Tim Hutchinson
Encyclopedia
Young Timothy Hutchinson, known as Tim Hutchinson (born August 11, 1949) is a Republican
politician
and former senator
from the state
of Arkansas
.
Hutchinson was born in Bentonville, Arkansas
, and he graduated from Bob Jones University
. He currently is a lobbyist and is a resident of Alexandria, Virginia
.
from 1985 to 1992. He was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives
as a Republican
in 1992, representing the 3rd District to succeed retiring incumbent John P. Hammerschmidt. He defeated a fellow Republican state lawmaker Richard L. Barclay
of Rogers
, also from Benton County. Hutchinson served in the House until 1997, after being elected to the United States Senate
.
David Pryor
in 1996
. Initially, the leading Republican candidate was Lieutenant Governor Mike Huckabee
. When Democratic Governor Jim Guy Tucker
resigned after being convicted of mail fraud, however, Huckabee assumed the governorship and dropped out of the Senate race; Hutchinson entered soon after and captured the Republican nomination. He would face state Attorney General Winston Bryant
in the general election. Even though native son Bill Clinton
carried the state by a 17 point margin over Bob Dole
in the presidential race
, Hutchinson defeated Bryant 53%-47% to become the first Republican Senator from Arkansas since Reconstruction.
: he is pro-life
, supports tax cuts, supports de-regulation of the economy, supports the death penalty and a Constitutional amendment
banning flag burning, opposes same-sex marriage, and opposes expanding hate crimes legislation.
He served on the Armed Services Committee
, Aging Committee
, Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee
, and Veterans' Affairs Committee
. He was one of 16 co-sponsors of the Iraq Resolution
(S.J.RES.46).
, David Pryor's son. During his term as senator, Hutchinson divorced his wife of twenty-nine years, Donna Hutchinson, now a state representative, and then married a congressional aide in 2000. Though Hutchinson denied any impropriety, and Pryor refused to make the matter an issue in the campaign, the divorce was well known to his constituents and substantially hurt his popularity. Pryor was also helped by the presence of his still popular father in a campaign commercial. Hutchinson lost to Pryor by eight points, making him the only Republican incumbent to be defeated that year.Jim Keet
, the 2010 Arkansas Republican gubernatorial nominee, operated Hutchinson's Little Rock office for a time prior to 2002.
in January 2003 as a senior adviser.
He is also a member of the Advisory Board of the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy
.
, succeeded him as U.S. Representative
from Arkansas's 3rd congressional district
. Tim and Asa Hutchinson are both graduates of Bob Jones University
in Greenville, South Carolina
, Class of 1972.
Hutchinson's identical twin sons, Jeremy and Timothy Hutchinson, were the first twins to serve alongside each other in the Arkansas General Assembly
, both as members of the House of Representatives
. Hutchinson is also the brother-in-law of Arkansas State Senator Kim Hendren
who married Hutchinson's sister, Marylea, in 1958. Hendren was a candidate for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate in the 2010 election
. On May 18, he lost the primary to John Boozman
.
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
and former senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
from the state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
.
Hutchinson was born in Bentonville, Arkansas
Bentonville, Arkansas
Bentonville, Arkansas is a city in Northwest Bahamas, and county seat of Benton County, Arkansas, United States The population was 35,301 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Fayetteville–Springdale–Rogers, AR-MO Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, and he graduated from Bob Jones University
Bob Jones University
Bob Jones University is a private, for-profit, non-denominational Protestant university in Greenville, South Carolina.The university was founded in 1927 by Bob Jones, Sr. , an evangelist and contemporary of Billy Sunday...
. He currently is a lobbyist and is a resident of Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2009, the city had a total population of 139,966. Located along the Western bank of the Potomac River, Alexandria is approximately six miles south of downtown Washington, D.C.Like the rest of northern Virginia, as well as...
.
Early political career
Hutchinson served in the Arkansas House of RepresentativesArkansas House of Representatives
The Arkansas House of Representatives is the lower house of the Arkansas General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The House is composed of 100 members elected from an equal amount of constituencies across the state. Each district has an average population of 26,734...
from 1985 to 1992. He was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
as a Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
in 1992, representing the 3rd District to succeed retiring incumbent John P. Hammerschmidt. He defeated a fellow Republican state lawmaker Richard L. Barclay
Richard L. Barclay
Richard L. "Dick" Barclay is a Certified Public Accountant in Rogers, a city in Benton County in the northwestern corner of Arkansas, USA, who was a Republican member of the Arkansas House of Representatives from December 31, 1976- December 31, 1992...
of Rogers
Rogers, Arkansas
Rogers is a suburban city in Benton County, Arkansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city has a population of 55,964. The city is located in the Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers Metropolitan Area, in the northwest corner of the state.-History:...
