Joyce Elliott
State senateArkansas
District31st
Term startJanuary 12, 2009
Term endJanuary 9, 2023
PredecessorIrma Hunter Brown
SuccessorRedistricted
Office 1Majority Leader of the Arkansas Senate
Term start 1January 12, 2009
Term end 1January 10, 2011
Predecessor 1Tracy Steele
Successor 1Robert F. Thompson
Office 2Member of the
Arkansas House of Representatives
Constituency 256th district (2001–03)
33rd district (2003–07)
Term start 2January 8, 2001
Term end 2January 13, 2007
Predecessor 2Michael Booker
Successor 2Fred Allen
Birth dateMarch 20, 1951 (age 75)
Birth placeWillisville, Arkansas, U.S.
SpouseBill Barnes (former)
PartyDemocratic
EducationSouthern Arkansas University (BA)
Ouachita Baptist University (MA)

Joyce Ann Elliott (born March 20, 1951) is an American politician from the state of Arkansas. From 2009 to 2022, she was a member of the Arkansas Senate representing the 31st district, which consisted of portions of Little Rock and Pulaski County.[1] She was previously a member of the Arkansas House of Representatives, serving from 2001 to 2007. She is a member of the Democratic Party.

Elliott was the Democratic nominee in the 2010 and 2020 elections for Arkansas's 2nd congressional district, losing the former election to Republican Tim Griffin, and the latter to incumbent Republican French Hill.[2] If elected, she would have been the only African American to ever represent Arkansas in Congress.[3][4]

Early life, education, and career

Joyce Ann Elliott was born on March 20, 1951, in Willisville, Arkansas. Elliott was the second person of color to graduate from recently integrated Willisville High School in 1969, with her older sister being the first.[4] Elliott graduated from Southern Arkansas University with a Bachelor of Arts in English and speech and then graduated from Ouachita Baptist University with a Master of Arts in English.[5]

Elliott spent four years as the president of the Pulaski County chapter of the National Education Association from 1985 to 1989, later leaving to join and lead the state's American Federation of Teachers chapter in 1992.[6] She taught English at Joe T. Robinson High School from 1989 to 2003.[7]

Arkansas State legislature

Elliott served in the Arkansas House of Representatives from 2000 to 2006. In 2008, she was elected to the Arkansas State Senate, where she represented the 31st district.[8]

Elliott began working on hate crime legislation in 2001 during her first term in office. Arkansas is one of three states without a statute criminalizing various types of bias-motivated violence or intimidation.[9][10]

In 2020, she was the chair of the Arkansas Legislative Black Caucus.[11]

2020 congressional campaign

In 2020, Elliott ran for the United States House of Representatives in Arkansas's 2nd congressional district against Republican incumbent French Hill. Her campaign was endorsed by Joe Biden, Barack Obama, and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.[12][13][14] She lost to Hill in the general election with 44.6% of the vote.

Personal life

Elliott was formerly married to Bill Barnes, with whom she has a son, Elliott. In June 2000, she donated a kidney to her sister.[6] In July 2024, Elliott's family stated she had suffered a stroke while on a trip in Dallas, Texas, and was recovering.[15]

Elections

2000 election

2000 Arkansas State Representative District 56 Election
PartyCandidateVotes%
DemocraticJoyce Elliott5,55683
RepublicanHerbert L. Broadway1,10417
Total Votes:6,660100

2010 election

See also: 2010 United States House of Representatives elections in Arkansas#District 2

Elliott ran against Republican nominee Timothy Griffin for the seat of retiring Democratic incumbent Vic Snyder who retired. In the general election, Elliott lost to Griffin.

2010 Arkansas's 2nd Congressional District Election
PartyCandidateVotes%
RepublicanTim Griffin122,09157.9
DemocraticJoyce Elliott80,68738.27
GreenLewis Kennedy3,5991.71
IndependentLance Levi4,4212.10
Write-Ins540.03
Total Votes:210,852100

2020 election

See also: 2020 United States House of Representatives elections in Arkansas#District 2

Elliott announced her candidacy for the U.S. House in Arkansas's 2nd congressional district on November 12, 2019, against Republican incumbent French Hill.

2020 Arkansas 2nd Congressional District Election
PartyCandidateVotes%
RepublicanFrench Hill182,24855.65
DemocraticJoyce Elliot145,22544.35
Total Votes:327,503100

References

  1. ^ "Senator Joyce Elliott". Arkansas Senate
  2. ^ Max Brantley (4 November 2020). "Joyce Elliott concedes, but calls for restoration of trust and counting of outstanding absentee votes.". Arkansas Times
  3. ^ "Black-American Members by State and Territory, 1870–Present | US House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives". history.house.gov. Retrieved 2020-08-23.
  4. ^ "Record number of Black women set to run for U.S. Congress". Reuters. 2020-07-29. Retrieved 2020-08-25.
  5. ^ "About Joyce Elliott". www.joyceelliott.com. Retrieved 2020-07-28.
  6. ^ "See Joyce Run". Education Week. November 1, 2000. Retrieved March 12, 2026.
  7. ^ Smittle, Stephanie (2020-08-27). "From Willisville to Washington: Sen. Joyce Elliott is ready to school Congress". Arkansas Times. Retrieved 2021-06-09.
  8. ^ "Joyce Elliott". Ballotpedia. Retrieved 27 August 2020.
  9. ^ Valentine, Brittany (August 21, 2020). "Arkansas has a potential anti-hate crime bill in the works". Al Dia News Media. Retrieved 27 August 2020.
  10. ^ "Arkansas introduces hate crime legislation backed by governor, attorney general". ABC 7. August 19, 2020. Retrieved 27 August 2020.
  11. ^ Millar, Lindsey (2020-02-05). "Legislative black caucus, Democratic Party address harassment and threats to Flowers, Davis". Arkansas Times. Retrieved 2020-08-23.
  12. ^ "Democratic nominee Joe Biden formally endorses Joyce Elliott for Congress". KATV. September 18, 2020. Retrieved March 3, 2021.
  13. ^ Obama, Barack (August 3, 2020). "First Wave of 2020 Endorsements". Medium
  14. ^ "Red to Blue". Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Archived from the original on October 7, 2020. Retrieved June 5, 2020.
  15. ^ Romano, Samantha (June 27, 2024). "Former Arkansas State Senator Joyce Elliott hospitalized after suffering stroke". THV11. Retrieved March 12, 2026.

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