMS system will go toward three areas of Arkansas’s healthcare response to COVID-19. Funding will be used to (1) address shortages of essential medical equipment in hospitals, (2) support important research capabilities in areas of testing and immunizations, and (3) continue training the next generation of Arkansas’s health professionals to serve in our cities and rural towns. This $1.25 billion will address pressing health concerns, but it will also help rebuild and reignite Arkansas’s economy. Funding for UAMS results in long-term economic benefits. For every $1 of taxpayer money invested in the UAMS system, $24.50 is pumped back into the local economy. That turns into $2.45 billion—nearly double the total of the entire CARES Act coronavirus relief fund. Support for UAMS can address our crucial medical emergency while strengthening our long-term recovery. Part II: Economic Health $75 Million in COVID-19 Relief Funds to Worker Compensation We can't have people go back to work without a plan in place to protect workers. In addition to taking the necessary public health steps to stop the spread of COVID-19, Joyce proposes that we extend worker’s compensation to cover Arkansas public employees who contract COVID-19 on the job. With a two-step strategy to (1) emphasize prevention strategies for workplaces and (2) increase investment in the state's worker’s compensation fund, we can support our public-sector workers and minimize the financial burden on the state fund. Our firefighters, public school teachers, UAMS workers, and all public employees have the right to be safe on the job. As the private sector grapples with concerns of liability in this unprecedented business environment, this plan's approach to the public sector can serve as a blueprint for a possible solution. In Congress, Joyce will fight to protect every Arkansas worker’s health and safety and support economic opportunity for everyone. This starts by using federal resources to back state-run programs such as the worker’s compensation fund in this time of great need. Total of $200 Million for Arkansas Ready for Business Grant Program Requesting an additional $52.3 million to the the program dedicated to Small Businesses in Arkansas No small business could be expected to have planned for COVID-19. In the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression, we need to support the economic backbone of our communities. With diligent oversight, the Arkansas Ready for Business Program should facilitate grants to provide a lifeline to Arkansas businesses. The program focuses on businesses with 25 or fewer employees to specifically address unexpected costs from the health crisis such as personal protective equipment (PPE), sanitization supplies, and contactless payment technologies. This grant program will (1) allow small businesses across the state to reopen their doors, (2) put hard-working Arkansans back to work, and (3) ensure employees and customers can remain safe while business is open. To date, the state has allocated $147.7 Million to the program. This should be increased to $200 Million to meet the present need of Arkansas businesses. The time for inaction and ineffectiveness is over. In Congress, Joyce will be committed to supporting federal programs that ensure states can financially support small businesses through funds like the Ready for Business Grant Program. She will bring the concerns of small businesses in Arkansas straight to Washington. $100 Million for Rural Broadband Expansion Internet access has become a requirement of daily life, though we haven’t done enough to ensure every Arkansan has access to this vital public utility. The COVID-19 crisis has put a spotlight on the unequal internet access in Arkansas. We cannot afford to wait any longer to address this problem. Thousands of Arkansans lack access to telemedicine, critical health information, and economic opportunities that have moved online. Investing $100 million in rural broadband expansion will help the state determine the areas of greatest need in Arkansas and channel funding directly to these locations. Joyce's plan would establish a permanent fund to fast-track proposals for Arkansas companies to start building broadband capacity in rural and underserved urban areas. Now is the time to work towards universal broadband. Investment of $100 million represents a first step that is long overdue. One third of Arkansans live in rural areas. In Congress, Joyce will never back down from the challenge to uplift the needs and concerns of small-town America in this time of crisis. $25 Million to Public School Infrastructure Readiness As a lifelong educator and advocate for public schools in Arkansas, Joyce recognizes the critical decision facing our state in determining the safest way for our students to return to school. Before we send our kids back, Joyce is committed to implementing measures to protect students, their families, and their communities. To accomplish this goal, Joyce plans to make funding available to address essential healthcare needs in all schools including adequate testing procedures, PPE, sanitizing stations, and comprehensive cleaning programs. All students must have access to safe and productive educational environments. In Congress, Joyce will push to be put on the House Education and Labor Committee. She will use her 30+ years of experience in the field of education to safeguard the best interests of students across Arkansas by fighting for increased federal funding to help schools support local communities. Part III: Rural Healthcare $400 Million to Arkansas Works - COVID-19 Care Fund We have a duty to support every Arkansan who is impacted by this global health crisis. Our brave healthcare workers share this sense of responsibility as they