Billy Cook
Elections and appointments
Personal
Contact
Billy Cook (Democratic Party) ran for election to the Arkansas House of Representatives to represent District 19. He lost in the general election on November 5, 2024.
Cook completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2023. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Billy Cook was born in Gravette, Arkansas. He graduated from Gravette High School. His career experience includes working as a community organizer.[1]
Cook has been affiliated with the following organizations:[1]
- Arkansas Renters United
- Arkansas Community Organizations
- Young Democrats of Arkansas
Elections
2024
See also: Arkansas House of Representatives elections, 2024
General election
Democratic primary election
The Democratic primary election was canceled. Billy Cook advanced from the Democratic primary for Arkansas House of Representatives District 19.
Republican primary election
The Republican primary election was canceled. Incumbent Steven Unger advanced from the Republican primary for Arkansas House of Representatives District 19.
Endorsements
Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Cook in this election.
Pledges
Cook signed the following pledges.
2024
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Billy Cook completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2023. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Cook's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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My name is Billy Cook, and I am a lifelong Arkansan. My grandparents helped raise me, and they taught me the important values of hard work and honesty. These lessons stay with me today, where I am a community organizer by trade. I focus on housing issues as they relate to our state's lack of tenant rights. The work I do to advocate for renters informed my decision to run. My job is not always easy, but it is an honor to be able to serve our community in Northwest Arkansas, my home. I spend each and every day advocating for real solutions to the housing crisis we are facing. I work with members of the city government and the state legislature to ensure that we take care of those who are struggling.
I still believe that it is possible that have a good government that does good work for you. I also believe that the people who represent you should always be working for you.
- I believe we must defend the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act, and make sure that taxpayers know what is being done with their tax dollars. It does not matter if you are a Republican, Democrat, Independent, or Non-voter; you deserve to know what your government is up to.
- As a product of the public education system, I know we must keep our schools strong. I believe in keeping our public dollars inside public schools, as well as expanding the free and reduced lunch program to cover more K-12 students.
- Arkansas is the worst state to be a renter, and we can do better. Arkansas is the only state that allows criminal evictions, does not promise that you will have a habitable dwelling, and does not provide those facing eviction with any time to prepare their case.
I am passionate and excited about bringing housing policy in Arkansas into the 21st century. There are many, many areas we can improve to provide for the nearly one third of people in Arkansas who rent. I believe we can improve our eviction laws, as well as guarantee safe and healthy housing for all Arkansans.
Beyond housing, I am passionate about preserving and strengthening our public schools with expanded lunch coverage, vocational and certification opportunities, and ensuring our districts in Fayetteville and Springdale remain competitive in test scores and academic placement.
Northwest Arkansas, and District 19, are rapidly growing areas. This means we must prepare for this growth by expanding transportation access and infrastructure, as well as guaranteeing the strong output of our energy grid. The decisions and investments we make now will determine the future. I look up to current Arkansas legislators Denise Garner and Stephanie Flowers. In the House and Senate, each embodies in their own way what a public servant should be: someone who can govern while still standing up for the people they represent.
'Common Sense' by Thomas Paine and the film 'Mr. Smith goes to Washington' come to mind.
I believe a public official should be transparent, available, and honest. They must be a hard and diligent worker, able to handle the stress of the policymaking process, and to understand the issues facing their districts. An elected official should be willing to do the day to day work of helping their constituents. An elected official should be willing to listen and work with people who disagree with them, and be willing to make compromises. However, an elected official should not compromise their values.
Firstly, I have always worked to serve others. A servant mentality is not only important to be an office holder in my mind, but a necessity. Honesty, transparency, diligence, and compassion are also important qualities that I expect to see in officeholders.
Lastly, a good officeholder should be a good listener, someone who pays attention to the needs of the people they represent.
The core responsibilities for someone elected to this office will be to draft legislation, participate in the policymaking process, perform constituent services and work to help the needs of the population they represent, and in advocating for issues that are relevant to their constituents.
I would like to leave the world a better place than how I found it. This means passing meaningful legislation that is felt in the day to day lives of ordinary people. It means working to ensure that future generations are able to successfully enjoy the same prosperity we do now.
The first historical event that I remember is the opening years of the US war in Iraq. I was 5 years old.
I worked for the law school library at the University of Arkansas under the work study program, before transferring to another position in the business school on campus after a month and a half.
'Meditations' by Marcus Aurelius. It's a valuable piece of history and contains many wise statements that can help someone through life's challenges.
'House of the Rising Sun' by the Animals
I have struggled to slow down my work load, as I have always been described as a hard worker.
I believe the Governor should work with the legislature to pass good policy for everyday people. This includes listening to the concerns of constituents that we bring up, and not allowing partisanship to get in the way of doing what is right.
I believe our state must solve its hunger crisis, as well as the big issues we see surrounding childhood hunger. Additionally, our state's housing laws are woefully antiquated, and should be made more forgiving for renters.
Yes, while it's important to have prior experience in government or politics, I do not believe that is necessary to hold public office.
Yes, I do believe it is beneficial to build relationships with other legislators. Through compromise and establishing a strong rapport with colleagues, we can work together to solve problems that we could not do ourselves.
Arkansas State Senator Greg Leding
I am only currently interested in representing Arkansas House District 19
I hear many stories of low and middle income people who are struggling to make their bills, keep their utilities in good standing, and who are worried about their children's education. In addition to this, many people complain to me about how they feel the state does not protect them as renters.
They said I had Type A blood, but it was just a TypO.
Yes, emergency powers could be made available in a time of crisis, but should be hemmed in by legislative oversight.
Yes, compromise is a necessary part of the policymaking process. However, we can compromise on issues without compromising our values.
I would introduce a bill to guarantee an implied warranty of habitability to cover rental and multifamily properties in Arkansas.
Public Health, Welfare, and Labor, the Judiciary Committee, and the Education Committee all interest me.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
Campaign finance summary
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See also
External links
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on December 17, 2023
Leadership
Majority Leader:Howard Beaty
Minority Leader:Andrew Collins
Representatives
Republican Party (81)
Democratic Party (19)
