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Elijah Thompson

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Elijah Thompson
Democratic Party
Candidate, Arkansas House of Representatives District 81
Elections and appointments
Next election
March 3, 2026
Education
High school
eStem Public Charter High School
Personal
Birthplace
Little Rock, AR
Religion
Christian
Profession
Author
Contact
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Campaign X
Campaign Instagram

Elijah Thompson (Democratic Party) (also known as Eli) is running for election to the Arkansas House of Representatives to represent District 81. He is on the ballot in the Democratic primary on March 3, 2026.[source]

Thompson completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2026. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Elijah Thompson was born in Little Rock, Arkansas. He earned a high school diploma from eStem Public Charter High School. He attended the University of Central Arkansas. His career experience includes working as an author.[1]

Elections

2026

See also: Arkansas House of Representatives elections, 2026

General election

The primary will occur on March 3, 2026. The general election will occur on November 3, 2026. General election candidates will be added here following the primary.

The candidate list in this election may not be complete.

General election for Arkansas House of Representatives District 81

Incumbent RJ Hawk (R) is running in the general election for Arkansas House of Representatives District 81 on November 3, 2026.

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RJ Hawk (R)

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Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary

The candidate list in this election may not be complete.

Democratic primary for Arkansas House of Representatives District 81

Gina Thomas-Littlejohn (D) and Elijah Thompson (D) are running in the Democratic primary for Arkansas House of Representatives District 81 on March 3, 2026.

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Elijah Thompson  Candidate Connection

There are no incumbents in this race.

Candidate Connection = 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.

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Republican primary

The Republican primary scheduled for March 3, 2026, was canceled. Incumbent RJ Hawk (R) advanced from the Republican primary for Arkansas House of Representatives District 81 without appearing on the ballot.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Endorsements

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Campaign themes

2026

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Candidate Connection

Elijah Thompson completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2026. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Thompson's responses.

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My name is Elijah “Eli” Thompson, and I’m a lifelong resident of Bryant, Arkansas, and Saline County.

I grew up working hands-on jobs that shaped my work ethic and values—slinging drinks and waiting tables in bars and restaurants, helping on construction sites with my granddad, and working as a PA on my friends’ student film projects. Those experiences taught me about the realities of working people and the importance of teamwork, responsibility, and showing up for others.

For the past four years, I’ve attended the University of Central Arkansas (Go Bears!), where I’ve pursued my double major in Political Science and Psychology through the university’s Schedler Honors Program, researched the similarities and differences between Nazi Germany’s invasion of Poland in 1939 and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which began in 2022, and worked with large budgets alongside students, faculty, staff, and local Conway businesses to help build a stronger sense of community on campus.

