Chris Jones

Chris Jones earned a B.S. in physics and mathematics from Morehouse College in 1999, an M.S. in nuclear engineering/technology and policy in 2003 from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and a Ph.D. in urban planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.[1] Jones' career experience includes working as a physicist, minister, and a nonprofit leader.[2]

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Video submitted to BallotpediaReleased May 23, 2022

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I grew up in Pine Bluff, Arkansas and always had a deep love for science. A son of two preachers, I was also raised with a strong sense of faith. I attended Morehouse College on a full NASA Scholarship, for physics and math, then went on to study at MIT earning a masters degree in Nuclear Engineering, a masters degree in Technology & Policy, and a Ph.D. in Urban Planning. After becoming ordained as a minister, I returned home to Arkansas with my wife, an emergency room physician, and our three daughters, and led the Arkansas Regional Innovation Hub. Through this work, I spread STEAM education throughout the state and has seen firsthand how disparities within Arkansas have gotten worse, not better. I believe there is much room for growth, including improving public education opportunities in every community, strengthening infrastructure from roads to broadband access, protecting and securing our right to vote, and bridging the rural and urban divide. I have faith in Arkansas’s potential, and I am running for governor to ensure every person in Arkansas has an opportunity to succeed.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

The Promise of Arkansas begins by spreading opportunity all over the state to help improve the lives of every Arkansan. This starts with PB&J—expanding preschool to all families, affordable broadband for every home, and economic development focused on creating high wage jobs. Education, infrastructure and economic development will lift up all Arkansan and also means a promise for good governance, quality healthcare, and more. My vision is that Arkansas can realize its potential and reach its promise through Faith, Hope & Hard Work – the Faith that together we can address our challenges, the Hope that unified we make space for all Arkansans to live out our unique potential, and the Hard Work of change in our souls and in our lives.In this moment, Arkansas needs a compassionate and empathetic leader who has the humility to understand that this moment is bigger than any one of us, the grace to know how to bring a broad range of people together to address the very real challenges we face, and the real-life experience to manage a massive organization. We also need someone with the vision to see and seize opportunities that lie out of sight and around the corner, the determination to amplify and value all voices, especially the most marginalized, and the ancestral grit of an unapologetic Arkansan.If I am blessed to serve as Governor, my administration and I will bring people together and listen. Just as we visited all 75 counties of the state to identify what matters most to Arkansans, we are committed to changing what it means to govern – by listening and learning, by leading inclusively in a way that doesn’t prioritize whether you have “D,” “R” or “I” next to your name, and sharing our vision for Arkansas to reach its potential and promise. We will set out to prove that politics and governance do not have to be divisive and destructive, and that we can debate ideas and hold one another accountable while still uniting as Arkansans. We will address challenges and solve problems by bringing people together to move us all forward.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

On so many measures of well being, Arkansas is at or near the bottom of the list — not because it belongs there, but because the state has been ignored by leadership for far too long. Communities have been ignored, not uplifted.

To change that, I will leverage key components of education and infrastructure to increase opportunities across the state and bolster the economy. Much as I did as the executive director of the Arkansas Innovation Hub, I will work to develop programs that support innovation, whether for small business owners or for those who wish to learn a new trade and receive credentialing. I will use innovative approaches to policy and production, including leveraging private-public partnerships, attracting businesses to the state, and protecting and uplifting the family-owned businesses that have been here for generations. Through this work, I will leave no community behind.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

We need elected officials that are in office because they want to govern — not tear down government and decrease opportunities for those in need. We need elected officials that value honesty, and work with their constituents to get them what they need to succeed and continue to build in our communities. Arkansas needs a compassionate and empathetic leader that chooses faith, hope, and hard work over fear, hate, and cronyism.

