Elliott to headline Drive-in Campaign Rally in Benton
Arkansas Sen. Joyce Elliott will headline a Drive-in Campaign Rally at 3 p.m. Oct. 3, at Riverside Park in Benton.
“I am excited because with so much happening during the pandemic I do not get the opportunity to touch or be eye to eye with people,” Elliott said.
She held her first drive-in rally in Conway and felt it went well and was fun.
Elliott currently serves as state senator for District 31, but is challenging U.S. Congressman French Hill for the role of District 2 representative.
Elliott said there are four people who represent Arkansas in Congress. She does not feel that Hill is doing a good job as a public servant for the people he is elected to serve.
“People constantly tell me about their concerns,” Elliott said.
One big concern she hears often is health care with people upset Hill will not hold a town hall on the topic. She
said Hill has voted against the Affordable Care Act 13 times and is supporting a lawsuit to have it taken away.
In her time in the Arkansas General Assembly, Elliott said she has worked across party lines to expand Medicaid in the state.
She also feels the state needs someone who cares about unity in the country.
“If we don’t work toward unity, we don’t stand a chance to be what we can be,” she said.
During the rally, Elliott plans to speak from the back of a truck in order to keep attendees safe. They will be asked to remain in their vehicles for the rally.
She thinks it will be similar to when candidates actually stood on stumps to give speeches.
The rally’s organizers plan to follow pandemic precautions to keep everyone safe.
Elliott said she wants to talk to those who attend about the things that matter to them.
She plans to explain how she is different from Hill, discuss what has happened during the pandemic and the vision for a path to come out of it strong and discuss national issues.
She wants to talk about working against hate.
Her big national issues are healthcare, education, infrastructure and the economy.
Elliott was a school teacher for 30 years. She grew up in a rural small town before moving to Little Rock. She feels her life experience makes her a great candidate for Saline County because it is a mix of rural community and urban area. She can understand both aspects.
Elliott said Saline County is a place that values growth and the community.
She feels it is important to visit Saline County so she can listen to the people of the community and learn their concerns. She also wants Saline County to know who she is.
Along with Elliott, there will be other candidates taking part in the rally. The final lineup has not been confirmed.
Attendees will also be able to register to vote and pick up yard signs at the event.