Jim Wood (Arkansas)

Infobox_Politician
birth_place = Newport, Arkansas
death_date =
residence = Newport, Arkansas
office = Arkansas State Auditor
term_start = 2003
term_end =
predecessor = Gus Wingfield
successor =
party = Democratic
spouse = Ann Wood

Jim Wood is the current State Auditor of Arkansas, and is a former State Legislator. He was sworn in 2003, and is currently serving his second term.

Biography

Jim Wood was born in Newport, Arkansas [http://www.arkansas.gov/auditor/biography.html] , and attended elementary school in Tupelo, Arkansas. He went to school at Arkansas State Teacher's College in Conway, Arkansas.

He has worked as a farmer and businessman, serving two years on the Woodruff County Quorum Court, [http://www.votesmart.org/bio.php?can_id=10959] , before running for State Senate. He later served as a State Senator from 1979-1988, and as a State Representative from 1997-2002 [http://www.votesmart.org/bio.php?can_id=10959] . He is currently serving his first term as a constitutional statewide officer. He is an active member of the Southern Legislative Conference, and Agriculutral Advisory Board.

He has won many awards over the courses of careers, starting with being named one of the top three Young Ranchers and Farmers in Arkansas by the Farm Bureau in 1974, and 1976. The State Employees Associaion named him Outstanding Freshman Legislator in 1979, and numerous awards for his service in the military [http://www.arkansas.gov/auditor/biography.html] , including several from Disabled American Veterans and the Veterans of Foreign Wars association.

Statewide Politics

Jim Martin was first elected in 2002, winning 57.65% of the vote, defeating Republican Mary Jane Rebick [http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/state.php?year=2002&off=11&elect=0&fips=5&f=0] . In 2006 he was reelected with 85% of the vote against third party opposition [http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/state.php?year=2006&off=11&elect=0&fips=5&f=0] . He won reelection with nearly six hundred thousand votes. He is a lifelong Democrat.

State Auditor

As State Auditor he has run a massive program to give unclaimed valuables back to Arkansans, with over one hundred million dollars worth of assests in all, including twenty one million dollars collected in 2006-2007 fiscal year alone. It is part of the State Auditors job to locate abandoned bank accounts, stock certificates, mineral royalties, and other lost assests [http://www.arkansasnews.com/archive/2007/10/03/News/343532.html] . The goal of the project is to find the owners of the assests, which comanpies hand over to the government when they cannot find the legal possessors, and get the money back to them [http://www.state.ar.us/auditor/unclprop/] .

The other duties of State Auditor are primarily concerned with fiscal matters. The Constitutional office serves as an accountant, keeping track of state money that is used and spent by various departments, and also disburses federal money to various offices. As Auditor Jim Wood is a de facto member of the Arkansas Public Employees Retirement System and the Arkansas Teachers Retirement System, which manages their retirement funds [http://www.state.ar.us/auditor/general_information/general_info.html] .

Election History

Jim Wood has faced several statewide reelections with relatively easy victories, winning against only an unheralded third party candidate in 2006.

2006 General Election

2002 General Election

References

* http://www.state.ar.us/auditor/general_information/general_info.html
* http://www.arkansasnews.com/archive/2007/10/03/News/343532.html
* http://www.votesmart.org/bio.php?can_id=10959
* http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/state.php?year=2002&off=11&elect=0&fips=5&f=0