The Democratic primary election was canceled.Billy Cook advanced from the Democratic primary for Arkansas House of Representatives District 19.
Republican primary election
The Republican primary election was canceled. IncumbentSteven Unger advanced from the Republican primary for Arkansas House of Representatives District 19.
Endorsements
Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Cook in this election.
My name is Billy Cook, and I am a lifelong Arkansan. My grandparents helped raise me, and they taught me the important values of hard work and honesty. These lessons stay with me today, where I am a community organizer by trade. I focus on housing issues as they relate to our state's lack of tenant rights. The work I do to advocate for renters informed my decision to run. My job is not always easy, but it is an honor to be able to serve our community in Northwest Arkansas, my home. I spend each and every day advocating for real solutions to the housing crisis we are facing. I work with members of the city government and the state legislature to ensure that we take care of those who are struggling.
I still believe that it is possible that have a good government that does good work for you. I also believe that the people who represent you should always be working for you.
I believe we must defend the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act, and make sure that taxpayers know what is being done with their tax dollars. It does not matter if you are a Republican, Democrat, Independent, or Non-voter; you deserve to know what your government is up to.
As a product of the public education system, I know we must keep our schools strong. I believe in keeping our public dollars inside public schools, as well as expanding the free and reduced lunch program to cover more K-12 students.
Arkansas is the worst state to be a renter, and we can do better. Arkansas is the only state that allows criminal evictions, does not promise that you will have a habitable dwelling, and does not provide those facing eviction with any time to prepare their case.
I am passionate and excited about bringing housing policy in Arkansas into the 21st century. There are many, many areas we can improve to provide for the nearly one third of people in Arkansas who rent. I believe we can improve our eviction laws, as well as guarantee safe and healthy housing for all Arkansans.
Beyond housing, I am passionate about preserving and strengthening our public schools with expanded lunch coverage, vocational and certification opportunities, and ensuring our districts in Fayetteville and Springdale remain competitive in test scores and academic placement.
Northwest Arkansas, and District 19, are rapidly growing areas. This means we must prepare for this growth by expanding transportation access and infrastructure, as well as guaranteeing the strong output of our energy grid. The decisions and investments we make now will determine the future.
I look up to current Arkansas legislators Denise Garner and Stephanie Flowers. In the House and Senate, each embodies in their own way what a public servant should be: someone who can govern while still standing up for the people they represent.
I believe a public official should be transparent, available, and honest. They must be a hard and diligent worker, able to handle the stress of the policymaking process, and to understand the issues facing their districts. An elected official should be willing to do the day to day work of helping their constituents. An elected official should be willing to listen and work with people who disagree with them, and be willing to make compromises. However, an elected official should not compromise their values.
Firstly, I have always worked to serve others. A servant mentality is not only important to be an office holder in my mind, but a necessity. Honesty, transparency, diligence, and compassion are also important qualities that I expect to see in officeholders.
Lastly, a good officeholder should be a good listener, someone who pays attention to the needs of the people they represent.
The core responsibilities for someone elected to this office will be to draft legislation, participate in the policymaking process, perform constituent services and work to help the needs of the population they represent, and in advocating for issues that are relevant to their constituents.
I would like to leave the world a better place than how I found it. This means passing meaningful legislation that is felt in the day to day lives of ordinary people. It means working to ensure that future generations are able to successfully enjoy the same prosperity we do now.
I worked for the law school library at the University of Arkansas under the work study program, before transferring to another position in the business school on campus after a month and a half.
I believe the Governor should work with the legislature to pass good policy for everyday people. This includes listening to the concerns of constituents that we bring up, and not allowing partisanship to get in the way of doing what is right.
I believe our state must solve its hunger crisis, as well as the big issues we see surrounding childhood hunger. Additionally, our state's housing laws are woefully antiquated, and should be made more forgiving for renters.
Yes, I do believe it is beneficial to build relationships with other legislators. Through compromise and establishing a strong rapport with colleagues, we can work together to solve problems that we could not do ourselves.
I hear many stories of low and middle income people who are struggling to make their bills, keep their utilities in good standing, and who are worried about their children's education. In addition to this, many people complain to me about how they feel the state does not protect them as renters.
Public Health, Welfare, and Labor, the Judiciary Committee, and the Education Committee all interest me.
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Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf.Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at theFEC website. Clickhere for more on federal campaign finance law andhere for more on state campaign finance law.
Billy Cook campaign contribution history
Year
Office
Status
Contributions
Expenditures
2024
Arkansas House of Representatives District 19
Lost general
$67,007
$31,057
Grand total
$67,007
$31,057
Sources:OpenSecrets, Federal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf.Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at theFEC website. Clickhere for more on federal campaign finance law andhere for more on state campaign finance law.