provide care to all those affected. We must provide special aid to medical facilities willing and able to treat uninsured and underinsured pandemic victims. These crucial facilities must not be allowed to fail for serving communities in need. Joyce’s proposal seeks to expand the successful Arkansas Works Medicaid program through the Arkansas Department of Health. The plan establishes an emergency medical fund that will directly support medical centers struggling in the face of uncompensated care losses from the COVID-19 crisis. The health of our state and viability of our healthcare system depend on significant financial support. If elected, Joyce will fiercely support medical facilities in their efforts to provide high quality care to all patients. To effectively combat this virus, all those affected must be served. Joyce will work in Congress to direct funds to clinics and medical facilities like those in Arkansas that are putting the health of the nation above their bottom line. $300 Million Trinity Investment for Rural Healthcare in Arkansas Long before the pandemic, Arkansas’s rural hospitals and health clinics struggled to stay open. Over 1.1 million people (roughly one third of the total state population) live in rural areas in Arkansas. Additional funding is required to provide all Arkansans access to quality healthcare in this time of crisis, no matter where they live. Investment must begin with support for the state’s 28 Critical Access Hospitals. Direct payments of $10 million (totaling $280 million) to each facility will support the only providers of emergency medical services in many rural areas. The final $20 million would be distributed in $100,000 increments to the state’s 99 rural health clinics and 109 rural health centers. The services provided by these facilities are critical to providing all Arkansans, no matter where they live, with primary care and professional medical guidance. In each case, this plan’s proposed funding distribution enables each medical institution to address their greatest needs that have arisen from the crisis. Federal aid must benefit Arkansans in every corner of the state. In Congress, Joyce will be an outspoken proponent of investment in crucial rural healthcare services. Joyce’s small-town upbringing and lifetime of public service in Arkansas to support and advocate for the interests of our state at the federal level. Environment & Energy COVID-19 has reminded me how much I cherish Arkansas’s natural beauty. Not being able to go to some parks, trails, and campgrounds because of social distancing is unfortunate. It’d be much worse if we couldn’t go back at all because we didn’t protect our environment. I’m committed to energy solutions that can power our lives while also protecting the environment that enriches our lives. In my decades as a public servant, I’ve never insisted on a one-size-fits-all solution. That’s how I view balancing our environmental protections with our energy needs. There’s no one kind of energy that will work for us all the way. A progressive, practical solution is to use a combination of energy sources: wind and solar, but also nuclear and natural gas. It’s a unique pleasure to take a day off and walk in Cadron Settlement Park or go hike up Flatside Pinnacle. We need clean water and a protected environment to do that. In Congress, I will fight to bring home renewable energy projects and energy innovation funding so we can pass on our love of nature, hunting, and fishing to the next generation. My Environmental Priorities: Push for green tech and green jobs funding for Arkansas Stop turning a blind eye to bad-faith polluters that break the rules Maintain public parks so we can enjoy our state’s beauty Work with energy innovators to bring the future of sustainable resources to Arkansas Public Service Reform From the beginning, I’ve said this campaign is about public service, not self-service. The COVID-19 pandemic is a harsh reminder of why we need honest public servants in government. Unfortunately, too many in Washington are looking to serve themselves and special interests while ignoring what’s best for the public. We need to change the rules so that can’t happen. Oversight and accountability are the key. Take the $2 Trillion relief package passed by Congress in the CARES Act. The House insisted on a special watchdog to ensure that lobbyists and special interests weren’t receiving an undue amount of funding. But then President Trump fired this watchdog knowing he himself wouldn’t be held accountable on a bipartisan basis. No oversight, no accountability, and that hurts all of us. I have a two-pronged approach to fix this. First, we need to stop members of Congress from turning a blind eye to lobbyists corrupting the policymaking process. All too often, this is because lobbyists are former members of Congress themselves, and their clients are big campaign donors. There should be a lifetime ban on members of Congress becoming lobbyists after they leave office. Lobbyists should also have to disclose the donors of all their clients—no more dark money. Second, we need a watchdog with teeth looking over the executive branch. I believe any administration, Republican or Democrat, works better with oversight. I support calls to create an Office of the Public Advocate to hold the executive branch accountable for rule making and policy implementation. My Public Service Reform Priorities: Stop the revolving door that allows members of Congress to become lobbyists when they retire Eliminate dark money donors to groups that lobby Congress Raise the standard for lobbyist activity disclosure so no lobbyist can work under the table Create an Office of the Public Advocate to hold the executive branch accountable	”
—Joyce Elliott’s campaign website (2020)

