Governor Mike Beebe has dedicated more than two decades of his life to serving the people of Arkansas. From state senator to attorney general and now governor, he has remained focused on fiscal responsibility, education and economic development. Mike Beebe believes in Arkansas and that – working together – we can build a more prosperous future for ourselves, our children and generations to come.
As he said on the day he first announced his candidacy for governor, “You can’t come up the way I did and not believe that anything is possible.”
Mike was raised by a single mother who raised her son on a waitress’s tips. She taught him the value of hard work and the importance of a strong education. As Governor, Mike made these values the cornerstone of his administration. Understanding that education and job growth are inseparable, Governor Beebe led record improvements in Arkansas’s education system. Arkansas ranked in the top ten in the nation in education policies and student achievement. The annual report, Quality Counts, by the national journal Education Week ranked the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Under his leadership, 25,000 new jobs have been announced, even in the midst of a national economic downturn. Arkansas now ranks higher than ever before in per-capita personal income rankings.
As Governor, Mike Beebe led the largest tax relief in state history, by cutting the state sales tax on groceries by over half and reducing property taxes by increasing the Homestead Property Tax Credit.
Governor Beebe was born in Amagon, Arkansas (Jackson County), in 1946. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from Arkansas State University in 1968 and a law degree from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville in 1972, all the while serving his country in the U.S. Army Reserves. Elected to the Arkansas Senate in 1982, Mike Beebe worked for 20 years reaching across party lines tosolve problems facing hardworking Arkansans. He was elected the 51stAttorney General for Arkansas, serving as the state’s chief law-enforcement officer. In a career that demonstrates a commitment to good government, Mike Beebe repeatedly stresses integrity and accountability.
The Governor and his wife, Ginger, have three adult children. He is a member of Trinity Episcopal Church in Searcy, where he has served as senior warden and member of the vestry.