We also need someone with the vision to see and seize opportunities that lie out of sight, the determination to amplify and value all voices, especially the most marginalized, and the ancestral grit of an unapologetic Arkansan. My family worked this land before Arkansas was a state; my election as governor will be a history-making event that will be symbolic of much needed change and some who will protect voting rights and women’s rights.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

Listening. After watching the Challenger explosion, I decided I wanted to be an astronaut. I had a scholarship from NASA that enabled me to go to college. What I learned was that being born without hearing in my left ear would prevent me from this career path. I also realized that because of my hearing, I learned to listen closely to what people were saying. That skill has translated into a critical leadership skill in organizations and foundations that I have worked with. And it will also translate into my ability to listen to Arkansans, to hear what they need, and to ensure that the people most affected by the decisions are the ones at the table making the decisions.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

I grew up with big dreams. I was inspired by Dr. King and the Civil Rights Movement. I was inspired by selflessness, courage, hope, and I was inspired by discovery.

But the event I remember first I still remember the 3rd grade in Mrs. Watson’s class when we learned about space. I remember watching the Challenger lift off on our classroom TV. That was a tough day for a kid in America.

But at that moment, something in me opened up: a world of science, and sacrifice; service … and exploration. I knew then that I wanted to be an astronaut.

10 years later, I accepted a full NASA scholarship named for Challenger astronaut Ron McNair. That’s when my journey took off.After graduating from Watson Chapel High School – Go Wildcats!! – I went on to Morehouse and MIT. I became a physicist and an ordained minister. I came back home and for three years I ran the Arkansas Regional Innovation Hub where we used science and technology to build businesses and create jobs.

I want every child in Arkansas to have those opportunities. To live here, and to live out their own version of the American Dream, whether it’s to be a doctor, a teacher, a small-business owner, an actor, a poet, or a CEO.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

My first job was a paper route delivering newspapers and mowing lawns in the neighborhood.

A governor is the top executive authority in his or her state. What does that mean do you?

The governor has three main responsibilities: the budget, making executive and judicial appointments, and promoting the state. Each of these matters for what happens in the state and what policies can be implemented to help people’s lives. Budgets are moral documents and show where your priorities are. My priorities will be education, infrastructure, economic development, healthcare and voting rights. It means that all executive and judicial appointments will be made with these goals in mind and upholding the value that the people most affected by decisions should be at the table making those decisions. Finally, the governor works to promote the state by recruiting businesses and workers, sourcing funding, and creating opportunities to build the state. We want this state to be a state where people feel welcome and want to live.

In most states, governors have the power to make line-item vetoes. If that is true in your state, what would be your philosophy for how and when to use this power?

Vetos in Arkansas are complex: they can be easily overturned by the legislature with a 50% vote. That said, I will use a veto if I believe that a law will not withhold legal challenge or if it violates critical rights — like the right to vote.

What do you love most about your state?

I love the people in this state. There is no problem in this state that Arkansans solve with faith and hard-work. We are one big neighborhood.

Arkansas is my home — and home to my family since before Arkansas was a state and where I wanted to raise my girls. I’m a kid from Pine Bluff. I grew up eating honeysuckle, fighting grasshoppers, and riding dirt bikes. We go to church together, we eat BBQ together and we watch football together. We’re a state full of farmers, truck drivers, nurses, fire fighters, truck drivers, farmers, military veterans, and small-business owners. And we share the same hopes and dreams for our children. I’ll never forget where I came from or who got me here.

Tell us your favorite joke.

People who aren't impressed by pictures of a Black Hole clearly don't understand the gravity of the situation.

https://twitter.com/JonesForAR/status/1525154140011352064

Follow me on Twitter (@JonesforAR) for all my dad jokes.

Campaign website

Jones' campaign website stated the following:

EDUCATION

The Promise for Preschool for All

All children in Arkansas should have access to a high quality preschool in their own community— where they can get the foundation they need to start school.

The Promise for Achieving Grade-level Reading

Only a third of Arkansas students read on-level by the end of third grade, creating lifelong learning challenges. Chris Jones supports passing a new comprehensive state law that will put intervention measures in place to keep kids on track.

The Promise for Technical & Trade Schools

Arkansans of all ages should have access to technical schools and workforce training scholarships. As Governor, Chris Jones will help establish standards that keep programs competitive, and Arkansans making good pay for skilled work.

The Promise for Community Colleges

We need to elevate the community college system to provide low-to-no cost degrees and opportunities that will create a competitive, highly skilled Arkansas workforce.