I am running for public office because I believe our state legislature needs fewer career politicians and more leaders genuinely dedicated to public service. If elected, my top priority will be serving my community—listening to my neighbors, learning from experts, standing up for working families, and helping build a future where young Arkansans can afford to stay, work, and thrive in the place we call home.
  • I believe strongly in the economic potential of Arkansas. Our state has the talent, work ethic, and resources to grow a stronger, more resilient economy, but we must be intentional about diversifying our industries. By responsibly investing in emerging sectors, supporting small businesses, and creating pathways to good-paying jobs, we can provide more opportunities for Arkansans and their families without letting massive corporations walk all over us. Diversifying our economy will not only strengthen local communities but also make Arkansas more competitive with neighboring states like Texas and Oklahoma, ensuring that young people and working families can build a future here at home rather than feeling forced to look elsewhere.
  • My mom is an award-winning public educator in Arkansas, and after retiring from the Marine Corps, my dad also became a public educator and a football coach. Growing up, while many of my friends went home after school, I often spent my afternoons in my mother’s classroom—studying quietly while she graded papers. Those experiences taught me about the importance of public education. Today, quality, accessible public education in Arkansas is under increasing threat. I believe every child in our state deserves a strong public school, regardless of their ZIP code, and I am committed to standing up for educators, students, and families to protect and strengthen public education for future generations.
  • Government transparency and accountability are essential to a healthy democracy because they ensure that power is exercised in the public interest, not behind closed doors. When citizens can clearly see how decisions are made and how public dollars are spent, trust in government grows and corruption is reduced. In Arkansas, protecting and strengthening transparency laws helps ensure that all people—regardless of wealth or influence—have a fair voice in their government and confidence that their leaders are truly serving the public good.
I have always believed that families who foster and adopt children provide a vital public service to our communities by giving vulnerable children safe, stable homes. While their work has helped thousands of children across Arkansas, our system still has serious gaps. We need to make it easier for children to report abuse, ensure swift action when abuse is confirmed, and reduce barriers for families who want to foster or adopt. The state should also better support and incentivize these families in recognition of the essential role they play in protecting children and serving the public good.
I look up to my mom. She has always been an incredible example of dedication, hard work, and selflessness. Growing up, she took care of me and my sister, making sure we had the support, guidance, and opportunities we needed to thrive. I admire her ability to balance so much responsibility while staying patient, kind, and determined. Her example inspires me to work hard, care for others, and face challenges with perseverance—qualities I hope to carry into my own life and service.
The most important characteristics for an elected official include humility, skepticism, transparency, consistency, honesty, curiosity, openness, receptiveness, decisiveness, and pragmatism. Humility keeps leaders grounded, reminding them that their role is to serve the public, not personal interests. Skepticism ensures they critically evaluate policies and proposals rather than accepting them at face value. Transparency allows constituents to see how decisions are made, fostering trust, while honesty ensures that communication with the public is truthful and reliable. Consistency builds accountability, demonstrating that leaders act according to their values and commitments over time. Curiosity drives a desire to learn and understand complex issues, while openness allows leaders to consider new perspectives. Receptiveness ensures they listen to feedback from constituents, experts, and colleagues. Together, these traits create leadership that is ethical, informed, and responsive to the needs of the community. These are the kind of ideals I would aspire to as an elected official and a leader within my community. Finally, decisiveness allows a leader to act when action is required, even in the face of uncertainty, while pragmatism ensures that solutions are grounded in reality and focused on what will actually improve people’s lives. A true commitment to the public good ties all of these qualities together, anchoring leadership in service rather than ideology, ego, or ambition.
I believe the core responsibilities of someone elected to the Arkansas State House of Representatives go far beyond simply passing laws. An elected official must thoughtfully make decisions on state budgets, tax policy, and legislation, ensuring resources are used equitably to serve all Arkansans—not just the wealthy, the politically well-connected, or the special interests. They are responsible for overseeing the state executive branch and confirming appointments to ensure competent and ethical governance. Equally important is representing the district by listening to constituents, helping them navigate state agencies, respectfully addressing and responding to their concerns in a timely manner, and bringing their voices directly into the legislative process.

I believe that an effective representative actively engages with the community, sets legislative priorities that reflect the needs and values of the people, and works to educate the public on policy issues. Above all, they must approach leadership with humility, curiosity, and a commitment to always listening and learning. Public service is about lifting up the community, protecting the most vulnerable, and building a government that works for everyone—not just a few.
More so than anything, I would like to be remembered as a good, kind, and decent man.

I would like to be remembered as someone who was brave, strong, idealistic, optimistic, honorable, wise, patient, gentle, respectable, respectful, and honest.

I would like to be remembered as someone who was open to and loved by all people, someone who—through hard work, dedication, and faith in God—overcame masculine inclination conflate strength with taking and destroying and instead realized that true strength is choosing to give and build for others.

I would like to be remembered as someone who cared deeply about the problems of others, learned and listened whenever and wherever he could, and worked as hard as he possibly could to solve those problems by any means necessary.

In terms of policy, I would like my legacy to be the reduction in the number of nuclear weapons that currently exist in the world. When I’m gone, I would like my body of work to reflect the belief that global peace and prosperity between all nations, ethnicities, languages, religions, cultures, and ideologies is not merely a trope found within utopian science fiction; rather, it is our future as a species.

I believe that peace IS our destiny, and we cannot afford to turn our backs on that destiny—no matter how futile or unachievable it may seem to those who limit themselves by refusing to imagine what could be.
The first historical event that I remember was the election of Barack Obama, the first Black President of the United States of America. I remember watching him speak in my class. I was 6 years old.
In middle school during the summers, I would stay with my grandparents and go to work with my granddad, who worked his entire life as a carpenter and residential contractor before retiring. Even though it wasn't an official job, he would often pay me for my work.
My Motorcycle Diaries because I'm interested in Cold War history.
I'd want to be Superman so I can save people.
Finding balance.
I believe the genius of our Founding Fathers lay in their fundamental distrust of concentrated power, which inspired the system of government they designed to protect citizens from the tyrannical abuse of power from the state by dividing authority among multiple separate branches of government. Arkansas’ system of state government mirrors this structure, reflecting the same principle that no single office should hold unchecked power.

The ideal relationship between the governor and the state legislature is grounded in both accountability and collaboration. Each branch must respect the constitutional roles of the other while maintaining the checks and balances that prevent abuses of power. At the same time, both should share a commitment to serving the public good, prioritizing the needs of Arkansans over partisan politics or personal ambition.

