Congressman Tim Griffin (AR-02) issued the following statement regarding his decision to seek the office of Lieutenant Governor in 2014:
“Last year, I announced my decision not to seek reelection to Congress when my term ends. The decision to leave Congress and return home was an agonizing decision but the right one for my young family. Since that announcement, I have been urged to continue public service, and I am humbled and honored at the encouragement I have received from all over our wonderful State. After much prayer, thought and discussion with my wife and family, I have decided to seek the office of Lieutenant Governor which will allow me to continue serving Arkansans as a problem solver and watch my 3 year old and 6 year old grow up at our home in Arkansas. As Lieutenant Governor, (1) I will work to restore trust by reforming the office and saving hardworking taxpayer dollars; (2) I will use my experience, knowledge and relationships to help Arkansas compete and grow jobs; and (3) I will serve as a resource for the Governor and Legislature to help move Arkansas forward.
“First, I will restore trust in the office by upholding the highest standards and reforming the way the office conducts business: I will save hardworking taxpayer dollars by spending less and making better choices. I will reduce the number of staff and do more with less. I will continue to drive my own truck and will not ask the Arkansas State Police to provide me with personal transportation—the ASP has better, more important things to do with their time and resources.
“Second, I will use my experience, knowledge and relationships to help Arkansas compete and grow good-paying jobs. Service on the House Ways and Means Committee has given me a unique and valuable insight into tax and trade policy that will help us develop pro-growth policies here in Arkansas. Further, I will advocate for policies that help us compete with neighboring states—often for the same projects and jobs—and around the world.
“Third, I will use my knowledge of the federal government as a former White House official, Member of Congress and Army officer of 17 years to be a resource for the governor and the legislature to help Arkansas. As a Member of Congress, constituents count on me and my staff to help them navigate the federal bureaucracy and solve their particular problem. Responsiveness, resourcefulness and creativity are critical to delivering results for constituents. Similarly, the federal government is more and more involved with Arkansas state government functions: It directs billions and billions of dollars to Arkansas and regulates many of our activities. As a result, an understanding of the federal government is helpful and often necessary to understanding state government. I am uniquely qualified to navigate the federal-state relationship and be a problem solver here at home.
“I am honored and proud to announce that Lisenne Rockefeller of Little Rock will serve as my Campaign Chair. She is well-known and well-respected throughout the state and will be an invaluable asset to our campaign as we work to move Arkansas forward. She shares my belief that government at all levels must respect hard-earned taxpayer dollars and go the extra mile to spend taxpayer dollars wisely. She has been a tireless advocate for the people of Arkansas and understands what is required to grow jobs and help us compete around the world,” Griffin said.
Rockefeller said, “I am excited to Chair Tim’s campaign for Lieutenant Governor. I have known Tim for years and am proud of his public service as an elected official and an Army officer. He has the energy, experience and expertise to lead Arkansas, and I will do all I can to make sure he is our next Lieutenant Governor.”
About Congressman Tim Griffin
Congressman Tim Griffin was re-elected as the 24th representative of Arkansas’s Second Congressional District on November 6, 2012. For the 113th Congress, he is a member of the House Committee on Ways and Means while also serving as an Assistant Whip for the majority. In the 112th Congress, he served as a member of the House Armed Services Committee, the House Committee on Foreign Affairs and the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Griffin is a graduate of Hendrix College in Conway and Tulane Law School in New Orleans, and attended graduate school at Oxford University. He has served in the U.S. Army Reserve for 17 years, was deployed to Iraq with the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) and holds the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He also served as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas and Special Assistant to the President and Deputy Director of Political Affairs for President George W. Bush. Griffin lives in Little Rock with his wife Elizabeth and their two children.
For more information about the campaign, please visit www.TimGriffinForArkansas.com. Griffin supporters can also follow the campaign on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/TGforArkansas and on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/TGforArkansas.
