Jim Holt
Encyclopedia
Jim L. Holt is a Baptist
minister and a conservative
Republican politician
from Springdale
in northwestern Arkansas.
.http://jimholt2010.com/about/ His website notes he "was involved in highly classified operations during the Cold War, the ousting of Manuel Noriega
from Panama
, and Operation Desert Storm"http://jimholt2010.com/about/ He is a "small business owner/operator and a part-time counselor." In 1996, Holt became an ordained Southern Baptist
[minister. He and his wife, the former Bobye Barenberg, originally of Rogers
, Arkansas, have ten children.http://jimholt2010.com/about/
in the 2000 general election
. He served in the House from 2001 to 2003, during which time, he sponsored a bill designed to prohibit the teaching of the theory of evolution in Arkansas public schools (see Evolution below). Holt was elected to the Arkansas Senate
in the 2002 general election and served there until December 31, 2006.
In 2004, Holt was the Republican nominee for the U. S. Senate. He was defeated by the Democrat Blanche Lincoln
55-44 percent.
In 2006, Holt was the Republican nominee for Lieutenant Governor
and was defeated by Democrat Bill Halter
57-42 percent.
In 2010, Holt was a candidate in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate and was defeated by Republican John Boozman
53-17 percent, with the remaining percent divided among six other GOP candidates.
Northwest Arkansas Times, for having invited in April 2001 the creationist Kent Hovind
to speak on behalf of the bill before a House committee.
. He has called for the overturning of Roe v. Wade
as an example of "judicial tyranny plaguing our nation today. The laws in all fifty states were overturned, and the consent of the governed as the basis for all just governmental power was thrown out. I will not confirm a federal judicial nominee who I believe will vote to uphold Roe vs. Wade."
over immigration
. Huckabee, who like Holt is a Southern Baptist preacher, spoke out against Holt's proposal in 2005 to ban state services to illegal immigrants
. Holt has criticized Huckabee for having told him, "I drink a different kind of Jesus
juice."
That same year, Holt opposed Huckabee's unsuccessful effort to make children of illegal immigrants eligible for state-funded scholarship
s and in-state tuition
to Arkansas colleges, a position also adopted in Texas
under Republican Governor
Rick Perry
. Holt defended his position by asking Huckabee if he would allow the same privileges to families of military personnel deployed overseas. Huckabee did not respond.
In December 2007, Holt was asked by the presidential campaign of Congressman
Ron Paul
of Texas to go to Iowa
and do several radio interviews about Huckabee with former colleague Randy Minton of Cabot
. Holt did not endorse Paul or any other candidate, but he vowed to acquaint Iowa caucus
participants about liberal aspects of Huckabee's record in Arkansas.
On January 18, 2008 the Northwest Arkansas Times
ran an opinion piece by Holt blasting Huckabee and his supporters. Holt accused Huckabee's followers of not researching what Huckabee's positions are, and supporting him merely because he is a Christian.
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
minister and a conservative
Conservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
Republican politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
from Springdale
Springdale, Arkansas
As of the census of 2010, there were 69,797 people, 22,805 households, and 16,640 families residing in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 64.7% White, 0.82% Black or African American, 1.8% Native American, 1.4% Asian, 5.7% Pacific Islander, 22% from other races, and 2.9% from two or more...
in northwestern Arkansas.
Background
Holt joined the military in 1987 and served in the U.S. Army Joint Intelligence Operations at the National Security AgencyNational Security Agency
The National Security Agency/Central Security Service is a cryptologic intelligence agency of the United States Department of Defense responsible for the collection and analysis of foreign communications and foreign signals intelligence, as well as protecting U.S...
.http://jimholt2010.com/about/ His website notes he "was involved in highly classified operations during the Cold War, the ousting of Manuel Noriega
Manuel Noriega
Manuel Antonio Noriega Moreno is a Panamanian politician and soldier. He was military dictator of Panama from 1983 to 1989.The 1989 invasion of Panama by the United States removed him from power; he was captured, detained as a prisoner of war, and flown to the United States. Noriega was tried on...
from Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
, and Operation Desert Storm"http://jimholt2010.com/about/ He is a "small business owner/operator and a part-time counselor." In 1996, Holt became an ordained Southern Baptist
Southern Baptist Convention
The Southern Baptist Convention is a United States-based Christian denomination. It is the world's largest Baptist denomination and the largest Protestant body in the United States, with over 16 million members...
