Mark Pryor (D-Ark.)

U.S. Senator (since January 2003)

(Chip Somodevilla/
Getty Images)

Why He Matters

The son of a three-term senator, Pryor is the junior senator from Arkansas. Pryor is a conservative Democrat with an evangelical streak who has broken from his party on several core issues including abortion and withdrawal from Iraq.

Pryor has fashioned a reputation as a strong consumer advocate, taking advantage of his seat on the Commerce Committee to pass legislation setting new safety restrictions on imports of toys.

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Corrections?

News From Around The Web

Senate wants FDA to study nanotechnology safety via Arkansas News Bureau

Senate to take up flood insurance in June via Arkansas News Bureau

Prospects brighten for flood insurance reform via The Hill

Video: Senate faces another debt ceiling battle via MSNBC

Senate confirms Baker as federal judge via Arkansas News Bureau

In the Loop

Dueling hashtags; an easy fix for hooker scandal; no ‘Girls Gone Wild’ in the Senate (read-this roundup)

Emily Heil

In the Loop’s roundup, dueling hashtags, a simple solution to the Secret Service’s problem, and no ‘Girls Gone Wild’ in the Senate.

The Reliable Source

Read this: Gwyneth’s guide to Washington; Luke Russert’s questionable gig; ‘Girls Gone Wild’ internship

The Reliable Source

Businessman Chad Brownstein apologizes to Sen. Mark Pryor, takes blame for ‘Girls Gone Wild’ internship [update]

(Dan Steinberg / ASSOCIATED PRESS)

The Reliable Source

The mysterious case of Sen. Mark Pryor vs. Joe Francis.

Right Turn

Will Obama regret the Buffett rule stunt?

Jennifer Rubin

What’s the next gimmick?

Wonkblog

Wonkbook: The House GOP's tax day lesson

Ezra Klein

WONKBOOK | But perhaps you hate tax day. Perhaps you want much lower taxes. Well, then you better be willing to face up to choices like the one the House GOP made on Monday.

The Fix

Why the presidential race is going to be closer than you think

(Brian Snyder / Reuters)

Chris Cillizza and Aaron Blake

A new Gallup polling showing Obama and Romney tied may be a leading indicator of a tightening in the presidential race.

Article

Senate rejects consideration of ‘Buffett rule’ tax increase for millionaires

(Mark Sterkel)

Rosalind S. Helderman

The Senate rejected consideration of the “Buffett rule,” a key Obama initiative to impose a minimum tax rate of 30 percent on millionaires.

Article

Senate rejects expediting Keystone pipeline

Juliet Eilperin and Ed O’Keefe

Under lobbying by President Obama and Senate Democratic leaders, the Senate defeated a measure to expedite construction of a U.S.-Canadian oil pipeline.

At a Glance

Career History: Arkansas Attorney general (1998-2002); Lawyer, (1988 to 1996);State House of Representatives (1990 to 1994)
Birthday: January 10, 1963
Hometown: Fayetteville, Ark.
Alma Mater: University of Arkansas, B.A. 1988University of Arkansas, J.D. 1985
Spouse: Jill Pryor
Religion: Christian
DC Office: 255 Dirksen Senate Office BuildingWashington, D.C. 20510 (202) 224-2353

State Offices: The River Market500 Clinton AveSuite 401Little Rock, Ark. 72201(501) 324-6336
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Path to Power

Pryor was born in January 1963 to Barbara and David Pryor in Fayetteville, Ark. Three years later, his father was elected to the U. S. House. David Pryor had a long political career that included a stint as Arkansas' governor (from 1974 to 1976) and U.S. Senator (from 1979 to 1997). Like his father, Mark Pryor attended the University of Arkansas, where he received a B.A. in history and a J.D.

After graduating from law school Pryor took a job with the Wright, Lindsey and Jennings law firm in Little Rock. Two years later, in 1990, Pryor was elected to the State House of Representatives representing sections of Little Rock. He won reelection in 1992 and in 1994 ran for state attorney general. Pryor lost in the Democratic primary to incumbent Winston Bryant (D-Ark.). Pryor then returned to private law practice.

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In 1995 he was diagnosed with clear-cell sarcoma, a rare form of cancer. He underwent tendon transplant surgery in his heel and the cancer has not returned.

After nearly a year of recovery, Pryor launched another attempt to become Arkansas' attorney general and in 1998 he succeeded and became the youngest attorney general in the nation. In that role, he pushed to increase penalties on nursing homes accused of neglect and abuse and to strengthen background checks of long-term health care employees. He was successful in setting up a state "do not call" list but failed to get legislation passed for another of his priorities - a hate-crime law.

