Tom Cotton
| Tom Cotton | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
| Junior U.S. Senator from Arkansas From: January 3, 2015 – present | |||
| Predecessor | Mark Pryor | ||
| Successor | Incumbent (no successor) | ||
| U.S. Representative from Arkansas's 4th Congressional District From: January 3, 2013 – January 3, 2015 | |||
| Predecessor | Mike Ross | ||
| Successor | Bruce Westerman | ||
| Information | |||
| Party | Republican | ||
| Spouse(s) | Anna Cotton | ||
| Religion | Methodist | ||
| Military Service | |||
| Allegiance | United States | ||
| Service/branch | Army | ||
| Service Years | 2005–2009 (active) 2010–2013 (reserve) | ||
| Rank | Captain | ||
| Unit | 506th Infantry Regiment 101st Airborne Division 3rd Infantry Regiment | ||
| Battles/wars | Iraq War Afghan War | ||
| Awards | Bronze Star Medal Combat Infantryman Badge Ranger Tab | ||
Thomas Bryant “Tom” Cotton (born May 13, 1977 (age 43)) is the current junior senator from Arkansas. He has mostly held a strongly conservative voting record in contrast to his colleague John Boozman, who is the state's senior senator.
Sen. Cotton is viewed as the neoconservatives' choice for president in 2024, a rival to the expected bids by Texas Governor Greg Abbott and Sen. Ted Cruz.
Contents
U.S. House of Representatives
Cotton formerly represented Arkansas in its 4th congressional district. He was first elected to this seat in 2012. A leader against Obamacare, Cotton has hinted that he might support withholding government funding until the Obamacare failure is repealed.
U.S. Senate
2014 election
He defeated entrenched Democrat Mark Pryor for the U.S. Senate seat in 2014. He took an early lead against Pryor in polls back in August 2013.
Tenure
In June 2020, Cotton spearheaded a resolution to condemn the far-left agenda of attempting to defund the police.[1]
Sen. Cotton introduced a bill in mid-June 2020 that would offer cash benefits to exemplary police officers.[2]
2020 election
Cotton was easily re-elected in 2020 with over 65% of the votes cast after facing only a Libertarian challenger.[3]
Political positions
Cotton takes conservative stances on immigration, supporting reduced legal immigration levels and stronger border security. He co-sponsored the RAISE Act. Cotton has also defended President Trump's tariffs on China.[4]
Late in 2020, however, Cotton disappointed his conservative base when he urged U.S. President Donald Trump to concede the election to former Vice President Joe Biden. He refused to support the challenge to the electoral votes waged January 6 by conservatives objecting to rampant election fraud.
References
- ↑ Two references:
- ↑ Two references:
- ↑ Two references:
- ↑ Daugherty, Owen (May 13, 2019). GOP senator defends China tariffs: Sacrifice by Americans 'minimal' compared to soldiers. The Hill. Retrieved May 13, 2019.
External links
- Biography in the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
- Project Vote Smart profile
- Official Senate website
