Mark A. Darr is the 15th Lieutenant Governor

Lieutenant Governor of Arkansas

The Lieutenant Governor of Arkansas presides over the Arkansas Senate with a tie-breaking vote, serves as governor when the governor is out of state, and serves as governor if the governor is impeached, removed from office, dies or is otherwise unable to discharge the office's duties.The position...

 of Arkansas

Arkansas

Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...

. A member of the Republican Party

Republican Party (United States)

The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...

, he was elected to succeed Democrat

Democratic Party (United States)

The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

 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,...

 in 2010, defeating Democratic challenger State Senator and former Speaker of the House Shane Broadway by a margin of 51% - 49%.

Early life and career

Mark Darr was born in 1973 in Fort Smith, Arkansas

Fort Smith, Arkansas

Fort Smith is the second-largest city in Arkansas and one of the two county seats of Sebastian County. With a population of 86,209 in 2010, it is the principal city of the Fort Smith, Arkansas-Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Area, a region of 298,592 residents which encompasses the Arkansas...

. He is a graduate of Mansfield High School in Mansfield, Arkansas

Mansfield, Arkansas

Mansfield is a city in Scott and Sebastian counties in the U.S. state of Arkansas. The Sebastian County portion of the city is part of the Fort Smith, Arkansas-Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Area...

 and Ouachita Baptist University

Ouachita Baptist University

Ouachita Baptist University is a private, liberal arts, undergraduate institution located in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, which is about 65 miles southwest of Little Rock. The university's name is taken from the Ouachita River, which forms the eastern campus boundary. It is affiliated with the Arkansas...

 in Arkadelphia, Arkansas

Arkadelphia, Arkansas

Arkadelphia is a city in Clark County, Arkansas, United States. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city was 10,548. The city is the county seat of Clark County. The city is situated at the foothills of the Ouachita Mountains. Two universities, Henderson State...

.

Political career

Mark Darr was elected Lieutenant Governor on November 2, 2010. He is the youngest person to win a statewide race as a Republican in Arkansas. Prior to the election, he had never run for public office. On November 2, 2010, in the closest constitutional race, Darr defeated state senator (and former Arkansas Speaker of the house) Shane Broadway.
Darr campaigned on the notion that he could file suit against The Affordable Care act, which would be the duty of Attorney General. Stating that this would cut down on wasteful spending, restore peoples trust in their government and create a check and balance between the voter and those elected to office. In his first session The Arkansas Transparency Act was signed into law. The "online checkbook" as it is known will be up and running on July 1, 2012.

Family

Darr and his wife Kim have two children, Madison and Cooper. Darr is a licensed insurance agent and also co-owns two restaurants in Rogers, AR. Kim is a elementary school music teacher at Shiloh Christian School

Shiloh Christian School

Shiloh Christian School is a private school in Springdale, Arkansas, United States.-History:Shiloh Christian School was founded in 1976 as a ministry of the First Baptist Church of Springdale, by Dennis Cottrel and Tom Ellis, under the leadership of Pastor Cliff Palmer. The school opened with 180...

 in Springdale where they reside. They are members of Cross Church (formerly known as First Baptist Church of Springdale

First Baptist Church of Springdale

First Baptist Church, located in Springdale, is the largest church in the state of Arkansas. The church is a member of the Southern Baptist Convention. The church is known for having a regional membership. The church reaches people throughout the world via church plants and media...

) in Springdale, AR and are active in the choir.