You deserve to have a representative who actually represents you.
Our 2024 Endorsed Candidates
Throughout 2023, Vortex did something that had never been done in Arkansas before. We asked Arkansans all over the state to nominate extraordinary ordinary Arkansans that they would like to see represent them in the House of Representatives.
We received over 70 amazing nominations. From that group, we found 4 remarkable candidates who are rooted in Arkansas and ready to lead.
Rodney Govens
Arkansas’s First Congressional District
Born in Germany and raised in South Carolina, Rodney is a US Army veteran who proudly served in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Since returning from Iraq in 2005, Rodney has worked in the telecommunications industry, but Rodney’s true passion flows from his work in the Arkansas foster care system.
Rodney is a long-time Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteer supporting children in the state’s care. He’s also a member of the Board of Directors of Foster Love. As a former foster child himself, Rodney is acutely aware of the challenges faced by working families in Arkansas, and what they need to thrive.
As a CASA volunteer, Rodney represents kids in court to make sure they have every single opportunity and every tool available for them to become successful, healthy adults.
Rodney’s lifelong devotion to kids in need and clear, principled leadership is exactly what we need in Congress, and we can’t wait until he FLIPS this seat next November.
Rodney will be a phenomenal representative for the 1st district!
Marcus Jones
Arkansas’s Second Congressional District
Colonel (Retired) Marcus Jones is a decorated and dedicated officer who has proudly served our country at home and abroad for 29 years. Now he has answered the call of his community and, once elected, will continue his service from Congress!
Born in Newport and raised in Jonesboro, Marcus’ roots are planted deep in Arkansas – from Oil Trough to the University of Arkansas to Camp Robinson.
After nearly three decades serving our country throughout the U.S. and abroad, he returned home to Central Arkansas with his wife Carrie and two children, Will and Abby Grace.
His final assignment was a true privilege: serving as the Senior Army Advisor to the Arkansas Army National Guard and supporting Arkansas Soldiers through 11 mobilizations.
Caitlin Draper
Arkansas’s Third Congressional District
Caitlin Draper is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) with a clinical focus on Autism Spectrum Disorder and eating disorders.
Throughout her practice, she has made it her mission to improve the lives of children and families in Northwest Arkansas and the River Valley.
As the founder of a successful private practice, Caitlin has had a front row seat to the destruction Republicans’ extreme power grabs have had on women and LGBTQ families.
Caitlin also serves as an adjunct lecturer at the University of Arkansas School of Social Work, where she has inspired and educated the next generation of social workers. Her commitment to higher education and her students is indicative of her passion for positive change and progress.
Now she’s running for Congress. When she is elected next year Caitlin will become the first woman to represent this district – and Vortex is here to help her win!
Caitlin believes strongly in empathy, education, and community. That’s why her campaign will focus on lowering the cost of living and healthcare for families, protecting public education and reproductive rights, and addressing the climate crisis.
risie howard
Arkansas’s Fourth Congressional District
Risie Howard is a respected and accomplished attorney with deep roots in Pine Bluff. She’s running for Congress in AR-04, and when she wins, she will be the first Black woman to represent Arkansas in Congress – the first woman to represent this district in nearly 100 years!
Risie’s legal expertise ranges from civil, criminal, and Naval law matters. Her previous career as a science teacher gives her valuable experience and understanding of the challenges many Arkansans face.
Now she’s running for Congress to fight for these fundamental needs for ALL of us.
Risie earned her law degree from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Bowen School of Law in 2010, receiving the Class Public Service and the Dean’s Distinguished Public Service Awards. She is also a graduate of the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff and Stephens College in Columbia, MO.
She is passionate about ensuring all Arkansans have access to the fundamental building blocks of a healthy, happy life – good schools, well-paying jobs, and affordable housing.