Steve Womack (R-Ark.)

U.S. Representative (since January 2011)

(Facebook page)

Why He Matters

A mayor who helped transform an historic Ozark Mountain town into a booming city, Womack seized his first chance for partisan politics as a newly-retired Army colonel and jumped into the race to succeed Rep. John Boozman (R-Ark.), who ran for Senate in 2010.

Womack touted his efforts to crack down on illegal immigration and balance the city's budget without raising taxes during his 12 years as mayor of Rogers, Ark., which was ranked as one of the nation's best places to live in 2010.

Read more

Corrections?

News From Around The Web

Retailers rev up campaign for online sales tax via The Hill

What’s at Stake Today: Creating a Conservative Bench in Conservative States via Red State

If I were a domestic abuser, Congressman Steve Womack would be my hero via Arkansas Times

Online sales tax receives lobbying push from states via The Hill

Our Arkansans of the Year via Arkansas Times

Column

On tap: Radical Republican Winterfest

Dana Milbank

Speaker Boehner tends bar for backbenchers.

2chambers

Payroll tax cut compromise further divides GOP

Felicia Sonmez

For the second time in a month, Republicans are deeply divided over one of the most pressing pieces of unfinished business facing the 112th Congress.

2chambers

Lawmakers call for repeal of ethanol subsidies

Felicia Sonmez

A bipartisan group of House members is calling for the elimination of ethanol subsidies as a deadline for renewing the tax credit looms at the end of the month.

The Fix

Mike Ross not running for reelection

Rachel Weiner

The six-term Blue Dog Democrat is getting ready to run for governor.

Article

Will the House target Obama’s house when it takes up appropriations bill?

Ben Pershing

Next month, the House is expected to take up the annual appropriations bill that includes the White House’s own budget for 2012.

2chambers

Nearly 70 percent of House Republican freshmen vote for spending-cut deal

Felicia Sonmez

Their support is an indication that the new class of conservatives is willing to back the House speaker.

Photos

Battle over the U.S. budget and government shutdown

(Mandel Ngan / AFP/Getty Images)

Republicans and Democrats have waged a long fight on a budget plan.

View photos

At a Glance

Career History: Mayor of Rogers, Ark. (1998-2011); Arkansas Army Naional Guard (1979-2009); KURM Radio manager (1979-1990); executive officer of the U.S. Army ROTC program at the University of Arkansas (1990-1996); Merrill Lynch financial consultant (1997); mayor Rogers, Ark., (1998-present)
Birthday: Feb. 18, 1957
Hometown: Russellville, Ark.
Alma Mater: Russellville High School (1975); Arkansas Tech University, bachelor's degree (1979)
Spouse: Terri Womack
Religion: Southern Baptist
DC Office:

Path To Power

Born Feb. 18, 1957, in Arkansas, Womack spent most of his childhood in Moberly, Mo. In 1973, his family moved to Russellville, Ark., where he graduated from high school in 1975. He received his bachelor's degree from Arkansas Tech University in 1979 and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Arkansas Army National Guard.

Following college, Womack and his father established KURM Radio, which he managed in Rogers until 1990. He then served as executive officer of the U.S. Army ROTC program at the University of Arkansas. He returned to broadcasting in 1996 until he took a job as a financial consultant for Merrill Lynch in Rogers, a bedroom community featuring the nation's first Wal-Mart.

Read more

He served two terms on the Rogers City Council and was the director of the Rogers Chamber of Commerce before he was elected mayor in 1998. He has successfully run unopposed since.

Rogers, Ark., Mayor

During his three terms as mayor, Womack has been part of the unprecedented growth in the northwest corner of Arkansas, which is home Wal-Mart, J.B. Hunt Transport and Tyson Foods.

With these business giants headquartered nearby, Rogers' population has soared to nearly 60,000 from 11,000 in the 1970s. Womack worked with city leaders to attract more retail to the area, plus added an interstate exchange to make Rogers a more accessible shopping destination.

In 1999, then-Gov. Mike Huckabee (R)also appointed Womack to the Arkansas Commission on National and Community Service. He later served as its chairman in 2001.

During his 30 years in the National Guard, Womack held several leadership positions. He led the first National Guard unit called to active duty in the Middle East following the Sept. 11 attacks. His unit deployed in January 2002 to serve with the Multinational Force and Observers, in Sinai, Egypt. Before he retired Oct. 31, 2009, he commanded the 233rd Regiment, Arkansas' Regional Training Insititute.