, also from Benton County. Hutchinson served in the House until 1997, after being elected to the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
.
1996 election
Hutchinson ran for the Senate seat being vacated by popular DemocratDemocratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
David Pryor
David Pryor
David Hampton Pryor is a former Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives and United States Senator from the State of Arkansas. Pryor also served as 39th Governor of Arkansas from 1975 to 1979 and was a member of the Arkansas House of Representatives from 1960 to 1966...
in 1996
United States Senate elections, 1996
The 1996 elections to the United States Senate coincided with the 1996 presidential election, in which Democrats Bill Clinton and Al Gore were reelected President and Vice President of the United States, respectively....
. Initially, the leading Republican candidate was Lieutenant Governor Mike Huckabee
Mike Huckabee
Michael "Mike" Dale Huckabee is an American politician who served as the 44th Governor of Arkansas from 1996 to 2007. He was a candidate in the 2008 United States Republican presidential primaries, finishing second in delegate count and third in both popular vote and number of states won . He won...
. When Democratic Governor Jim Guy Tucker
Jim Guy Tucker
James "Jim" Guy Tucker, Jr. is an Arkansas political figure. He served as the 43rd Governor of Arkansas, the 11th Lieutenant Governor of Arkansas, Arkansas Attorney General, and U.S. Representative...
resigned after being convicted of mail fraud, however, Huckabee assumed the governorship and dropped out of the Senate race; Hutchinson entered soon after and captured the Republican nomination. He would face state Attorney General Winston Bryant
Winston Bryant
Winston Bryant is a former Democratic Secretary of State , the tenth Lieutenant Governor and attorney general of the U.S. state of Arkansas.He was born in Malvern, the seat of Hot Spring County...
in the general election. Even though native son Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
carried the state by a 17 point margin over Bob Dole
Bob Dole
Robert Joseph "Bob" Dole is an American attorney and politician. Dole represented Kansas in the United States Senate from 1969 to 1996, was Gerald Ford's Vice Presidential running mate in the 1976 presidential election, and was Senate Majority Leader from 1985 to 1987 and in 1995 and 1996...
in the presidential race
United States presidential election, 1996
The United States presidential election of 1996 was a contest between the Democratic national ticket of President Bill Clinton of Arkansas and Vice President Al Gore of Tennessee and the Republican national ticket of former Senator Bob Dole of Kansas for President and former Housing Secretary Jack...
, Hutchinson defeated Bryant 53%-47% to become the first Republican Senator from Arkansas since Reconstruction.
Tenure
His voting record was conservativeConservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
: he is pro-life
Pro-life
Opposition to the legalization of abortion is centered around the pro-life, or anti-abortion, movement, a social and political movement opposing elective abortion on moral grounds and supporting its legal prohibition or restriction...
, supports tax cuts, supports de-regulation of the economy, supports the death penalty and a Constitutional amendment
Constitutional amendment
A constitutional amendment is a formal change to the text of the written constitution of a nation or state.Most constitutions require that amendments cannot be enacted unless they have passed a special procedure that is more stringent than that required of ordinary legislation...
banning flag burning, opposes same-sex marriage, and opposes expanding hate crimes legislation.
He served on the Armed Services Committee
United States Senate Committee on Armed Services
The Committee on Armed Services is a committee of the United States Senate empowered with legislative oversight of the nation's military, including the Department of Defense, military research and development, nuclear energy , benefits for members of the military, the Selective Service System and...
, Aging Committee
United States Senate Special Committee on Aging
The United States Senate Special Committee on Aging was initially established in 1961 as a temporary committee; it became a permanent Senate committee in 1977...
, Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee
United States Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
The United States Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions generally considers matters relating to health, education, labor, and pensions...
, and Veterans' Affairs Committee
United States Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs
The United States Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs deals with oversight of United States veterans issues.-Members, 112th Congress:The Committee is chaired by Democrat Patty Murray of Washington, and the Ranking Member is Republican Richard Burr of North Carolina.Source: -Chairmen of the Senate...
. He was one of 16 co-sponsors of the Iraq Resolution
Iraq Resolution
The Iraq Resolution or the Iraq War Resolution is a joint resolution passed by the United States Congress in October 2002 as Public Law No: 107-243, authorizing military action against Iraq.-Contents:The resolution cited many factors to justify the use of military force against...
