Why I’m running
Why I’m running
My path to this race began long before I became a candidate. I became more deeply involved in civic life because I saw ordinary Arkansans trying to participate in their government — and a system that too often seemed designed to make that participation harder.
I saw it firsthand through our work in direct democracy.
Arkansas is one of only 16 states where citizens have both the initiative and referendum powers — the ability to propose laws and constitutional amendments and to challenge laws passed by the legislature. That right exists for a reason: the people are not supposed to have to ask their government for permission to have a voice in it.
But in recent years, our legislature has passed law after law adding barriers to the initiative and referendum process. I’ve watched requirements become more complicated, technical mistakes carry enormous consequences, and ordinary citizens face a process increasingly difficult to navigate without significant money, lawyers and professional infrastructure.
At some point, a constitutional right can still exist on paper while becoming nearly impossible for ordinary people to exercise.
I refuse to accept that as the future of direct democracy in Arkansas.
This is bigger than any one issue
I won’t agree with every initiative Arkansans put forward. I don’t expect everyone to agree with mine. That’s the point.
You don’t have to agree with what the people are proposing to defend their right to propose it.
The Secretary of State should administer that process fairly, consistently and transparently — without putting a thumb on the scale because of politics, ideology or personal opinion.
And that principle extends beyond ballot initiatives. Voters deserve straight answers about how our elections work. County officials deserve a state partner who listens to them. Small-business owners deserve systems they can actually navigate. Public records should be accessible. Young people should understand how to participate. And Arkansans should be able to ask hard questions of their government without being dismissed for asking them.
Why Secretary of State
I looked at this office and saw something much bigger than an election administrator.
I saw an office responsible for many of the places where people meet their government — when they register to vote, cast a ballot, start a business, search for a public record, visit their Capitol or exercise their constitutional right to put an issue before their fellow citizens.
And I saw an opportunity to bring what I’ve spent my career doing — leading people, improving systems, using what we learn from the work to solve problems and turning strategy into practical action — to an office that can make a meaningful difference in people’s everyday interactions with their state.
My first priority will be restoring trust in our systems. Not by asking Arkansans to simply trust the system.
By opening it up and showing them why they can.
Explain how our elections work. Show people the safeguards. Answer the hard questions. Give people opportunities to see the process for themselves. Be honest when something isn’t working. Fix problems when we find them. And make it easier for Arkansans to see what their government is doing in their name.
I’m running because I believe government works best when the people understand it, can participate in it, and know the people entrusted with it remember who they work for.
Regnat Populus. The People Rule. That’s not just our state motto. It’s the job.