LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — On October 16, retired army colonel and Arkansas native Marcus Jones formalized his campaign against Republican Congressman French Hill in Arkansas’s Second Congressional District, which includes parts of Pulaski and Cleburne counties and all of Saline, Faulkner, Conway, White, Perry, and Van Buren counties.
Jones will file at the State Capitol on November 6 to appear on the Democratic primary ballot and will host a public kickoff event at the Villa Marre in Little Rock on Thursday, November 9.
“Arkansans want effective public servants who deliver solutions to the problems Central Arkansas families face every day,” said Jones. “Whether it’s a veteran in Heber Springs, a student at UCA, a farmer in White County, or a working single parent in Little Rock, Arkansans want the same things: fair wages, good schools, and healthcare that doesn’t bankrupt you.”
Jones retired from the United States Army after 29 years of active service, which included multiple deployments to Iraq and Kuwait as a field artillery officer, assignments to South Korea as the Director of the 8th Army Joint Fires Element, and Norway as a Program Director at NATO’s Joint Warfare Centre.
For his final military assignment, he served at Camp Robinson as the Senior Army Advisor to the Arkansas Army National Guard.
“I was lucky enough to serve our country and have the support of a loving family who kept me grounded and sustained me through multiple deployments. No matter where I served, I never lost my love of Arkansas, because growing up here taught me how to be a successful soldier," he described. "But now, our families don’t have the same opportunities that I had. We are headed in the wrong direction.”
Jones graduated from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, where he met his wife of 29 years, Carrie. He also received a Master’s degree from Webster University in Management and Leadership and the U.S. Army War College in Strategic Studies.
In 2020, Marcus, Carrie, and their two children completed their move back to Arkansas after 26 years of service throughout the country and abroad.
If elected, Jones plans to visit with Arkansas families, workers, veterans, farmers, students, and seniors across every community in all eight counties of the Second District to help 'provide active service, optimism, and patriotism'.
“French Hill isn’t a bad guy; he’s just the wrong guy. Arkansas is the best state in the country. We shouldn’t be stagnating. My years of service protecting our nation compel me to run for this position, because we can do better. As our congressman, I will fight to ensure every hard-working Arkansan can achieve their God-given potential," Jones stated. "Together, we will build a fair system that doesn’t knock you down every time you get a little bit ahead. We will win this race by ignoring the chaos in Washington and focusing on the issues that matter most to our families here in Central Arkansas.”