(S.J.RES.46).
2002 election
Hutchinson faced a tough re-election campaign in 2002 against Attorney General Mark PryorMark Pryor
Mark Lunsford Pryor is the senior United States Senator from Arkansas, serving since 2003. He is a member of the Democratic Party and former Attorney General of Arkansas....
, David Pryor's son. During his term as senator, Hutchinson divorced his wife of twenty-nine years, Donna Hutchinson, now a state representative, and then married a congressional aide in 2000. Though Hutchinson denied any impropriety, and Pryor refused to make the matter an issue in the campaign, the divorce was well known to his constituents and substantially hurt his popularity. Pryor was also helped by the presence of his still popular father in a campaign commercial. Hutchinson lost to Pryor by eight points, making him the only Republican incumbent to be defeated that year.Jim Keet
Jim Keet
James Holland Keet, known as Jim Keet , is a restaurant owner in Little Rock, Arkansas, a former member of the Arkansas House of Representatives and the Arkansas State Senate...
, the 2010 Arkansas Republican gubernatorial nominee, operated Hutchinson's Little Rock office for a time prior to 2002.
Post-political career
Hutchinson joined the Washington, D.C.-based law firm of Dickstein ShapiroDickstein Shapiro
Dickstein Shapiro LLP is a large U.S. law firm and lobbying group based in Washington, D.C.. According to the National Law Journal's 2007 rankings, it is the 117th largest law firm in the United States...
in January 2003 as a senior adviser.
He is also a member of the Advisory Board of the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy
Institute for Cultural Diplomacy
The Institute for Cultural Diplomacy is an international, not-for-profit, non-governmental organisation based in Berlin. Founded in 1999 by Mark Donfried, its activities focus on promoting and developing the field of cultural diplomacy by conducting research, initiatives and programs, holding...
.
Family
Hutchinson's younger brother, AsaAsa Hutchinson
William Asa Hutchinson is a former U.S. Attorney for the Fort Smith-based Western District of Arkansas, U.S. Congressman from the Third District of Arkansas, Administrator of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the first-ever Under Secretary for Border & Transportation Security at the U.S...
, succeeded him as U.S. Representative
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from Arkansas's 3rd congressional district
Arkansas's 3rd congressional district
Arkansas's 3rd congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Arkansas. The district covers Northwest Arkansas and takes in Bentonville, Fayetteville, Springdale and Fort Smith....
. Tim and Asa Hutchinson are both graduates of Bob Jones University
Bob Jones University
Bob Jones University is a private, for-profit, non-denominational Protestant university in Greenville, South Carolina.The university was founded in 1927 by Bob Jones, Sr. , an evangelist and contemporary of Billy Sunday...
in Greenville, South Carolina
Greenville, South Carolina
-Law and government:The city of Greenville adopted the Council-Manager form of municipal government in 1976.-History:The area was part of the Cherokee Nation's protected grounds after the Treaty of 1763, which ended the French and Indian War. No White man was allowed to enter, though some families...
, Class of 1972.
Hutchinson's identical twin sons, Jeremy and Timothy Hutchinson, were the first twins to serve alongside each other in the Arkansas General Assembly
Arkansas General Assembly
The Arkansas General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The legislature is a bicameral body composed of the upper house Arkansas Senate with 35 members, and the lower Arkansas House of Representatives with 100 members. All 135 representatives and state senators...
, both as members of the House of Representatives
Arkansas House of Representatives
The Arkansas House of Representatives is the lower house of the Arkansas General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The House is composed of 100 members elected from an equal amount of constituencies across the state. Each district has an average population of 26,734...
. Hutchinson is also the brother-in-law of Arkansas State Senator Kim Hendren
Kim Hendren
Kim D. Hendren is the Republican minority leader and the chairman of the Energy Committee of the Arkansas State Senate. A native and resident of Gravette in Benton County in northwestern Arkansas, Hendren represents District 9. He is a former Democrat in the most Republican part of the state....
who married Hutchinson's sister, Marylea, in 1958. Hendren was a candidate for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate in the 2010 election
United States Senate election in Arkansas, 2010
The 2010 United States Senate election in Arkansas took place on November 2, 2010 alongside other elections to the United States Senate in other states, as well as elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections. Incumbent Democratic U.S...
. On May 18, he lost the primary to John Boozman
John Boozman
John Nichols Boozman is the junior U.S. Senator for Arkansas . A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as the U.S. Representative for .Born in Shreveport, Louisiana, he was the brother of state Senator Fay Boozman...
.