[minister. He and his wife, the former Bobye Barenberg, originally of Rogers
Rogers, Arkansas
Rogers is a suburban city in Benton County, Arkansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city has a population of 55,964. The city is located in the Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers Metropolitan Area, in the northwest corner of the state.-History:...
, Arkansas, have ten children.http://jimholt2010.com/about/
Political career
Holt was first elected to the Arkansas House of RepresentativesArkansas House of Representatives
The Arkansas House of Representatives is the lower house of the Arkansas General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The House is composed of 100 members elected from an equal amount of constituencies across the state. Each district has an average population of 26,734...
in the 2000 general election
General election
In a parliamentary political system, a general election is an election in which all or most members of a given political body are chosen. The term is usually used to refer to elections held for a nation's primary legislative body, as distinguished from by-elections and local elections.The term...
. He served in the House from 2001 to 2003, during which time, he sponsored a bill designed to prohibit the teaching of the theory of evolution in Arkansas public schools (see Evolution below). Holt was elected to the Arkansas Senate
Arkansas Senate
The Arkansas State Senate is the upper branch of the Arkansas General Assembly. The Senate consists of 35 members, each representing a district with about 76,000 people. Service in the state legislature is part-time, and many state senators have full-time jobs during the rest of the year. The...
in the 2002 general election and served there until December 31, 2006.
In 2004, Holt was the Republican nominee for the U. S. Senate. He was defeated by the Democrat Blanche Lincoln
Blanche Lincoln
Blanche Meyers Lambert Lincoln is a former U.S. Senator from Arkansas and a member of the Democratic Party. First elected to the Senate in 1998, she was the first woman elected to the Senate from Arkansas since Hattie Caraway in 1932 and, at age 38, was the youngest woman ever elected to the...
55-44 percent.
In 2006, Holt was the Republican nominee for Lieutenant Governor
Lieutenant governor
A lieutenant governor or lieutenant-governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction, but is often the deputy or lieutenant to or ranking under a governor — a "second-in-command"...
and was defeated by Democrat Bill Halter
Bill Halter
William A. "Bill" Halter was the 14th Lieutenant Governor of Arkansas. A member of the Democratic Party, he was elected to succeed the late Republican Winthrop Paul Rockefeller in 2006, defeating Republican challenger Jim Holt by a margin of 57%–43%.Before his election as lieutenant governor,...
57-42 percent.
In 2010, Holt was a candidate in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate and was defeated by Republican John Boozman
John Boozman
John Nichols Boozman is the junior U.S. Senator for Arkansas . A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as the U.S. Representative for .Born in Shreveport, Louisiana, he was the brother of state Senator Fay Boozman...
53-17 percent, with the remaining percent divided among six other GOP candidates.
Evolution
Holt co-sponsored Arkansas House Bill 2548 in 2001, which would have required public schools to identify evolution as an unproven theory, and which would have prohibited the use of public funds for the promotion of evolution-related information as fact. The bill was sponsored by several other House members, including Representative Jack Critcher, who later became the Democratic President Pro Tempore of the Arkansas Senate. The measure fell six votes short of passage. Holt was criticized in July 2006 by Don Michael, an opinion writer for the FayettevilleFayetteville, Arkansas
Fayetteville is the county seat of Washington County, and the third largest city in Arkansas. The city is centrally located within the county and is home to the University of Arkansas. Fayetteville is also deep in the Boston Mountains, a subset of The Ozarks...
Northwest Arkansas Times, for having invited in April 2001 the creationist Kent Hovind
Kent Hovind
Kent E. Hovind is an American young earth creationist. Hovind speaks on creation science and aims to convince listeners to reject theories of evolution, geophysics, and cosmology in favor of the Genesis creation narrative as found in the Bible...
to speak on behalf of the bill before a House committee.
