47 Facts About Mark Pryor

Mark Lunsford Pryor was born on January 10,1963 and is an American attorney, politician and lobbyist who served as a United States Senator from Arkansas from 2003 to 2015.

Mark Pryor previously served as Attorney General of Arkansas from 1999 to 2003 and in the Arkansas House of Representatives from 1991 to 1995.

Mark Pryor received his bachelor's degree University of Arkansas at Fayetteville and his JD degree from its law school.

Mark Pryor worked in private practice for several years until being elected to the Arkansas House of Representatives in 1990.

Mark Pryor was elected the state attorney general in 1998.

Mark Pryor announced his candidacy for the US Senate in 2001, running for the same Senate seat his father had held from 1979 to 1997.

Mark Pryor was reelected with no Republican opposition in 2008.

Mark Pryor ran for reelection in 2014, but was defeated by Republican Tom Cotton.

In 2020, Mark Pryor was hired as a lobbyist by Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck.

Mark Pryor is the most recent Democrat to serve in the US Senate from Arkansas.

Mark Pryor was born in Fayetteville, Arkansas, to the future state First Lady Barbara Jean and future Governor and US Senator David Hampton Mark Pryor, then a state representative.

Mark Pryor attended Little Rock Central High School until his father was elected to the United States Senate in 1979, after which he attended Walt Whitman High School in Maryland until graduating in 1981.

Mark Pryor graduated from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville in 1985 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history and went on to receive his Juris Doctor from the university's law school in 1988.

Mark Pryor was a member of the Arkansas House of Representatives from 1991 to 1995.

Mark Pryor won all but four counties in the state: Benton, Boone, Marion, and Baxter.

Mark Pryor was delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 2000.

Mark Pryor was recognized for providing a high level of constituent service, and he helped to secure millions of dollars in highway funds for the state.

Mark Pryor was a committed advocate of the state's military families; he guided the SACRIFICE Act to passage, thus providing families of those injured in combat more timely and reliable medical care.

In late 2001, Mark Pryor announced his candidacy for the Senate seat held by Tim Hutchinson, who six years earlier had become the first Arkansas Republican to serve in that body since Reconstruction.

Mark Pryor ran for reelection to a third term in 2014, against Republican US House Rep.

In March 2014, during an MSNBC news segment regarding the Senate race, Mark Pryor said that Cotton gave off a "sense of entitlement" to a seat in the Senate due to his service in the military.

Somewhat atypically, Mark Pryor was the Baby of the Senate for 19 days in January 2009, at age 45, despite never having held that distinction in his first term.

In June 2007, before the annual Arkansas Democratic Party Jefferson-Jackson dinner, Mark Pryor announced his endorsement of his colleague Sen.

Mark Pryor introduced the bill "To repeal section 403 of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013" on January 27,2014.

On February 13,2009, Mark Pryor voted to pass the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

Senator Mark Pryor was consistently opposed to proposed cuts to conservation, rural development, agriculture research, nutrition, and forestry programs.

Mark Pryor secured a legislation within the 2014 Farm bill to allow domestic forestry products to be recognized by USDA as biobased, ensuring such products can be used by the federal government and can be sold as a greener alternative to consumers.

Mark Pryor worked closely with Senator Boozman to advance agricultural and food law research by allowing institutions such as the National Agricultural Law Center to enter into partnerships with private industry.

In June 2006, Mark Pryor voted against repeal of the federal estate tax.

Mark Pryor co-sponsored a bill that would implement a one-year extension on current estate tax rates.

In 2008 Mark Pryor voted against expanding the pool of people exempt from the estate tax.

Mark Pryor opposes bringing Guantanamo Bay prisoners to the United States for trial.

Mark Pryor voted against the flag burning amendment in June 2006.

On March 15,2007, Mark Pryor was one of two Democratic senators to vote against a resolution aimed at withdrawing most American combat troops from Iraq in 2008.

In 2003, Mark Pryor voted for a federal ban on partial-birth abortion.

Mark Pryor has voted in favor of the expansion of embryonic stem cell research.

Mark Pryor voted against restricting UN funding for population control policies, prohibiting minors crossing state lines for abortion, and barring Health and Human Services grants to organizations that perform abortions.

On December 18,2010, Mark Pryor voted in favor of the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010.

In 2004, Mark Pryor voted to extend the Federal Assault Weapons Ban.

In 2013, Mark Pryor voted against a measure that would have required background checks for all firearms purchases.

In March 2013, Mark Pryor cosponsored a bill that would flag individuals attempting to buy guns who have used an insanity defense, were ruled dangerous by a court, or had been committed by a court to mental health treatment.

On May 23,2005, Mark Pryor was one of the 14 senators who forged a compromise on the Democrats' use of the judicial filibuster.

Mark Pryor did vote against the nomination of Samuel Alito to the US Supreme Court.

On November 21,2013, Mark Pryor was one of only three Democratic senators to dissent from Harry Reid's leadership to vote against the nuclear option which switched the Senate away from operating on a supermajority basis, to requiring only a simple majority for certain decisions.

In March 2015, Mark Pryor became a partner at DC-based law and lobbying firm Venable.

Mark Pryor is a member of the Board of Advisors of the American Council for Capital Formation.

In 1996, Mark Pryor was diagnosed with clear-cell sarcoma, a rare form of cancer, in his left leg.