Mike Beebe: Biography

As a state senator and attorney general, Mike Beebe has worked for more than 20 years to represent the people of Arkansas because he believes in Arkansas. He believes that – working together – we can build a healthier, more prosperous future for ourselves, our children and the generations to come.

As he said the day he announced for governor, “You can’t come up the way I did and not believe that anything is possible.”

Beebe was raised by a single parent, a mother who worked to raise her son on a waitress’s tips. She taught him the importance of education, and Mike Beebe wants to make the world-class education he received in Arkansas public schools a reality for every child.

Beebe was born in Amagon, Arkansas (Jackson County), in 1946. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from Arkansas State University in 1968 and a law degree from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville in 1972, all the while serving his country in the U.S. Army Reserves. Elected to the Arkansas Senate in 1982, Beebe worked for 20 years to achieve fiscal conservatism, to reach across party lines, and to solve problems. In a career that demonstrates a commitment to good government, Mike Beebe repeatedly stresses integrity and accountability.

He announced his candidacy for Governor on June 14, 2005, because he believes in Arkansas, and he believes that we can do better. He knows how to govern and he knows how to lead.

Beebe is currently the 51st Attorney General for the State of Arkansas. As chief law-enforcement officer, his responsibility is to represent the people of the state and to be the guardian of their interests. Beebe and his staff are committed to safeguarding consumers, protecting seniors from abuse and neglect, and developing solutions to problems ranging from upholding criminal convictions to protecting children from predators on the Internet.

In his first two years as Attorney General, Beebe's Consumer Protection Division engaged in enforcement efforts that resulted in judgments or settlements of more than $13.5 million; reduced utility rates by $45.4 million; and disbursed nearly $1 million in individual restitution from antitrust actions against pharmaceutical companies. Beebe filed 978 criminal appellate briefs to ensure that convicted criminals serve their sentences, while, at the same time, providing over $6.8 million in compensation to crime victims. In the area of Medicaid fraud, Beebe's office works hard to protect those who reside in our state's long-term care facilities and has recovered $6,025,664.70 in civil settlements and criminal restitution.

Beebe is committed to promoting policies and enforcing laws that give our state's young people a safe environment and a brighter future. His office serves as the statewide clearinghouse for missing and exploited children, hosts Missing Children's Day and a Child-Safety Fair, and Beebe has created Mentor Arkansas, a program designed to encourage individuals and corporate citizens to participate in the lives of Arkansas' youth.
          
The Attorney General and his wife, Ginger, have three adult children. Beebe is an active member of Trinity Episcopal Church in Searcy, where he has served as senior warden and member of the vestry.

The Beebe Record of Achievement

Mike Beebe believes in Arkansas. He believes in more and better-paying jobs, affordable and accessible health care and a world-class education for every Arkansas child. With more than 20-years experience in improving our state, he has the experience and the leadership to make that belief a reality for every Arkansan.

As our next Governor, Mike Beebe will take what is best and what is right about Arkansas and see that it is available to every Arkansan. Mike Beebe believes in an Arkansas that:

• Provides health care for its children

• Demands the highest standards of education for both children and teachers

• Competes for jobs of the 21st Century, not only with Arkansas’s neighbors, but with the nation and the world.

Mike Beebe is a product of Arkansas – our state’s public schools, communities and entrepreneurial spirit. He’s been educated in Arkansas, raised a family in Arkansas and built a business in Arkansas.

Beebe believes the sales tax on food must be phased out. It is the most regressive tax in our state and is one of the most needed areas of tax relief.

The sales tax on food needs to be gradually phased out over time and we can account for the state revenues with the right jobs plan to grow our state’s economy. 

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Visit Mike Beebe’s campaign website

Democrat Mike Beebe now enjoys a ten-point lead, 48% to 38%, in his struggle with Republican Asa Hutchinson to succeed Mike Huckabee as Governor of Arkansas. Read more

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