Joyce Elliott facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Joyce Elliott
Member of the Arkansas Senate from the 31st district
In office January 12, 2009 – January 9, 2023
Preceded by	Irma Hunter Brown
Succeeded by	Redistricted
Majority Leader of the Arkansas Senate
In office January 12, 2009 – January 10, 2011
Preceded by	Tracy Steele
Succeeded by	Robert F. Thompson
Member of the Arkansas House of Representatives
In office January 8, 2001 – January 13, 2007
Preceded by	Michael Booker
Succeeded by	Fred Allen
Constituency	56th district (2001–03) 33rd district (2003–07)
Personal details
Born	(1951-03-20) March 20, 1951 (age 74) Willisville, Arkansas, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Education	Southern Arkansas University (BA) Ouachita Baptist University (MA)

Joyce Ann Elliott, born on March 20, 1951, is an American politician from the state of Arkansas. From 2009 to 2022, she was a member of the Arkansas Senate. She represented the 31st district, which included parts of Little Rock and Pulaski County. Before that, she served in the Arkansas House of Representatives from 2001 to 2007. She is a member of the Democratic Party.

Elliott ran for the U.S. House of Representatives in 2010 and 2020. She was the Democratic candidate for Arkansas's 2nd congressional district. In 2010, she lost to Republican Tim Griffin. In 2020, she lost to the Republican who was already in office, French Hill. If she had won, she would have been the first African American to represent Arkansas in Congress.

Early Life and Education

Joyce Ann Elliott was born on March 20, 1951, in Willisville, Arkansas. She was the second person of color to graduate from her high school after it became integrated. Her older sister was the first.

Elliott went to Southern Arkansas University. There, she earned a bachelor's degree in English and speech. She then attended Ouachita Baptist University, where she earned a master's degree in English.

After her education, Elliott taught at Joe T. Robinson High School. She taught there from 1989 to 2003.

Political Career

Joyce Elliott served in the Arkansas House of Representatives from 2000 to 2006. In 2008, she was elected to the Arkansas State Senate. She represented the 31st district in the Senate.

Working on Hate Crime Laws

In 2001, during her first term in office, Elliott began working on hate crime legislation. These laws aim to make certain crimes more serious if they are committed because of someone's bias against a group of people. At the time, Arkansas was one of only a few states without such a law.

Leadership Roles

In 2020, Joyce Elliott was the chair of the Arkansas Legislative Black Caucus. This group works to support the interests of African American citizens in Arkansas. In the same year, she received an endorsement from former President Barack Obama.

Elections

Joyce Elliott ran in several important elections during her career.

2000 Election for State Representative

In 2000, Joyce Elliott ran for the Arkansas State Representative seat in District 56. She won this election as the Democratic candidate. She received 5,556 votes, which was 83% of the total votes. Her opponent, Herbert L. Broadway, received 1,104 votes.

2010 Election for U.S. House of Representatives

In 2010, Elliott ran for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. She was the Democratic candidate for Arkansas's 2nd Congressional District. She ran against Republican candidate Timothy Griffin. In the general election, Elliott lost to Griffin. Griffin received 122,091 votes (57.9%), while Elliott received 80,687 votes (38.27%).

2020 Election for U.S. House of Representatives

On November 12, 2019, Elliott announced she would run again for the U.S. House in Arkansas's 2nd Congressional District. This time, she ran against the Republican who was already in office, French Hill. In the 2020 election, Elliott lost to Hill. Hill received 182,248 votes (55.65%), and Elliott received 145,225 votes (44.35%).

External Links

• Senator Joyce Elliott (D) official Arkansas Senate website
• Joyce Elliott for Congress official campaign site