Mike Beebe
From Ballotpedia
| Mike Beebe | |
| December 28, 1946 | |
 | |
| Governor of Arkansas | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office January 9, 2007 | |
| Attorney General of Arkansas | |
| In office 2002-2007 | |
| Preceded by | Mike Huckabee |
| Succeeded by | TBD
|
| Political party | Democrat |
| Profession | Attorney |
| Website | Campaign website |
Contents |
Beebe is the 45th Governor of Arkansas.[1] He announced on January 19, 2010 that he will seek a second term as Governor of Arkansas.
In a state that favored Republican presidential candidate John McCain over Barack Obama in 2008 by nearly 20 percentage points, Beebe has governed as a conservative Democrat. He is one of just 3 Democratic governors nationally who are regarded by the Congressional Quarterly Gubernatorial Race Tracker for 2010 as having a "Safe Democratic" seat.[2][3]
Political issues
State budget
- See also: Arkansas state budget
In January 2010, Beebe said he intended to cut the state's budget by $106 million, or 2.4%. The announcement came after the state's Department of Finance and Administration said that the state's revenues came in below forecast in the last quarter of 2009. At the same time, the state lowered its estimate of income in fiscal year 2011 by 0.4 percent, a reduction of $19.4 million from the forecast the government issued in December 2009. The 2010-2011 budget, which goes into effect on July 1, 2010, does not include cost-of-living increases for state employees.[4],[5]
Background
Governor Beebe was born in Amagon, a small town in Jackson County, Arkansas. He was reared by his mother, a waitress, and never met his father. As a child, Mike and his family moved often. They lived in Detroit, St. Louis, Chicago, Houston and Alamagordo, New Mexico. They returned to Arkansas, and he graduated from Newport High School in 1964.[6]
Beebe received a bachelor of arts degree in political science from Arkansas State University in 1968, where he was a member of Sigma Pi fraternity. He earned a law degree from the University of Arkansas in 1972. Beebe served in the U.S. Army Reserve.
He practiced law in Searcy in White County for ten years after his graduation from law school. In 1982, he was elected to the Arkansas State Senate, where he would serve for twenty years. In 2002, he was elected Arkansas attorney general.
Beebe and his wife, Ginger, have three children.
Campaign contributions
| 2006 campaign for Governor of Arkansas - Campaign Contributions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Raised | $6,304,515 | |||
| Total Raised by Gen. Election Opponent | $3,247,567 | |||
| Top 5 Contributors | Gwatney Chevrolet $14,000 (0.22% of Total) | |||
| Wilson & Associates $8,000 (0.13%) | ||||
| Hissey Kientz & Herron $6,000 (0.10%) | ||||
| Richard Trammel Trust $5,000 (0.08%) | ||||
| First Arkansas Insurance $5,000 (0.08%) | ||||
| Individuals v. Institutions | $4,401,320 (69.8%) | |||
| $1,730,136 (27.4%) | ||||
| In v. Outside State | $5,574,504 (89%) | |||
| $688,273 (11%) | ||||
Electoral history
2010
- See also: Arkansas gubernatorial election, 2010
Beebe announced in January 2010 that he is seeking re-election in 2010.[2] The Republican Party of Arkansas indicated that it plans to field a conservative challenger.[7]
The gubernatorial election in Arkansas is one of 37 gubernatorial contests in 2010. 19 of the seats in states with gubernatorial elections in 2010 are currently held by Democrats, including Arkansas.
The Congressional Quarterly Gubernatorial Race Tracker for 2010 ranks the Arkansas governor's seat as "Safe Democratic". It is one of just three (out of 38) seats that the organization is ranking as "Safe Democrat" as of January 2010, while they have identified 2 seats as "Likely Democrat" and 8 as "Leans Democrat".[8]
2006
Mike Beebe talks about his background at a 2006 campaign stop |
Beebe announced his candidacy for the 2006 gubernatorial election on June 15, 2005. The seat was open, since incumbent Republican governor Mike Huckabee was unable to run for a third term as governor due to the state's gubernatorial term limits.
Beebe bested Republican challenger Asa Hutchinson, a former Republican member of the U.S. Congress who also served as the country's Drug Enforcement Agency chief. Minor party candidates Rod Bryan (Independent) and Jim Lendall (Green) were also in the race.
In the 2006 contest, Beebe outspent his Republican opponent by a margin of nearly 2-1. Beebe spent $6,304,515, while his GOP challenger spent $3,247,567.[9]
| 2006 election for Governor of Arkansas [10] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | Percentage | ||
 Mike Beebe (D)
| 430,765 | 55.61% | ||
| Asa Hutchinson (R) | 315,040 | 40.67% | ||
| Rod Bryan (I) | 15,767 | 2.04% | ||
| Jim Lendall (Green) | 12,744 | 1.65% | ||
| Write Ins | 334 | 0.05% | ||
| Total votes | 774,680 | |||
See also
External links
- Mike Beebe Governor of Arkansas Official state site
- National Governors Association - Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe Biography
- Campaign contributions: 2006, 2002
- Project Vote Smart profile of Gov. Mike Beebe
- Mike Beebe for Governor Official campaign site
- 2007 Arkansas Gubernatorial Inauguration
- Mike Beebe Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture entry
- Mike Beebe speeches and radio addresses
References
- ↑ Mike Beebe's official Arkansas biography
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 The City Wire, "Beebe to seek second term as Governor", January 19, 2010
- ↑ Congressional Quarterly Gubernatorial Race Tracker for 2010"
- ↑ KATV, "Lawmakers Wrap Up Budget Hearings", January 21, 2010
- ↑ ABC News, "Gov. Beebe Agrees to Cut Arkansas Budget by $106M", January 11, 2010
- ↑ ClarkCast 018 - Interview with Mike Beebe July 24, 2006
- ↑ Arkansas News, "GOP chief says ‘conservative’ challenge to Beebe likely", January 19, 2010
- ↑ Congressional Quarterly Gubernatorial Race Tracker for 2010"
- ↑ Follow The Money, Arkansas Governor, 2006
- ↑ 2006 General Election Results
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Mike Huckabee | Governor of Arkansas 2007–present | Succeeded by NA |
| Preceded by Mark Pryor | Arkansas Attorney General 2003–2007 | Succeeded by Dustin McDaniel |
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