This relationship requires transparency, open communication, and a willingness to engage in constructive debate. When the executive and legislative branches honor these principles—holding each other accountable while working together—they not only create effective, fair, and responsive government but also set a civic example for the public to follow. Ultimately, the goal is a government that protects the people, advances the common good, and fosters trust in the democratic process.
I believe Arkansas’ greatest challenges over the next decade stem from its long history of economic under-development relative to the rest of the United States, which contributes to many of the persistent issues within our communities such as limited opportunity for young people, rising costs of living, poor health outcomes, underfunded social programs, and systemic corruption and cronyism within state and local governments. While recent efforts to attract large-scale economic investment—like the proposed Google AI data center in West Memphis—highlight a desire for growth, they also reveal the risks of pursuing development without strong protections for local communities. Critics point out that permanent jobs often go to highly specialized workers from outside the area, energy and water use can strain local utilities, housing costs may rise, and tax incentives may not produce meaningful benefits for schools or public services.

I DO NOT OPPOSE pursuing partnerships for Arkansas with successful American companies, but I DO believe that we must protect working families from being exploited by billion-dollar corporations who use empty promises of jobs, opportunities, and investments to profit. I believe that, through legislation, WE CAN achieve a middle ground: requiring companies to hire locally and invest in workforce development, meet strict environmental and energy standards, tie tax incentives to concrete community benefits, contribute to infrastructure improvements, maintain transparency and public reporting, and support affordable housing initiatives. By doing so, we can ensure that economic development benefits the people of Arkansas, strengthens communities, and builds a sustainable, equitable future for all.
Previous experience in legislative government or politics can certainly be beneficial; however, I do not believe that such experience is inherently valuable on its own. Too often, long tenure can disconnect elected officials from the everyday concerns of their constituents, entrench them in partisanship and loyalty to special interests, lead them to prioritize compromise over conviction, and make them more blind to the problems that too often go unseen.

In my view, experience is only ever meaningful when it is also paired with a humble willingness to always listen to you people they serve, an acknowledgment that it's impossible to know everything, and a continuous commitment pursue knowledge of that which you know nothing about by learning from the different experiences and perspectives of the experts who know more than you.

I believe that the true leadership that comes from genuine humility, skepticism, transparency, consistency, honesty, curiosity, openness, receptiveness, decisiveness, pragmatism, and a true commitment to serving the public good—even if it comes without previous experience—will ALWAYS result in better outcomes than leadership that relies on experience alone.
Yes. Building relationships with other legislators is essential because meaningful change cannot be achieved alone. Strong working relationships foster dialogue, cooperation, and opportunities to find common ground, even with those who see issues differently.

At the same time, it is vital to remain clear about my values and convictions—compromise should never mean abandoning principle, but it can help achieve progress step by step. Small agreements today can lay the groundwork for larger, more meaningful reforms in the future.
The innovative genius and beauty of the technology that is the law lies in its ability to evolve—that the systems that govern our lives can be shaped and improved as we progress.

I believe that in order to advance as a society, we must seek the greatness that has yet to be realized in our future, rather than trying to recapture the greatness of our past.

Time moves in one direction: forward—towards the future. For that reason, I consciously choose to not limit myself or what I can accomplish by looking for inspiration in the past or attempting to replicate what I see around me in the present; rather, I aspire to chart my own course, push boundaries, and expand what we believe is possible in legislative government by looking forwards and striving to create a future that reflects our highest potential.
I have always believed that public service is not a destination, but a calling. Those who are truly committed to serving others should always seek to do so in the place where they believe they can make the greatest positive impact.

At this moment, the Arkansas State House of Representatives is the highest office from which I can legally and meaningfully serve my community, and that is where my full focus lies. If, in the future, another opportunity to serve becomes available and I believe I am called to it, I would approach that responsibility with the same seriousness and humility.

I would never pursue an office simply for ambition’s sake. I believe people are called to certain roles, and I would only seek a position if I genuinely believed I was well-equipped to serve and that doing so would best benefit the public. For now, my commitment is to serve fully and faithfully where I am.
In November 2025, I stopped by the Bright Ideas Enrichment Center, a local childcare clinic providing its services in Bryant. I met Ms. Heather, the woman who runs the clinic. What began as a brief request for a signature on a piece of paper turned into an hours long conversation about the vital role that affordable, high-quality childcare plays in the educational and social development of infants and young children and in the lives of working families—especially young moms and dads trying to pursue education, stable employment, and a better future for their children.

In that moment, I had the privilege to listen to Ms. Heather speak candidly about the gaps in how our state supports childcare providers and the immense responsibility placed on people like her to hold together a system our economy depends on but often fails to fully recognize the value of. Her years of service to the community were physically evident—not in accolades or wealth, but in quiet endurance and unwavering commitment to the families she serves.

