AUGUSTA, ARK. – Former prosecutor and U.S. Attorney Conner Eldridge formally launched his campaign for the U.S. Senate today surrounded by family, friends and supporters at his family’s fourth-generation small business, Eldridge Supply Company, located in Augusta, Ark., where Eldridge spent most of his youth. Eldridge said he is running because he believes one senator can make a difference in a Washington plagued by partisanship and gridlock.
“Washington is broken. And, waiting around won’t fix it. And, it certainly won’t help solve the problems we face. It’s time for us to say ‘enough,’ and to stand up for our state. That is what I will do, and that is why I am running,” said Eldridge. “At the centerpiece of this campaign is a very simple idea. I believe with all my heart that one Senator from Arkansas can make a difference and get things done. It takes commitment. It takes determination. And, it takes demanding results.”
Born in Fayetteville, Eldridge grew up in Augusta and Lonoke, where he graduated high school. He later earned a bachelor’s degree at Davidson College in North Carolina and a law degree at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. After moving to Arkadelphia, Conner served as a special deputy prosecutor in Clark County and as the CEO of Summit Bank and Summit Bancorp. In 2010, Eldridge became U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas after he was unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate. He now resides in Fayetteville with his wife and three boys, where they attend St. Paul’s Episcopal Church.
Eldridge said his small town values, family, faith and his experience as a businessman and a prosecutor have uniquely prepared him to fight for Arkansans and to represent them in the U.S. Senate.
“Workers and businesses are the heart and soul of our economy. They struggle every day to keep their doors open. They can’t afford a lobbyist, so their voices aren’t heard. As a result, they bear the brunt of problems government creates. Well, they will have a voice if I’m elected,” said Eldridge. “Standing up in a smart way means focusing on the things that really make a difference in people’s lives: strong local economies, strong businesses, and good jobs; keeping our people safe from threats both foreign and here at home; and, an education system that means a real opportunity for every child in this state.”
Eldridge said it’s time for Arkansans to step up and demand results from their leaders, and that’s it time for Washington to change the way it operates.
“It’s time we hold the government accountable and get rid of stupid regulations that get in the way of success,” said Eldridge. “We’ve got to demand that government function by the same set of rules that we all do – using common sense and spending dollars wisely. We understand all of these challenges because we face them every day, and they demand real solutions.”
Eldridge said job creation, education, the spiraling national debt, overly-burdensome regulations and domestic and foreign terrorism are just a few of the issues he will prioritize as senator.
“These problems have real consequences that I’ve seen growing up here in Augusta, attending the public school just down the road; working on the farm in Lonoke; working with businesses to invest in growing the local economies of Arkadelphia and communities across the southwest and central areas of the state; and, for the past four and a half years, working with law enforcement and leaders across the state to make Arkansas a safer place to live,” said Eldridge. “When the folks in Washington aren’t bragging or blaming someone else for our problems, they’re telling us we need to wait until the time is right to do something about these problems. Well, we don’t need any more bragging, any more blaming, or any more waiting around until the time is right. The right time is right now, and that’s why I’m running.”