House - AR 2nd – Joyce Elliott

Democrat running for Congress in central Arkansas including Little Rock

If elected, Joyce would be the first-ever African-American from Arkansas to serve in Congress.

Since 2009 Joyce has been a member of the Arkansas Senate; in her first term Talk Business Arkansas magazine named her one of its “Top Ten Legislators of 2009”, the only freshman to be so named. She served in the Arkansas House of Representatives from 2001 through 2007; in both her second and third terms, Joyce was named by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette as one of the state’s “Ten Best Legislators”.

Joyce grew up in the tiny community of Willisville, Arkansas, where she graduated from high school in a class of nine students. Joyce was only the second person of color to graduate from the newly integrated school. Her older sister, Carolyn, was the first. After earning an undergraduate degree in English and speech, and a graduate degree in English, Joyce taught high school juniors and seniors in public schools (both Advanced Placement and standard classes).

Joyce’s priorities are affordable quality health care and access to good education. Health care is a very personal issue to Joyce – she recently donated one of her kidneys to her sister who suffered from kidney disease. Joyce is now, in her own words, a “walking example of a preexisting condition”.

Those endorsing Joyce include Emily’s List, the Sierra Club, Planned Parenthood, Network for Public Education Action, and Foreign Policy for America (a nonpartisan advocacy organization working to strengthen support for principled American engagement in the world).

Joyce’s opponent, Republican Congressman French Hill, is a Trump loyalist who had previously been a senior advisor to then-governor Mike Huckabee. The Arkansas Times describes Hill this way: “The millionaire former banker [Hill] has been an unrelenting foot soldier for the interests of plutocrats since his election to Congress, one of Wall Street’s biggest buddies.” Hill’s campaign is largely funded by corporate special interests; he receives almost no contributions from small donors. Hill has voted in line with Trump’s position 96.6% of the time. He has repeatedly voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act. His environmental record is terrible – a 5% lifetime score from League of Conservation Voters. He has a 0% rating from Planned Parenthood. As of April 2018, Hill was the top recipient of National Rifle Association funding in the entire U.S. House of Representatives.

When Joe Biden endorsed Joyce, he said: “Joyce Elliott’s decades teaching in public schools and serving in the Arkansas Legislature have proved she can work with folks from all backgrounds to lower healthcare costs, invest in our students, and help build a fairer economy for all. I am proud to endorse her campaign for Congress.”

This race has become very close. This is the most suburban district in Arkansas and Trump's difficulties among suburban women – combined with Hill's support for Trump and Joyce's effective campaign – have made the race competitive. Trump won this district by 11 points in 2016, but it is much closer this year; and Hill survived by only 6 points in his 2018 race. Joyce can win with our help.