Tim Hutchinson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tim Hutchinson
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| United States Senator from Arkansas |
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| In office January 3, 1997 – January 3, 2003 |
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| Preceded by | David Pryor |
| Succeeded by | Mark Pryor |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Arkansas's 3rd district |
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| In office January 3, 1993 – January 2, 1997 |
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| Preceded by | John P. Hammerschmidt |
| Succeeded by | Asa Hutchinson |
| Member of the Arkansas House of Representatives from the 1st district |
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| In office 1985–1993 |
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| Preceded by | Clayton Little |
| Succeeded by | Railey Steele |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Young Timothy Hutchinson
August 11, 1949 Bentonville, Arkansas, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouses |
Randi Fredholm
(m. 2000) |
| Children | 3, including Jeremy and Timothy |
| Relatives | Asa Hutchinson (brother) Kim Hendren (brother-in-law) Jim Hendren (nephew) |
| Residences | Fort Smith, Arkansas, U.S. (1984–2003) Alexandria, Virginia, U.S. (2003–present) |
| Education | Bob Jones University (BA) University of Arkansas (MA) |
| Occupation |
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Young Timothy Hutchinson (born August 11, 1949), known as Tim Hutchinson, is an American politician and lobbyist. He served as a United States Senator for the state of Arkansas. As a member of the Republican Party, he was the first Republican to be elected as a U.S. Senator from Arkansas since the 1800s.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Tim Hutchinson was born in Bentonville, Arkansas. He grew up on his family's farm in the nearby town of Gravette.
For his college education, he attended Bob Jones University, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree. Later, he went to the University of Arkansas and received a Master of Arts degree in political science in 1990.
Start in Politics
Hutchinson began his political career in the Arkansas House of Representatives. He served there from 1985 to 1992, representing part of the city of Fort Smith.
In 1992, he decided to run for the U.S. Congress. He won the election for Arkansas's 3rd congressional district. The race was very close, but he won thanks to strong support from his home county. Two years later, in 1994, he was reelected by a much larger margin.
Career as a U.S. Senator
Winning the 1996 Election
In 1996, Hutchinson ran for the U.S. Senate. The seat was open because Senator David Pryor was retiring. Hutchinson won the election, defeating his opponent, Winston Bryant.
His victory was a major event in Arkansas politics. He became the first Republican Senator from the state since the Reconstruction era after the Civil War.
Work in the Senate
As a senator, Hutchinson worked on several important committees. These included the Armed Services Committee and the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee. He was known for his conservative views. He supported tax cuts, a strong military, and giving businesses more freedom from government rules.
One of his notable acts was co-sponsoring the Iraq Resolution. This resolution gave the president authority regarding Iraq. He also participated in an award ceremony to honor the Little Rock Nine with Congressional Medals of Honor.
2002 Re-election Campaign
In 2002, Hutchinson ran for re-election. His opponent was Mark Pryor, the son of the senator Hutchinson had replaced. During his time in the Senate, Hutchinson had gone through a divorce and remarried. This personal matter was widely discussed and affected his popularity with voters.
Hutchinson lost the election to Mark Pryor. He was the only Republican senator to lose a re-election campaign that year.
Life After Politics
After leaving the Senate in 2003, Hutchinson began a new career. He moved to the Washington, D.C. area and became a senior adviser at the law firm Dickstein Shapiro. He now works as a senior director at another firm, Greenberg Traurig, where he works as a lobbyist. A lobbyist is someone who tries to influence government decisions on behalf of a person or a group.
Family and Personal Life
Hutchinson was married to his first wife, Donna, for 29 years, and they had three sons. Two of their sons, Jeremy and Timothy, also became politicians in Arkansas. After his divorce, he married Randi Fredholm Hutchinson in 2000.
Politics runs in the Hutchinson family. His younger brother, Asa Hutchinson, is also a well-known Republican politician. Asa served as the governor of Arkansas and also represented the same congressional district as Tim.