What struck me just as deeply were the young men and women working alongside her. They reminded me of my peers—young people still figuring out their place in the world—who had chosen demanding, often overlooked work in service of others. At first glance, it seemed like a sacrifice few would willingly make. But in reality, it was an act of purpose and courage: choosing care, stability, and service over prestige.

This small experience completely and utterly reshaped how I think about public service. It reminded me of an eternal truth that I think too-often goes unrealized: it is not the actions of the few extraordinary individuals that creates the most extraordinary progress; rather, it the persistence and perseverance of the many ordinary people who come together as a community that creates the most extraordinary progress.
Yes, the Arkansas state legislature should oversee the use of emergency powers. Emergency powers are necessary in times of crisis—such as natural disasters, public health emergencies, or other urgent threats—but they must never be unchecked. Legislative oversight ensures that these powers are used responsibly, equitably, and transparently, and that the rights and needs of Arkansas residents are protected.

While the governor or state agencies may need the ability to act quickly in emergencies, the legislature provides a critical system of accountability, preventing the abuse of power and ensuring that emergency measures are temporary, proportional, and in the public interest. Strong oversight allows us to respond effectively to crises while maintaining trust in government and protecting democratic principles.
Arkansas consistently ranks among the states where residents face high prescription drug costs, despite having lower median incomes and poorer overall health outcomes. Rising drug prices strain our Medicaid budget, drive up premiums for state employees, and force too many families—especially seniors, people with chronic illnesses, and rural Arkansans—to choose between medication, rent, or groceries. Right now, Arkansas largely negotiates in silos, which weakens our leverage against pharmaceutical companies with immense market power.

If elected, the first bill I'd introduce would create an Arkansas Prescription Drug Purchasing and Negotiation Authority, empowered to negotiate lower drug prices on behalf of Arkansans. This legislation would allow Arkansas to pool purchasing power across Medicaid, state employee health plans, corrections, and public universities, join or form a multi-state drug purchasing consortium, dramatically increasing negotiating leverage with pharmaceutical companies, negotiate supplemental rebates, use value-based contracts, and benchmark prices against what other states are paying, and increase transparency around drug pricing and unjustified price hikes.

Other states using similar models have saved hundreds of millions of dollars while lowering out-of-pocket costs for patients. This approach treats prescription drugs as essential healthcare infrastructure—not luxury goods—and uses smart market leverage rather than price controls. Critics often argue that negotiation could reduce innovation or limit access to medications. This bill would not ban drugs, set arbitrary price caps, or interfere with clinical decisions. It would simply ensure Arkansas is paying fair, competitive prices—just like any responsible buyer. Others worry pharmaceutical companies may refuse to participate, but evidence from other states shows manufacturers still engage because public programs represent large, stable markets they cannot afford to ignore.
I support thoughtful, reasonable improvements to Arkansas’s ballot initiative process that protect the people’s right to direct democracy while ensuring fairness, clarity, and integrity. Any changes should focus on making the process more accessible and transparent for voters—such as clear, plain-language ballot titles, fair signature-gathering rules, and strong disclosure requirements—without raising barriers so high that ordinary Arkansans are effectively shut out. The initiative process exists to give citizens a direct voice, and reforms should strengthen that voice, not weaken it.
I have two friends my age who have been in a relationship since high school. They dream of buying a home and starting a family here in Arkansas. Hearing their story—and knowing I have the opportunity to help shape the policies that affect their future—reminds me every day of why I’m running. I’m doing this for my generation and the next one, to ensure that young, hardworking Arkansans like my friends can pursue their goals with confidence, knowing that opportunity, stability, and a fair chance at success are within reach.
Competing as a young amateur boxer in the Arkansas State Golden Gloves.

I truly believe that boxing is the greatest sport because it really is just like chess. If you win, it's because you did everything right, but if you lose, it's because somewhere—either during your preparation or during the fight—you made a mistake. There are no teams. There are no excuses. When you win a boxing match, it’s not because someone threw you a good pass or because a team carried you across the finish line. In boxing, when you win, the glory is only yours, but that’s also what makes boxing the most difficult sport in the world. When you lose, the shame of defeat is only yours to carry.

I'm proud that I did something scary and difficult.
I would support and enact legislation that removes unnecessary barriers to voting, expands access, and strengthens public trust in Arkansas’s election system. This includes investing in voter education by requiring clear, nonpartisan information about when, where, and how to vote to be distributed through schools, state agencies, and public platforms. I would also support modernizing voter registration, adequately funding local election officials, and ensuring transparent, secure election procedures so that every eligible Arkansan can participate confidently and fairly in our democracy.

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Arkansas House of Representatives District 81
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    Footnotes

    1. ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on January 29, 2026


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