Winston Bryant

Winston Bryant (born October 3, 1938) is a former Democratic Secretary of State (1977-1978), lieutenant governor (1981-1991) and attorney general (1991-1999) of the U.S. state of Arkansas.

He was born in Malvern, the seat of Hot Spring County. He is married to the former Susan Hughes and has one son, John Bryant.

In 1960, Bryant graduated from Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia. He graduated in 1963 from University of Arkansas at Little Rock School of Law in Fayetteville. He received a Master of Laws (Administrative Law) from George Washington University in Washington, D.C. He was a legislative assistant to the late U.S. Senator John L. McClellan from 1968-1971. Thereafter, he was a prosecuting attorney in his native Hot Spring County and a member of the Arkansas House of Representatives from 1973-1977.

While serving as Attorney General, Bryant waged two separate campaigns for the United States Senate. In 1996, he ran for the seat being vacated by Senator David Pryor. He received the Democratic nomination, but lost in a close race to Republican Congressman Tim Hutchinson. When Arkansas's other senator, Dale Bumpers, retired before the 1998 election, Bryant once again ran in the Democratic primary. While he placed first in the initial balloting, he lost the run-off to former Representative Blanche Lincoln who went on to defeat Republican Fay Boozman (male) in the general election.

Career

*U.S. Army, rank of Captain (1963-65)
*Arkansas Insurance Commission Attorney (1966)
*Assistant U. S. Attorney Eastern District of Arkansas (1967)
*Legislative Assistant to U.S. Senator John L. McClellan in Washington, D. C. (1968-1971)
*Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Hot Spring County, Arkansas (1971-72)
*State Representative Hot Spring County (1973-77)
*Arkansas Secretary of State (1977-78)
*Member of the Arkansas Constitutional Convention from Hot Spring County (1979)
*Arkansas Lt. Governor (1981-90)
*Arkansas Attorney General (1991-99)