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) is an American politician and lobbyist. He used to be a United States Senator for the state of Arkansas. As a member of the Republican Party, he was the first Republican U.S. senator to represent Arkansas since the reconstruction era, a period after the American Civil War.
Contents
About Tim Hutchinson
Early Life and Education
Tim Hutchinson was born in Bentonville, Arkansas, in 1949. He grew up on his family's farm in a nearby town called Gravette. He went to Bob Jones University and earned a bachelor's degree. Later, he received a master's degree in political science from the University of Arkansas in 1990.
Today, he works as a lobbyist, which means he tries to influence lawmakers on behalf of certain groups. He lives in Alexandria, Virginia. He is married to Randi Fredholm Hutchinson.
Starting His Political Journey
Hutchinson began his political career in the Arkansas House of Representatives. He represented a part of Fort Smith from 1985 to 1992.
In 1992, he decided to run for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. The person who held the seat before him, John Paul Hammerschmidt, was retiring. Hutchinson won the Republican nomination and then won the general election by a small number of votes. This was a close race in a district that usually voted Republican.
He was reelected in 1994 with a much larger percentage of the votes.
Serving in the United States Senate
The 1996 Election
In 1996, Hutchinson ran for a U.S. Senate seat. The seat was open because the current Democratic senator, David Pryor, was leaving.
Initially, another Republican, Mike Huckabee, was the leading candidate. However, when the Democratic Governor resigned, Huckabee became the new governor and left the Senate race. Tim Hutchinson then stepped in and won the Republican nomination.
He ran against Winston Bryant, who was the state's Attorney General. Even though Bill Clinton, who was from Arkansas, won the presidential race in the state, Hutchinson won the Senate election. He became the first Republican Senator from Arkansas to be chosen by popular vote since the Reconstruction era.
His Time as Senator
During his time in the Senate, Hutchinson worked on several important committees. These included the Armed Services Committee, which deals with military matters, and the Veterans' Affairs Committee, which helps people who have served in the military.
He also helped honor the Little Rock Nine by giving them Congressional Medals of Honor. The Little Rock Nine were a group of African American students who were the first to attend Little Rock Central High School in 1957.
The 2002 Election
In 2002, Hutchinson ran for re-election against Mark Pryor, who was the son of former Senator David Pryor. During this campaign, changes in Hutchinson's personal life became widely known. This affected his popularity. Mark Pryor also had help from his father, who was still very popular in Arkansas.
Hutchinson lost the election to Mark Pryor. He was the only Republican senator who lost their re-election campaign that year.
After Politics
After leaving the Senate in 2003, Tim Hutchinson joined a law firm in Washington, D.C.. He now works as a senior director at another firm, where he continues his work as a lobbyist.
His Family
Tim Hutchinson has three sons from his first marriage: Jeremy Hutchinson, Timothy Chad Hutchinson, and Joshua Luke Hutchinson. Both Jeremy and Timothy Chad have also served as state legislators in Arkansas.
His brother is Asa Hutchinson, who also became a well-known Republican politician. Asa took over Tim's seat in the U.S. House of Representatives and later served as the Governor of Arkansas.
Tim and Asa Hutchinson are also related to Arkansas State Senator Kim Hendren. Kim Hendren is married to their sister, Marylea. Kim Hendren's son, Jim Hendren, also became a state senator in Arkansas.
