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Mark Darr
Mark Darr (b. 1973 in Fort Smith, Arkansas) is the former Republican Lieutenant Governor of Arkansas. He was first elected to the position in 2010. He defeated Shane Broadway (D) in the general election on November 2, 2010 and took office on January 11, 2011, for a four year term that was set to expire on January 13, 2015.[1] As lieutenant governor, Darr served as president of the Arkansas State Senate. In this role, he could only cast a vote in the case of a tie.[2] Darr announced his resignation on January 10, 2014, effective February 1, about one year before completing his first term.[3][4]
Biography
Darr has worked as a licensed insurance agent and as co-owner of The MAD Pizza Company in Rogers, Arkansas. He earned his bachelor's degree from Ouachita Baptist University.[5]
Education
- Ouachita Baptist University (B.A.)
Political career
Lieutenant Governor (2011-2014)
Darr was first elected Lieutenant Governor in 2010. He took office in January 2011 and resigned in February 2014 before completing his first term.[3][1]
National Association leadership
Darr was selected to serve on the National Lieutenant Governor's Association (NLGA) Executive Committee as well as the NLGA's Policy Resolutions Committee. He was also chosen by NLGA to represent Arkansas at the 110th China Import and Export Fair.[1]
Noteworthy events
Ethics Violations
Darr's resignation followed an ethics commission investigation which found that Darr had made personal use of $31,572.74 of his campaign funds, received excess contributions to retire his campaign debt, didn't maintain adequate records, failed to itemize loan repayments, and accepted improper reimbursement for travel expenses.[6][7] Darr signed a letter on December 30, 2013, in which he agreed to pay the $11,000 Ethics Commission fine and pledged to reimburse the state for findings in the legislative audit.[6] Darr later submitted his resignation, effective February 1, 2014.[4][3][4]
Elections
2014
Darr was eligible for re-election to a second term as lieutenant governor, but decided against it. Instead, he ran briefly for the U.S. House to represent Arkansas' 4th District. He withdrew his bid for the 2014 open House seat shortly after entering the race.[8][9][10]
2010
Darr defeated Shane Broadway (D) in the general election on November 2, 2010.[11]
| Arkansas Lieutenant Governor, 2010 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Shane Broadway | 48.9% | 373,591 | |
| Republican |  Mark Darr |
51.1% | 389,690 | |
| Total Votes | 763,281 | |||
| Election results via Arkansas Secretary of State | ||||
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
Personal
Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Darr and his wife, Kim, have had two children, Madison and Cooper.[5]
See also
Recent news
This section links to a Google news search for the term "Mark + Darr + Arkansas + Lieutenant + Governor"
External links
- Arkansas' Lieutenant Governor website
- Mark Darr for Lt. Governor campaign site
- Biography from Project Vote Smart
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Lieutenant Governor of Arkansas, "Lieutenant Governor Mark A. Darr," accessed August 21, 2012
- ↑ Arkansas Constitution, "Amendment 6," accessed July 6, 2011
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Arkansas: Lieutenant Governor Quitting Under Pressure," January 10, 2014
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Arkansas Times, "Arkansas Lt. Gov. Mark Darr to resign Feb. 1, cites politics, family," January 10, 2014
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Project Vote Smart, "Lieutenant Governor Mark Darr's Biography," accessed June 25, 2013
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Politico, "Ark. lieutenant governor to resign," January 10, 2014
- ↑ Hartford Courant, "Plenty of unknowns in how to impeach Ark. lt. gov.," January 8, 2014
- ↑ Arkansas Matters, "Mark Darr Announces Run for U.S. Congress," August 12, 2013
- ↑ Talk Business, "Darr Canceling Congressional Bid, Goes On Record About Exit (UPDATED)," August 29, 2013
- ↑ 5NewsOnline, "Lt. Governor Endorses Hutchinson in 2014," February 12, 2013
- ↑ Arkansas Secretary of State, "2010 General Election & Non Partisan Judicial Runoff Election," accessed March 27, 2013
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Bill Halter (D) |
Lieutenant Governor of Arkansas 2011 - 2014 |
Succeeded by Tim Griffin (R) |
| |||||||||||||
