Pierre Moreau knows Jay always takes the time to listen.

The Jay I know is a dedicated professor and a passionate and generous man. I’ve known Jay since 2004 when I was a French exchange student at Hendrix College. Jay was my Arkansas politics professor, and he helped me understand the history and evolution of the great state that was welcoming me. During his classes, it was clear that he had Arkansas at heart. He saw and understood the great challenges that faced the state. I could already see then that he wanted to change things and make them better, by helping people see the great potential in every one of them. So I was not surprised when he told me that he was running for state senate.

The Jay I know is a dedicated professor and a passionate and generous man.

Jay is a man whose door is always open and who always takes the time to listen. A few days after I arrived in Arkansas, Jay walked past me as I was sitting on a bench on campus, reading and feeling a little homesick. He stopped and sat next to me to ask me if I was settling in OK. That is who Jay is: a man who cares for people and sees when they need support. What other qualities could someone ask for in a state senator who represents them and fights for them?

Jay is the best professor I’ve ever had and one of the most generous and caring people I’ve ever met. I know I would want to have him as an elected official here in France. And that’s why I wholeheartedly support him in his campaign for Arkansas state senate.

Leonard admires Jay's commitment to racial harmony.

The Jay I know is a conscientious person who is deeply interested in our state and the community in which we live.  His commitment to racial harmony and the inclusiveness of people with disabilities is commendable.

His commitment to racial harmony and the inclusiveness of people with disabilities is commendable.

The Jay I know is a thinker, problem solver, leader, and, most of all, the change agent I think we need to better not just the neighborhood in which he and live, but the entire state.  I have witnessed this through his presentations on Arkansas politics and government, as well as talking to him on a personal level.

Finally, the Jay I know understands the real difficulties that so many Arkansans face on a daily basis.  I chose Jay to be my state Senator because I think he will bring about the changes that better the lives of the people of the State of Arkansas.

Professor Judith Faust believes Jay is not only a good neighbor but a true community builder.

Jay might be a good neighbor just because he’s a good guy—he is, after all—but I see more as I watch and work with him in our neighborhoods, the neighborhoods where he and I both live, which span a good chunk of downtown Little Rock, from the Governor’s Mansion district to the River Market, from MacArthur Park to South Main and Pettaway Park. What I see is a committed community builder. He doesn’t just preach community engagement, he’s there, working to support and sustain the economic and cultural diversity that have made our historic neighborhoods such rich places to live.

Jay and I serve, together with thirteen other hard-working and giving neighbors, on the board of the Downtown Little Rock Community Development Corporation, developing housing for low- and moderate-income people. It’s challenging and important work, and Jay does it because he believes it’s right, and because he believes it works to strengthen the social fabric in a neighborhood that has seen hard times.

I had a mentor who taught me good leaders must be pragmatic visionaries. I believe Jay is one. I count on him, as a fellow community volunteer, to do his homework, to listen well and carefully, to share thoughtful comments as we plan and make decisions, to help us stay grounded in our mission and see the way clear, and to be there for the follow-through. If you ask me, those are just the qualities we need in a state senator. That’s why I’m supporting Jay Barth’s bid for a seat in the General Assembly.

Judith Faust
Professor of Social Work
University of Arkansas at Little Rock

Historian Grif Stockley has repeatedly turned to Jay for his expertise on local racial issues.

The Jay I know has demonstrated an on-going commitment to understanding and elucidating Arkansas’s racial past and in particular the dynamics of race relations in Little Rock. As someone who has tried to document our racial history over the course of four books, I have repeatedly cited Jay’s work. His 2005 updating of Arkansas Politics and Government is an indispensable guide to comprehending racial events in the past and present.

The Jay I know is not only a leading scholar of past race relations in the state but someone whose recent work has become a crucial tool in trying to understand and predict our racial future in Little Rock. His recent demographic study for the Central Arkansas Library System and Butler Center for Arkansas Studies provides a state-of-the-art analysis of the metropolitan area racial patterns since the 1957 School Desegregation Crisis. His lecture and presentation at the Darragh Center on this subject demonstrated his unsurpassed ability to analyze and interpret for the public some of our most complex issues involving race.

The Jay I know is the premier interpreter of current events involving our statewide racial attitudes and behavior. It is Jay whom the media and writers like myself turned to analyze the politics of race in the state during the recent presidential election.

The Jay I know combines an expertise on racial issues with a deep and abiding commitment to solving our racial problems in ways that honor the dignity and concerns of all persons. It is this quality that makes him so unique in an era in which so many people who profess to be knowledgeable about the subject of race seem content to be ideologues rather than actual problem-solvers.

Grif Stockley
Historian

Annie believes selecting Jay "is in the best interest of Arkansas" and praises his "unselfish leadership."