The Promise to Support Colleges

The costs of college -– from tuition to building costs — are growing unchecked. Chris Jones supports passing new laws to rework punitive productivity-based funding formulas.

The Promise to Protect Teacher Pay, Resources, and Retirement

Arkansas is faced with a teacher shortage and schools that are understaffed. We need to pay competitive salaries to support and attract the highly qualified teachers that parents and kids are asking for.

INFRASTRUCTURE

The Promise for Broadband in Arkansas

All Arkansans deserve dependable internet -— whether for telemedicine, for school, for work, or for small business, and Chris Jones wants every Arkansan to have access.

The Promise for Arkansans Who Rent Their Homes

Our homes are at the center of our lives, there’s almost nothing more important. Arkansas has the worst laws for renters in the nation. Chris Jones believes that Arkansans should have a right to a basic standard of safe living standards.

The Promise for Solar Energy in Arkansas

Arkansas is home to some of the most cutting-edge technology in solar energy. We need a governor that uplifts and supports this industry so that Arkansas stays competitive.

The Promise for Good Water Systems

Whether it’s irrigating fields, maintaining flooded timber for duck season, or ensuring we have clean drinking water in our towns and cities, we need to make the best of the historic investments coming in from the bipartisan federal infrastructure bill.

The Promise for Environmental Justice

No residential community should be made to suffer unintended or hidden impacts of potentially hazardous industry in their backyards. Economic development and developing our communities should always go hand in hand.

ECONOMY

The Promise to Support Economic Development and Jobs

Building the Arkansas economy starts with good jobs for everyone that wants one—and Chris Jones plans to invest in businesses, infrastructure, and education programs to realize this goal.

The Promise to Boost Small Business in Arkansas

Chris Jones will invest in building stronger infrastructure for financially stable businesses, cutting unnecessary regulatory burdens, and supporting entrepreneurship – especially for homegrown Arkansas businesses

The Promise to Revitalize Main Street

A vibrant Main Street can make or break the soul and spirit of any town. Chris Jones plans to boost local businesses and economies by supporting historic business centers and building infrastructure to protect our communities.

The Promise for Agriculture

Arkansas farmers are the backbone of this state and define who we are and what we stand for. As Governor, Chris Jones will put family farms first and protect their interests. That includes supporting modern agricultural technologies and sustainable solutions.

The Promise to Invest in American Manufacturing

Chris Jones supports building the strong, educated, and skilled workforces and communities that make this state a desirable destination for economic development for companies from across the globe.

The Promise for Responsible COVID Recovery

As governor, Chris Jones will guide the state through a responsible recovery that prioritizes health, children’s learning, and protection of the rights of local business owners.

HEALTHCARE

The Promise for Eldercare

Arkansas has an aging population. Chris Jones plans to help families find the resources they need to care for their loved ones and to ensure high standards of care and excellent staffing at nursing homes

The Promise to Improve Resources for Mental Health

Arkansas can do more to build resources for mental healthcare in our state, and to attract mental health professionals to underserved communities throughout the state.

The Promise for Prescription Medicine

Everyone deserves access to the medicine they need to live a healthy life. Chris Jones plans to help to make prescription drugs more affordable. There’s no room for red tape or cutting corners when it comes to your health.

The Promise for a Balanced Conversation on Gun Violence and Safety

Chris Jones values the need for a measured and productive discussion that addresses the issues the need to address a major public health issue and need for common sense measures to reduce unnecessary violence, while protecting the constitutional right to own guns.

VALUES

The Promise for Fiscal Responsibility

Government should never be about running up bills and creating debt. As governor, Chris Jones will be committed to being a responsible steward of our tax dollars and resources.

The Promise to Bring People Together In Government

Chris Jones is here to prove that politics does not have to be divisive and destructive, and that as a candidate he can call for accountability while uniting Arkansas. We solve our problems by bringing people together, to find what works, to move us all forward.

The Promise to Protect Voting Rights

We all have the potential to claim the power of our vote. Right now Arkansas is dead last in voter registration and turnout. This is the campaign that’s going to flip the script and give people a reason to turn out to the polls. Every community deserves to claim their seat at the table.[3]

—Chris Jones' campaign website (2022)[4]