Chintan Desai
Chintan Desai (Democratic Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent Arkansas' 1st Congressional District. He lost in the general election on November 6, 2018.
Desai completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2018. Click here to read the survey answers.
Elections
2018
General election
General election for U.S. House Arkansas District 1
Incumbent Rick Crawford defeated Chintan Desai and Elvis Presley in the general election for U.S. House Arkansas District 1 on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Rick Crawford (R) | 68.9 | 138,757 |
 | Chintan Desai (D)  | 28.8 | 57,907 | |
 | Elvis Presley (L) | 2.3 | 4,581 | |
| Total votes: 201,245 (100.00% precincts reporting) | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. House Arkansas District 1
Chintan Desai advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House Arkansas District 1 on May 22, 2018.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | | Chintan Desai |
| ||||
| = 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. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Robert Butler (D)
Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. House Arkansas District 1
Incumbent Rick Crawford advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. House Arkansas District 1 on May 22, 2018.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | | Rick Crawford |
| ||||
| = 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. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Campaign themes
2018
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Chintan Desai completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Desai's responses.
What would be your top three priorities, if elected?
My focus would be on improving education from access to pre-K all the way up to debt-free college and trade school, making access to high-quality healthcare affordable for everyone, and supporting our agricultural communities by helping farmers sell the products they grow at fair prices without being hurt by trade wars to nowhere.
What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?
I'm extremely passionate about the transformative power of education. Everyone, regardless of their race, gender, zip code, or family wealth should have the opportunity to get a quality education.
Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?
Representative Jayapal from Washington, who does excellent advocacy work on civil rights, especially for the immigrant community. Also Representative Marion Berry, who was an incredible advocate for the people of the first district in Arkansas during his time in public service.
Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?
The West Wing; it's a show about good people trying to make things better for as many people as possible while facing tough odds both internally and externally.
What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?
The best characteristic of an elected representative is the ability to listen and learn from constituents. We're here to serve their interests and make sure that we're doing the work that improves their lives, and to do that we have to make sure we're listening and understanding their perspectives and positions.
What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?
I've made it part of my campaign and I'll take it to Washington with me?the ability to actively listen. Not just listen and wait to respond, but to listen and engage with what was said. A huge part of public service is communication, and listening is one of the most important skills to have as someone who must communicate with people across the political spectrum.
What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?
To be engaged as possible with constituents so the office can fairly and thoroughly represent the interests of the district.
What legacy would you like to leave?
Once I leave the office, I'd like my constituents to remember that I made time for them, consistently, over the course of my tenure. I want to be accessible to each of them and meet them where they are even after I'm elected.
What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?
The election of President Bill Clinton; I was four years old.
What was your very first job? How long did you have it?
I was a busboy for a few years in a retirement home.
What is your favorite holiday? Why?
The 4th of July; we get to reflect on and celebrate the the milestones our country has made before we get back to work making it even better.
What is your favorite book? Why?
Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game by Michael Lewis that's about baseball, but also has a lot of perspectives that are applicable to other parts of life.
If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?
Sam Seaborn
What is your favorite thing in your home or apartment? Why?
My standing desk; it moves with me instead of keeping me trapped in one position too long.
What was the last song that got stuck in your head?
In My Feelings by Drake
What is something that has been a struggle in your life?
The on and off struggle with mental illness. It's time for our society to get more comfortable talking about mental illnesses so we can get to a place where no one has to struggle with them anymore and that everyone, everywhere, gets the care that they need.
What process do you favor for redistricting?
Definitely an independent commission like other states have chosen.
What qualities does the U.S. House of Representatives possess that makes it unique as an institution?
It's good that terms are up every two years. It requires the people in the role to be active and engaged with all constituents to truly do a good job: regular availability at local offices, accessible town hall events, and using technology to engage in ways that weren't available in the past. You have to be very hands on and aware of issues back home, and we're in the 21st century, so we can get creative with it now?it's really easier than ever.
What do you perceive to be the United States’ greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?
I'm most concerned about hyper partisanship and the growing divide between the parties. We need to return to a place where bipartisanship is no longer a rare situation and instead is the norm, but it will take us some time to get there.
If you are not a current representative, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of?
To best serve my district, my main committee interests are Agriculture, Education, and Transportation.
What are your thoughts on term limits?
There's definitely some value to term limits in specific situations, but in my view the best term limits are elections and the onus for enforcing those is on the population. It's time for people to get engaged, understand the issues in their communities, and get out and vote regularly.
Is there a particular representative, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?
Both Representative Marion Berry and President Barack Obama. They had clear, well-articulated positions and did good work their whole careers, in whatever role they were elected or appointed to.
Both sitting representatives and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?
There are so many stories, but one that encapsulates the spirit of so many of the Arkansans I've met is about one of my staff. He grew up poor, and his family relied on SNAP benefits to get enough to eat. His father worked full time and still struggled to make enough money. He was going to college, but it got too expensive so he had to take a break. I'm very grateful that he came to work for me and help on my campaign. I want to go to Washington and be an advocate for people like him and the kid he was, whose families deserve to make a living wage for forty hours of work a week, who deserves to finish college without having to worry about how to afford it or manage the debt. His story, and so many similar ones I've heard from people across the first district inspire me to work as hard as I can.
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.
Ballotpedia survey responses
Desai stated the following about his political philosophy in a biographical submission to Ballotpedia:[1]
| “ | In today's political climate we hear a lot about values. But my parents taught me that a person’s values have nothing to do with how they use that word in a political ad and everything to do with what they've spent their life doing. I’m Chintan Desai and I’m running for Congress because I believe in Arkansas. I believe that all Arkansans have the right to the same opportunities I've had in my life no matter where you live, no matter who your family is, no matter the color of your skin. [2] | ” |
See also
- United States House of Representatives
- Arkansas' 1st Congressional District election, 2018
- Arkansas' 1st Congressional District
External links
Footnotes