Pivot Counties

See also: Pivot Counties by state

One of 75 Arkansas counties—1.33 percent—is a Pivot County. Pivot Counties are counties that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and for Donald Trump (R) in 2016. Altogether, the nation had 206 Pivot Counties, with most being concentrated in upper midwestern and northeastern states.

Counties won by Trump in 2016 and Obama in 2012 and 2008
County	Trump margin of victory in 2016	Obama margin of victory in 2012	Obama margin of victory in 2008
Woodruff County, Arkansas	8.91%	4.21%	7.46%

In the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump (R) won Arkansas with 60.6 percent of the vote. Hillary Clinton (D) received 33.7 percent. In presidential elections between 1900 and 2016, Arkansas voted Democratic 66.67 percent of the time and Republican 30 percent of the time. In the five presidential elections between 2000 and 2016, Arkansas voted Republican all five times.

Candidate ballot access

The table below details filing requirements for 2nd Congressional District candidates in Arkansas in the 2020 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Arkansas, click here.

Filing requirements, 2020
State	Office	Party	Signatures required	Signature formula	Filing fee	Filing fee formula	Filing deadline	Source
Arkansas	2nd Congressional District	Democratic	N/A	N/A	$10,000.00	Fixed number	11/12/2019	Source
Arkansas	2nd Congressional District	Republican	N/A	N/A	$15,000.00	Fixed number	11/12/2019	Source
Arkansas	2nd Congressional District	Unaffiliated	2,000	3% of votes cast for governor in the last election in the district, not to exceed 2,000	N/A	N/A	5/1/2020	Source

District election history

2018

See also: Arkansas' 2nd Congressional District election, 2018

General election

General election for U.S. House Arkansas District 2

Incumbent French Hill defeated Clarke Tucker and Joe Swafford in the general election for U.S. House Arkansas District 2 on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		French Hill (R)	52.1	132,125
		Clarke Tucker (D)	45.8	116,135
		Joe Swafford (L)	2.0	5,193

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 253,453 (100.00% precincts reporting)
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Arkansas District 2

Clarke Tucker defeated Gwen Combs, Paul Spencer, and Jonathan Dunkley in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Arkansas District 2 on May 22, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Clarke Tucker	57.8	23,325
		Gwen Combs	20.3	8,188
		Paul Spencer	12.5	5,063
		Jonathan Dunkley	9.3	3,768

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 40,344
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Arkansas District 2

Incumbent French Hill advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. House Arkansas District 2 on May 22, 2018.

		Candidate
✔		French Hill

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified.
= 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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Independent primary election

No Independent candidates ran in the primary.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Natashia Burch Hulsey (Independent)

2016

See also: Arkansas' 1st Congressional District election, 2016

Heading into the election, Ballotpedia rated this race as safely Republican. Incumbent French Hill (R) defeated Dianne Curry (D), Chris Hayes (L), and write-in candidates Mathew Wescott and Charles Neely in the general election on November 8, 2016. Hill defeated Brock Olree in the Republican primary on March 1, 2016.

U.S. House, Arkansas District 2 General Election, 2016

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	French Hill Incumbent	58.3%	176,472
	Democratic	Dianne Curry	36.8%	111,347
	Libertarian	Chris Hayes	4.7%	14,342
	N/A	Write-in	0.1%	303
Total Votes				302,464
Source: Arkansas Secretary of State

U.S. House, Arkansas District 2 Republican Primary, 2016

Candidate	Vote %	Votes
French Hill Incumbent	84.5%	86,474
Brock Olree	15.5%	15,811
Total Votes		102,285
Source: Arkansas Secretary of State

2014

See also: Arkansas' 2nd Congressional District elections, 2014

The 2nd Congressional District of Arkansas held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 4, 2014. Incumbent Tim Griffin did not seek re-election. French Hill (R) defeated Patrick Hays (D) and Debbie Standiford (L) in the general election.

U.S. House, Arkansas District 2 General Election, 2014

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	French Hill	51.9%	123,073
	Democratic	Patrick Hays	43.6%	103,477
	Libertarian	Debbie Standiford	4.5%	10,590
	N/A	Write-in	0.1%	190
Total Votes				237,330
Source: Arkansas Secretary of State

2012

On November 6, 2012, Tim Griffin (R) won re-election to the United States House. He defeated Herb Rule in the general election.

U.S. House, Arkansas District 2 General Election, 2012

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Herb Rule	39.5%	113,156
	Republican	Tim Griffin Incumbent	55.2%	158,175
	Green	Barbara Ward	3%	8,566
	Libertarian	Chris Hayes	2.3%	6,701
Total Votes				286,598
Source: Arkansas Secretary of State "Official Election Results, 2012 General Election"

2010

On November 2, 2010, Tim Griffin won election to the United States House. He defeated Joyce Elliott (D), Lance Levi (I) and Lewis Kennedy (G) in the general election.

U.S. House, Arkansas District 2 General Election, 2010
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Tim Griffin	57.9%	122,091
	Democratic	Joyce Elliott	38.3%	80,687
	Independent	Lance Levi	2.1%	4,421
	Green	Lewis Kennedy	1.7%	3,599
Total Votes				210,798

See also

• United States House of Representatives elections in Arkansas, 2020
• United States House of Representatives elections, 2020

External links

• Search Google News for this topic

Footnotes

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Arkansas' current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

John Boozman (R)

Tom Cotton (R)

Representatives

District 1

Rick Crawford (R)

District 2

French Hill (R)

District 3

Steve Womack (R)

District 4

Bruce Westerman (R)

Republican Party (6)