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Michael Bennett-Spears
Michael Bennett-Spears (Democratic Party) ran for election to the Arkansas House of Representatives to represent District 87. He lost in the general election on November 3, 2020.
Bennett-Spears completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Michael Bennett-Spears was born in West Memphis, Arkansas. He took classes at Hendrix College and the University of Arkansas. His professional experience includes working as a marketing and events director. Bennett-Spears has served as the Northwest Arkansas Chair of the Stonewall Democratic Caucus.[1]
Elections
2020
See also: Arkansas House of Representatives elections, 2020
General election
General election for Arkansas House of Representatives District 87
Incumbent Robin Lundstrum defeated Michael Bennett-Spears in the general election for Arkansas House of Representatives District 87 on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Robin Lundstrum (R) | 73.6 | 10,496 |
 | Michael Bennett-Spears (D)  | 26.4 | 3,759 | |
| Total votes: 14,255 | |||
| = 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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Democratic primary election
The Democratic primary election was canceled. Michael Bennett-Spears advanced from the Democratic primary for Arkansas House of Representatives District 87.
Republican primary election
The Republican primary election was canceled. Incumbent Robin Lundstrum advanced from the Republican primary for Arkansas House of Representatives District 87.
Campaign themes
2020
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Michael Bennett-Spears completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Bennett-Spears' responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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Michael grew up in rural Northeastern Arkansas watching his parents work hard and struggle to make ends meet; a fair living wage is personal to him. Our community voted for wage increases, and we need a representative who will respect our vote.
Michael witnessed firsthand the struggle to access affordable healthcare: No Arkansan should have to experience this heartache because they can't afford insurance.
Michael attended a small, underfunded public school until he went to Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts: he wants to go to Little Rock to support our public schools and our teachers, so every student has the opportunities he did without leaving their home.
Michael has heard so many similar experiences from folks across the state. Arkansas is growing and we need a voice in Little Rock to fight for everyday Arkansans. Michael is ready to bring our stories to Little Rock and get to work.
- The voice of the people matters. I will always respect the will of the voters and work with them to find solutions that benefit everyone in our communities.
- Every Arkansan deserves a living wage and a safe work environment. I will always work to protect, and further, progress ensuring that our workers are valued and receive appropriate compensation.
- I believe our strength is in having well supported, strong communities. I will always fight to ensure access to healthcare, well funded educational systems, and fair living wages to give our communities the best opportunity to thrive.
No Arkansan should be afraid of, or die needlessly from, sickness simply due to a lack of access to affordable healthcare. By increasing the efficiency of our healthcare systems and controlling the cost of healthcare, we can ensure that our friends, family, and neighbors remain healthy and productive members of society.
Our children are our future, and therefore deserve the absolute best education this state can provide. No child should miss out on opportunities simply because they live in a low tax bracket neighborhood. This is why I support equitable funding of our schools and a focus on ensuring our teachers are paid appropriately. In doing these things, we can become competitive nationally and attract the best resources for our students.
No Arkansan should work a long and exhausting day just to come home to a pile of bills they still can't pay. This is a story that is repeated far too often in this state. We must ensure a fair living wage and safe working conditions for our workforce, because this will in turn lead to more economic stability and a stronger workforce in this state.
An elected official must also be driven and motivated to work hard for their communities. These roles are not for those who aren't dedicated 24/7 to the betterment of the people they represent. Lines of communication must always be open and they must always be willing to sit down across the table and have a conversation.
I believe in standing solid on your principles and never wavering. I will never stop working for the communities I aim to serve.
One that has always stuck with me is "The Giver" by Lois Lowry. It exemplifies the beauty and importance of "the human experience" while also showing the dangers of shielding ourselves from that same experience. As a young man reading this book, I admired the strength of the main character who caught a glimpse of "what was possible" and pursued that endlessly despite the hardships of that journey.
One of the ones that sticks with me the most is, after one of my first speeches, I received a message from someone who was not "out". They thanked me for having the courage to stand on that stage and proudly say who I am and what I stand for. They expressed their passion for politics and their fears of their identity hampering their ability to progress in politics. It was at this moment that I realized the importance of representation for all members of our communities and seeing someone standing there that you identify with. That is why I will always work toward representation for every member of our communities. It is so incredibly important for individuals to feel that they have a voice, no matter their background.
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.
See also
2020 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on October 16, 2020