In 2001 Pryor announced that he would challenge U.S. Sen. Tim Hutchinson (R-Ark.), who had taken that seat in 1996 when David Pryor retired. Hutchinson was a strong conservative, a Baptist minister and the founder of a Christian school. Though the incumbent's Christian credentials and conservative voting record would have seemingly made him a favorite for reelection, he was harmed by personal problems. Specifically, he divorced his wife of 29 years in August 2000 and married a former member of his House staff less than a year later. The divorce and remarriage disturbed some of his supporters who thought it reflected poorly on his character.

Pryor did not mention that part of Hutchinson's personal history during the campaign. He ran on a relatively conservative platform that included support for the Second Amendment, increased military spending and the Iraq war. He also changed his stance on abortion from pro-choice in 1998, to opposing abortion except in cases of rape, incest or where continuation of the pregnancy would threaten the life and health of the mother.

Despite campaign visits by President Bush to Arkansas, Hutchinson fell behind in polls during the middle of the year. Pryor played up his Christianity in his advertising and won the election with 54 percent of the vote. He was the only Democrat to defeat an incumbent Republican in 2002, a year that saw the GOP gain in both the House and Senate.

In his first term in the Senate, Pryor joined Democrats in opposing drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge but broke with his party to support a ban on partial-birth abortion. He also opposed both President Bush's surge plan to send more troops to Iraq and the Democratic plan setting a public timetable for withdrawing troops from Iraq. (He supported a secret timetable.)

In 2004, Pryor endorsed Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.) for president and encouraged him to come to Arkansas and hunt. It was another example of Pryor encouraging Democrats to show the South that they're not all elitist wine drinkers. Of Kerry, he said, "[we] have a little different approach on some issues. But I'm comfortable with him as a person and a leader."

In 2008 Pryor ran for reelection with no Republican challenger. Some Republicans hoped former Gov. Mike Huckabee (R-Ark.), who had dropped out of the presidential race a week before the Senate filing deadline, would enter the race, but he did not.

Pryor won re-election in 2008, defeating Green Party candidate Rebekah Kennedy. Pryor received 79 percent of the vote and Kennedy got 21 percent.

The Issues

According to National Journal, Pryor is one of the most conservative Democrats in the Senate.His voting record reflects that. In the 110th Congress he voted with his party 86 percent of the time, one of the lowest scores for Senate Democrats.

Pryor has worked to become known as a fiscal conservative, a consumer advocate and a supporter of military families. He worked for legislation to allow combat pay to be considered as taxable income when calculating the earned income tax and child tax credit , which effectively lowered taxes on soldiers. He also passed a bill requiring the military to quickly inform family members of relatives wounded in combat.

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The Economy

In October 2008 Pryor voted in favor of the government's $700 billion bailout of the financial industry. Pryor said, "the risk of doing nothing is too high for Arkansas' citizens, businesses, and farmers."A few months later Pryor voted in favor of the government bailout of the auto industry saying it was "an opportunity for U.S. automakers to plan a path toward long-term survival."

In 2003 Pryor opposed President Bush's $350 billion tax cut because, he said, it would send the nation's deficit soaring. He has declared a dedication to balancing the budget. Pryor also wants to increase the estate tax exemption to $5 million and reduce the tax to a 35 percent marginal rate.

National Security

When Pryor entered the Senate he supported the Iraq war and advocated increased military spending. In his 2002 campaign ad he said of George W. Bush, "I think he has done a pretty good job on the war on terrorism. He has a tremendous burden, an inhuman burden."

Later, Pryor opposed the president's surge plan but was one of only three Democrats to vote against the Levin-Reed amendment, which would have had all U.S. troops home from Iraq in June 2008.

Pryor has argued that accusations of contract abuse by Halliburton Co. deserve formal investigation by congress. He cosponsored legislation introduced by Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) that would have given federal prosecutors the tools to prosecute companies who attempt to illegally profit from America's wars. The bill did not pass.

Product Safety

From his perch on the Commerce Committee Pryor has been a leading voice on product safety. He wrote a bill banning lead in children's toys and toughening safety standards on imports. The bill was written in response to the recall of millions of toys made in China. "From the factory floor to the store shelves, there are dozens more new safeguards that we've built in place to prevent unnecessary injuries and fatalities," Pryor said. In August 2008 the Arkansas News called "it biggest accomplishment to date for the freshman legislator."

The Network

Pryor is close allies with his fellow Arkansans Sen. Blanche Lincoln and Gov. Mike Bebee, both Democrats.

He's also worked closely with Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii), who serves with Pryor on the Commerce Committee.

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Additional Resources