SPRINGDALE - Former U.S. Attorney and candidate for the U.S. Senate, Conner Eldridge visited the Washington County Children's Safety Center in Springdale today with visiting North Dakota Senator, Heidi Heitkamp.
Highlighting the importance of supporting and empowering those in abusive situations, Eldridge stressed his background as a prosecutor and shared with Senator Heitkamp, details about the A-Chance program he began to help kids in violent and crime-ridden homes succeed in school and life.
As a crime-fighting attorney general, Senator Heitkamp battled drug dealers, protected senior citizens from scams, and worked to keep sexual predators off the streets and away from kids, even after their prison terms are up.
Eldridge and Heitkamp also spoke on their support for the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), noting Eldridge's opponent, Sen. Boozman's opposition to the bill that directly provides protection and assistance programs to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking. Noting that Sen. Boozman visited a domestic abuse shelter in August, despite voting against VAWA, Eldridge expressed disappointment with what he called Sen. Boozman's, "election-year hypocrisy.”
Eldridge stated, “Public safety has been one of my highest priorities and during my time as a U.S. Attorney I worked on cases that included all sorts of abuse and sadly, many included children. I’ve made it clear that one of the first pieces of legislation I will work on in the U.S. Senate is making sure that child predators face life sentences.”
"Centers like the Children's Safety Center here in Springdale are vital to ensuring those in abusive, harmful situations get the assistance they need," said Eldridge. "Their work and the holistic community approach of providing crisis intervention, evaluation and therapy saves kids and sets them up for a better chance for success in the future."
"What our children need is action and solutions that have a real effect on their lives and empower their futures. As a U.S. Senator, I will be a strong advocate for children."