| Joyce Elliott | |
| State Senate: | Arkansas |
| District: | 31st |
| Term Start: | January 12, 2009 |
| Term End: | January 9, 2023 |
| Predecessor: | Irma Hunter Brown |
| Successor: | Redistricted |
| Office1: | Majority Leader of the Arkansas Senate |
| Term Start1: | January 12, 2009 |
| Term End1: | January 10, 2011 |
| Predecessor1: | Tracy Steele |
| Successor1: | Robert F. Thompson |
| Office2: | Member of the Arkansas House of Representatives |
| Constituency2: | 56th district (2001–03) 33rd district (2003–07) |
| Term Start2: | January 8, 2001 |
| Term End2: | January 13, 2007 |
| Predecessor2: | Michael Booker |
| Successor2: | Fred Allen |
| Birth Date: | 20 March 1951 |
| Birth Place: | Willisville, Arkansas, U.S. |
| Party: | Democratic |
| Education: | Southern 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]
Joyce Ann Elliott was born on March 20, 1951, in Willisville, Arkansas. Elliott was the second person of color to graduate from her recently integrated high school; the first was her older sister.
Elliott attended Southern Arkansas University where she earned a B.A. in English and speech. She attended Ouachita Baptist University where she earned an M.A. in English.[5]
Elliott taught at Joe T. Robinson High School from 1989 to 2003.[6]
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.[7]
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.[8] [9]
In 2020, she was the chair of the Arkansas Legislative Black Caucus.[10]
In 2020 she was endorsed by Barack Obama.[11]
| 2000 Arkansas State Representative District 56 Election | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
| Democratic | Joyce Elliott | 5,556 | 83 | |
| Republican | Herbert L. Broadway | 1,104 | 17 | |
| Total Votes: | 6,660 | 100 | ||
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 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
| Republican | Tim Griffin | 122,091 | 57.9 | |
| Democratic | Joyce Elliott | 80,687 | 38.27 | |
| Green | Lewis Kennedy | 3,599 | 1.71 | |
| Independent | Lance Levi | 4,421 | 2.10 | |
| Write-Ins | 54 | 0.03 | ||
| Total Votes: | 210,852 | 100 | ||
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 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
| Republican | French Hill | 182,248 | 55.65 | |
| Democratic | Joyce Elliot | 145,225 | 44.35 | |
| Total Votes: | 327,503 | 100 | ||
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