Mark Pryor facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mark Pryor
Official portrait, 2011
United States Senator from Arkansas
In office January 3, 2003 – January 3, 2015
Preceded by	Tim Hutchinson
Succeeded by	Tom Cotton
53rd Attorney General of Arkansas
In office January 12, 1999 – January 3, 2003
Governor	Mike Huckabee
Preceded by	Winston Bryant
Succeeded by	Mike Beebe
Member of the Arkansas House of Representatives
In office January 14, 1991 – January 9, 1995
Preceded by	Gloria Cabe
Succeeded by	Lisa Ferrell
Constituency	59th district (1991–1993) 57th district (1993–1995)
Personal details
Born	Mark Lunsford Pryor (1963-01-10) January 10, 1963 (age 62) Fayetteville, Arkansas, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Joi Pryor
Children	2
Parent	David Pryor (father)
Education	University of Arkansas (BA, JD)
Signature

Mark Lunsford Pryor (born January 10, 1963) is an American lawyer and politician. He served as a U.S. Senator for Arkansas from 2003 to 2015. Before that, he was the Attorney General of Arkansas from 1999 to 2003. He also served in the Arkansas House of Representatives from 1991 to 1995. Mark Pryor is a member of the Democratic Party.

He was born in Fayetteville, Arkansas. His father, David Pryor, was also a U.S. Senator and Governor of Arkansas. Mark Pryor earned his bachelor's degree and law degree from the University of Arkansas. He worked as a lawyer before entering politics. In 1990, he was elected to the Arkansas House of Representatives. He became the state's attorney general in 1998.

In 2001, Pryor decided to run for the U.S. Senate. He aimed for the same Senate seat his father had held. In 2002, he won the election with 54% of the votes. He defeated the Republican senator, Tim Hutchinson. Pryor was reelected in 2008 without a Republican opponent. He was defeated in his reelection bid in 2014 by Republican Tom Cotton. After leaving the Senate, Pryor became a lobbyist. He is the last Democrat to serve as a U.S. Senator from Arkansas.

Early Life and Education

Mark Pryor was born in Fayetteville, Arkansas. His mother was Barbara Jean (Lunsford). His father, David Pryor, was a state representative who later became Governor and U.S. Senator. Mark attended Little Rock Central High School. When his father was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1979, his family moved. He then attended Walt Whitman High School in Maryland, graduating in 1981.

He went to the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. He graduated in 1985 with a degree in history. He then earned his law degree from the university's law school in 1988. While in college, he was part of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity.

Early Political Career

Before becoming a politician, Mark Pryor worked as a private lawyer. He focused on civil lawsuits.

Serving in the Arkansas House of Representatives

Pryor was a member of the Arkansas House of Representatives from 1991 to 1995. This is where he began his political career.

Becoming Arkansas Attorney General

In 1994, he ran for Arkansas Attorney General. He lost that election. But in 1998, he ran for the same job again and won. He defeated Betty Dicky, the Republican candidate, with 59% of the votes. He won almost every county in the state. In 2000, he was also a delegate for the Democratic National Convention.

U.S. Senate Service

As a Senator, Mark Pryor was known for helping people in his state. He helped secure millions of dollars for highway projects in Arkansas. He also strongly supported military families. He helped pass the SACRIFICE Act. This law helped injured combat veterans get medical care faster.

Senate Elections

2002 Election

In late 2001, Pryor announced he would run for the Senate. He challenged Tim Hutchinson, who was the first Republican from Arkansas to serve in the Senate since the Reconstruction. Mark's father, David Pryor, who had held that seat before, actively campaigned for his son. Mark Pryor won the election, defeating Hutchinson 54% to 46%. He was the only Democrat to defeat a Republican senator in that election year.

2008 Election

Pryor won reelection in 2008 without a Republican opponent. There was talk that former Governor Mike Huckabee might run against him, but Huckabee decided not to. Pryor's only opponent was Green Party candidate Rebekah Kennedy. He defeated her with 80% of the votes.

2014 Election

Pryor ran for a third term in 2014. His opponent was Republican U.S. House Representative Tom Cotton. During the campaign, Pryor made a comment about Cotton. He said Cotton seemed to have a "sense of entitlement" to the Senate seat because of his military service. Pryor later clarified that he was not attacking Cotton's service. He meant that Cotton hadn't done much in the House of Representatives.

Some ads aired by Pryor's campaign were called misleading by FactCheck.org. These ads criticized his opponent's stance on Medicare. The race was expected to be close. However, Pryor lost by a large margin. He received 39% of the vote, while Cotton received 57%. This was a significant loss for an incumbent senator.

Time in the Senate

For a short time in January 2009, Mark Pryor was the "Baby of the Senate." This means he was the youngest member of the Senate at 45 years old. This happened because a younger senator, John E. Sununu, was defeated.

In June 2007, Pryor announced his support for Senator Hillary Clinton for president. In 2013, Pryor voted with President Obama 90% of the time. His top donors were lawyers, leadership groups, and lobbyists.

