Folks —

This Women’s History Month, let’s reflect on the strong women in our lives who we look up to the most.

For me, this is my wife Jerrilyn and my three girls. Jerrilyn graduated from Harvard Medical School, served in the Air Force, and is now an ER doctor. I’m blessed to have her in my life and am amazed at her commitment to serving as many people as possible.

My girls bring constant joy into my life and remind me that the most rewarding jobs I’ll ever have are husband and father. As a 7th generation Arkansan, knowing that I’ll one day pass down my family’s torch to my three girls makes me immensely proud.

But look, just like most other professions, I didn’t wake up one morning and decide that I wanted to run for office. I did a lot of reflection on the lives of so many strong Arkansans who came before me, many of whom are women. Let me take a moment to share some of their stories with you:

Hattie Caraway served as our state and our country’s first elected female Senator. Even when a packed primary field of men ran against her on the basis of her gender, she stood strong and won re-election.

Maya Angelou was one of our nation’s greatest poets and civil rights activists. A quote of hers that I’ve held close throughout my life and inspired me to run for Governor was, “When people show you who they are, believe them the first time.” Our leaders have shown us that it’s time for fresh leadership in Arkansas.

Finally, former First Lady of Arkansas Betty Bumpers teamed up with Rosalyn Carter in a push to get our kids vaccinated. She showed folks across our state what responsible, science-led leadership looks like.

Folks, between my roles of being a husband, #GirlDad, and candidate for public office, I’m constantly reminded how important it is that we continue the fight for equal rights. You can count on me to take that fight straight to the Governor’s office.

Let’s continue to amplify women’s voices whenever possible.

Together,

Chris Jones