2010 House Race

Throughout his military career, Womack stayed away from partisan politics. But even though he lacked endorsements from the state's key Republican leaders in the 2010 GOP primary to replace Rep. Boozman, Womack's lack of party-building activities didn't cost him votes.

Womack edged out seven other GOP hopefuls and grabbed the party's nomination after a runoff with state Sen. Cecile Bledsoe (R), who was also from Rogers and endorsed by Sarah Palin.

"I think it came down to the fact I have a very well-rounded background. I'm a mayor who has preceded over a city that's had enormous economic activity going on and a mayor who hasn't raised taxes on its general population," he said.

Some in Republican circles accused Womack of supporting Democratic Gov. Mike Beebe in 2006 over Republican Asa Hutchinson - a claim Womack denied.

"In fact, I did not publicly support anyone and the reason is principally because the winner was about to be my commander-in-chief in the Arkansas Army National Guard and it would be very inappropriate ... to be a public supporter of either candidate," he said.

Even though Womack has identified himself as Republican, he said he intends to reach across party lines in Congress.

"There's not a lot of difference being nonpartisan, which is what I am as mayor, and working in a partisan way in Washington," Womack said.

Womack said his personal attention to constituents and his record appealed to voters. He planned to continue this diligence in Washington, promising to hold regular townhall meetings and even to answer the switchboard for his congressional office.

"We have a two-person office in Rogers and I answer my phone a lot and it shocks people," Womack said. "You ought to get me on occasion."

The Issues

Womack said his campaign for Congress was about changing the direction of the country, including protecting its borders, creating a new health-care plan and "seeking ways to restore confidence in America's free enterprise system-indeed, putting Americans back to work-with less government intrusion."

On social issues, Womack said he was against abortion rights because "I am a man of strong faith and Christian principles." "I believe the only exception to this matter are in the cases to save the life of the mother, incest of a minor child and rape."

Read more

He favors repealing and replacing President Obama's health-care law with a plan that involves more input from Republicans. He supports market-based solutions that promote competition, such as allowing people to buy health insurance across state lines.

"I agree there are some things in that bill (that) are noble to have, to be able to accommodate pre-existing conditions," he said. "There are probably some good things in there that in a repeal-and-replace environment would show up in a new health-care law," Womack said.

Womack also wants to make Social Security a voluntary option, offering an alternative system that secures the next generation's future. "I just simply don't believe the Social Security system as we now know it is going to be that vehicle," he said.

A retired National Guardsman, Womack has questioned the purpose of U.S. war in Iraq after no weapons of mass destruction were found. He said he needs more information about whether the cost of the mission in Afghanistan was justified. "We have to have an exit strategy," he said.

Immigration

Womack said he doesn't believe the U.S. military should be used to stop illegal immigrants; soliders are trained to "kill terrorists and bad guys." Instead, more border patrol agents should be hired and trained to stop illegal immigrants, he said.

As mayor of Rogers, Womack tackled the problem of illegal immigration in his town with the help of a federal program that trains local police to serve as U.S. immigration agents. He was the first mayor in Arkansas to send six officers to the training known as 287g in 2007. Since then, more than 1,500 illegal immigrants have been arrested and deported, or were in the process of being deported.

"It's worked here and I think those kinds of programs and that kind of leadership is what this country is calling for today in the immigration debate," Womack said.

Energy

Womack wants the U.S. to find alternative forms of energy, but he opposes legislation that would permit emission increases to be bought and sold among companies through a cap-and-trade policy.

"We have to decrease dependence on foreign energy sources and must start developing it here in the states more quickly with more energy exploration and production here at home," he said.

Taxes

Womack also wants to extend the Bush tax cuts, which, among many things, lowered tax rates across the board on income, dividends and capital gains. They were set to expire on Dec. 31, 2010.

"Expiration of the cuts amounts to a huge tax increase, which will prove counter productive to the creation of job, which this country so desperately needs," Womack said.

The Network

Though Womack was limited to non-partisan politics during his military career, his relationships as mayor with major business surrounding Rogers gave him significant financial campaign support. Tyson Foods, Wal-Mart and JB Hunt Transportation Services were among the biggest donors to his 2010 House campaign.

Despite the political flap over his alleged support for the Democratic in the 2006 gubernatorial race, he made it clear he endorsed Republican Jim Keet for govornor in 2010, following his retirement from the National Guard.

Read more

Additional Resources