Laws He Supported

Pryor introduced the Drought Information Act of 2013 (S. 376; 113th Congress) in 2013. This bill would provide money for the National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS). NIDIS helps provide information to prevent drought damage. The bill passed the Senate in 2014.

He also introduced a bill to repeal a part of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013. This part would have reduced the annual cost-of-living increase for non-disabled military veterans under age 62. Pryor's bill aimed to stop this reduction.

Committee Work

Mark Pryor served on several important committees in the Senate:

• Committee on Appropriations (This committee decides how the government spends money.)
  • He was Chairman of the Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies.
• Committee on Commerce, Science, Transportation (This committee deals with business, science, and travel.)
  • He was Chairman of the Subcommittee on Consumer Affairs, Insurance, and Automotive Safety.
• Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs (This committee focuses on national security and how the government works.)
• Committee on Armed Services (This committee oversees the military.)
• Committee on Rules and Administration (This committee handles the rules and daily operations of the Senate.)
• Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship (This committee supports small businesses.)
• Select Committee on Ethics (This committee deals with the conduct of senators.)

Political Views

Money and the Economy

In 2009, Pryor voted to pass the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. This was a plan to help the economy during a recession. In 2012, he was the only Democratic senator to vote against the "Buffett Rule." This rule would have made sure wealthy people paid a certain amount in taxes.

In 2014, the Senate discussed raising the federal minimum wage to $10.10 per hour. President Barack Obama and many Democrats supported this. Republicans mostly opposed it. Mark Pryor also opposed the bill.

Farming and Agriculture

Senator Pryor consistently worked against cuts to programs for conservation, rural development, agriculture research, and nutrition. In 2014, he led the committee that allocates funds for agriculture programs. He helped ensure that forestry products from the U.S. could be recognized as "biobased." This meant they could be used by the government and sold as eco-friendly options.

He also helped get over $125 million for research in farming, animal science, and weather management. Pryor worked with Senator John Boozman to advance agricultural law research.

Estate Tax

In 2006, Pryor voted against getting rid of the federal estate tax. In 2013, he and Senator John Boozman were praised for opposing President Obama's plan to raise the estate tax. Pryor supported a bill to extend current estate tax rates for one year.

Healthcare

Pryor voted for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (also known as "Obamacare") in 2009. He later said he would vote for Obamacare again.

Foreign Policy

Pryor believes that prisoners from Guantanamo Bay should not be brought to the United States for trial. In 2006, he voted to adopt the Military Commissions Act of 2006. This act set up military courts for certain prisoners. He voted against a flag burning amendment in 2006. In 2007, he was one of two Democratic senators who voted against a plan to withdraw most American troops from Iraq in 2008.

Social Issues

In 2010, Pryor voted to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." This was a policy that allowed gay people to serve in the military as long as they did not reveal their sexual orientation.

Gun Policy

In 2004, Pryor voted to extend the Federal Assault Weapons Ban. In 2013, he voted against a measure that would have required background checks for all gun purchases. In March 2013, he supported a bill that would flag people trying to buy guns if they had used an insanity defense or were ruled dangerous by a court. This bill did not become law.

Judicial Nominees

In 2005, Pryor was one of 14 senators who reached a compromise on how Democrats would use the judicial filibuster. This agreement helped avoid a major conflict in the Senate. He voted against the nomination of Samuel Alito to the U.S. Supreme Court.

In 2013, Pryor was one of only three Democratic senators to vote against the "nuclear option." This change meant that most decisions in the Senate would only need a simple majority vote, not a supermajority. He said that the Senate should be a place for debate and for the minority to have a voice. He believed this change could harm the Senate.

After the Senate

In March 2015, Pryor became a partner at Venable, a law and lobbying firm in Washington, D.C. He was also part of the Platform Committee for the Democratic National Convention in 2016 and 2020.

In 2020, he joined another law and lobbying firm, Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck. He compared this opportunity to "being able to go play football at Clemson or Alabama." As of 2021, he has worked for major companies like Eli Lilly (a drugmaker), Tyson Foods (a meat processor), Duke Energy (a power company), and General Motors (an auto manufacturer).

In 2021, he wrote an article for The New York Times. In it, he asked President Joe Biden to appoint a strong antitrust enforcer. This person would lead the Department of Justice Antitrust Division to prevent companies from becoming too powerful. Pryor is also on the Board of Advisors for the American Council for Capital Formation (ACCF).

Personal Life

Mark Pryor lives in Little Rock, Arkansas. He has two children, a son named Adams and a daughter named Porter. He is married to Joi Pryor. They are members of the First Assembly of God church in North Little Rock.

In 1996, Pryor was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer called clear-cell sarcoma in his left leg. His treatment and recovery took 15 months. One doctor even told him he might need his leg amputated. Luckily, the cancer was found early and successfully removed.

Electoral History

U.S. Senator Elections

2014

2008

2002

• Conservative Democrat

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See also

• Conservative Democrat