Abortion
Holt has also attempted to halt or restrict abortionAbortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
. He has called for the overturning of Roe v. Wade
Roe v. Wade
Roe v. Wade, , was a controversial landmark decision by the United States Supreme Court on the issue of abortion. The Court decided that a right to privacy under the due process clause in the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution extends to a woman's decision to have an abortion,...
as an example of "judicial tyranny plaguing our nation today. The laws in all fifty states were overturned, and the consent of the governed as the basis for all just governmental power was thrown out. I will not confirm a federal judicial nominee who I believe will vote to uphold Roe vs. Wade."
Healthcare
Holt opposes the healthcare reform measures implemented by the U.S. Congress in March 2010, stating "We don’t need health care 'reform.'"Opposition to Huckabee
As a legislator, Holt tangled publicly with former Governor Mike HuckabeeMike Huckabee
Michael "Mike" Dale Huckabee is an American politician who served as the 44th Governor of Arkansas from 1996 to 2007. He was a candidate in the 2008 United States Republican presidential primaries, finishing second in delegate count and third in both popular vote and number of states won . He won...
over immigration
Immigration
Immigration is the act of foreigners passing or coming into a country for the purpose of permanent residence...
. Huckabee, who like Holt is a Southern Baptist preacher, spoke out against Holt's proposal in 2005 to ban state services to illegal immigrants
Illegal immigration to the United States
An illegal immigrant in the United States is an alien who has entered the United States without government permission or stayed beyond the termination date of a visa....
. Holt has criticized Huckabee for having told him, "I drink a different kind of Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
juice."
That same year, Holt opposed Huckabee's unsuccessful effort to make children of illegal immigrants eligible for state-funded scholarship
Scholarship
A scholarship is an award of financial aid for a student to further education. Scholarships are awarded on various criteria usually reflecting the values and purposes of the donor or founder of the award.-Types:...
s and in-state tuition
Tuition
Tuition payments, known primarily as tuition in American English and as tuition fees in British English, Canadian English, Australian English, New Zealand English and Indian English, refers to a fee charged for educational instruction during higher education.Tuition payments are charged by...
to Arkansas colleges, a position also adopted in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
under Republican Governor
Governor of Texas
The governor of Texas is the head of the executive branch of Texas's government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor has the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Texas Legislature, and to convene the legislature...
Rick Perry
Rick Perry
James Richard "Rick" Perry is the 47th and current Governor of Texas. A Republican, Perry was elected Lieutenant Governor of Texas in 1998 and assumed the governorship in December 2000 when then-governor George W. Bush resigned to become President of the United States. Perry was elected to full...
. Holt defended his position by asking Huckabee if he would allow the same privileges to families of military personnel deployed overseas. Huckabee did not respond.
In December 2007, Holt was asked by the presidential campaign of Congressman
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
Ron Paul
Ron Paul
Ronald Ernest "Ron" Paul is an American physician, author and United States Congressman who is seeking to be the Republican Party candidate in the 2012 presidential election. Paul represents Texas's 14th congressional district, which covers an area south and southwest of Houston that includes...
of Texas to go to Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
and do several radio interviews about Huckabee with former colleague Randy Minton of Cabot
Cabot, Arkansas
As of the census of 2000, there were 15,269 people, 5,432 households, and 4,329 families residing in the city. The population density was 798.2 people per square mile . There were 5,712 housing units at an average density of 298.8 per square mile...
. Holt did not endorse Paul or any other candidate, but he vowed to acquaint Iowa caucus
Caucus
A caucus is a meeting of supporters or members of a political party or movement, especially in the United States and Canada. As the use of the term has been expanded the exact definition has come to vary among political cultures.-Origin of the term:...
participants about liberal aspects of Huckabee's record in Arkansas.
On January 18, 2008 the Northwest Arkansas Times
Northwest Arkansas Times
The Northwest Arkansas Times is a daily newspaper in Fayetteville, Arkansas and has circulation of 17,807 copies. It is owned by WEHCO Media Inc....
ran an opinion piece by Holt blasting Huckabee and his supporters. Holt accused Huckabee's followers of not researching what Huckabee's positions are, and supporting him merely because he is a Christian.