Jay secured my support first because I have faith in his training in and teaching of political science, and second because of his unselfish leadership in the Arkansas Democratic Party at every level. He will give his Senate district full service from day one. I’ve made a selection for what I believe is in the best interest of Arkansas, and that’s Jay Barth.

Jay understands that he is not just there to represent his district. He will represent Arkansas overall. You can’t just come to the legislature to deal with your district issues alone. You have to lobby for the good of the entire state. He understands that.

Jay may be going to the legislature for the first time, but he’s been there all along. As a political scientist, he understands the Constitution. He knows the impact of legislation. That’s why Barack is so awesome—he’s a political constitution president. Jay, when elected, will make a difference at the state level just as Barack did when he arrived in Washington.

I’ve made a selection for what I believe is in the best interest of Arkansas, and that’s Jay Barth.

Term limits have made selection of legislators more critical than at any time in our state’s history. Jay’s research skills will help him prepare bills that will meet not only his district’s needs but also Arkansas’s. He needs to be there to free all of those who are hostages of ignorance.

Annie Abrams
Community Activist

Dr. Doyle praises Jay's "practical idealism."

Finding a description for Jay is a tough task as he has so many wonderful qualities that it’s hard to reduce them all to a “sound byte.” Despite the fact that Jay is contemporary and definitely “with it,” I finally decided that the Jay I know best fits the old fashioned phrase “a gentleman and a scholar.” I’ve been on boards with Jay, and worked on projects with him and even when discussions became heated, Jay was always gentle in his dissents, listening to and respecting the opinions of his opponents. Perhaps this is because he is truly a scholar who realizes that in order to win your point, you have to know the thinking of those who oppose you, and this is only learned by listening to them. He speaks well, but he listens better – qualities desirable in a legislator.

Jay is a practical idealist – he has the vision, but he also has the ability to put it into action.

Jay is a practical idealist – he has the vision, but he also has the ability to put it into action. As a political scientist by education, he understands the theory while as a college teacher he can explain and give life and practical application of all those theories to his students. I’ve been a guest in his class and it’s clear that while his students respect him as a teacher, they genuinely like him as a person.

While all of the above may make him sound a bit pedantic and possibly a tad dull, that is definitely not the Jay I know. Witty, warm, caring are the first words that come to my mind when I think of Jay. He’s equally at home at a board meeting or a party. He’s fun, he’s funny, and he seems to have that rare ability to relate to everyone he meets. He has the potential to be a truly outstanding legislator, and even though he’s not in my district, I will be campaigning for him.

Dr. Lee Lee Doyle
Professor Emeritus, Dept. of OB/Gyn, UAMS

Dr. Nitta says a vote for Jay is a vote for better education of our children.

The Jay I know is a dedicated, thoughtful public servant. We worked together for over a year to understand how to reduce the academic achievement gap between African American and white children in Arkansas. Jay worked hard to understand the many social and economic causes of the achievement gap and even harder to understand what has been actually proven to reduce that achievement gap. To address one of the most important civil rights issues of our time, Jay began with careful research and analysis to form the best possible conclusions and recommendations.

There will be no better advocate than Jay Barth for the Arkansas children who have been left behind…

The Jay I know is more than an academic; he is a social change agent. After we wrote a report recommending some measures the state of Arkansas can take to reduce the achievement gap, Jay immediately went to work trying to make the recommendations a reality. He took every opportunity to give speeches around the state, educating people on the magnitude of the problem and motivating them with some clear solutions to reduce the gap, such as, high-quality early childhood education and after school programming. He served on the Governor’s task force on afterschool and summer education, testified in front of the legislature, and organized with allies such as the Arkansas Public Policy Panel and Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families.

There will be no better advocate than Jay Barth for the Arkansas children who have been left behind, who are not reading at proficient levels, who are dropping out of school, and who are disproportionately from low-income, Latino, and African American families. Jay will bring a profound commitment to social justice to the state senate. More importantly, he will bring the intelligence, analytical skills, and knowledge to deliver on his social justice commitments. Jay will be a leader in the fight to eliminate the achievement gap and deliver real equality of opportunity to every child in Arkansas.

Dr. Keith Nitta
Former Professor, UA Clinton School of Public Service

Sanford thinks Jay will be a "progressive voice for all Arkansans."

The Jay I know is an outstanding candidate because he possesses all of the qualities of a leader.  Those that have learned from him know that he has the mind of a leader.  Having worked with him on a Clinton School independent study, the Jay I know is one of the best professors I’ve had the honor of learning from.  He also has a reputation for policy expertise that stretches from the State Capitol to Capitol Hill.

…he will use his mind, his hands, and his heart to be a progressive voice for all Arkansans.

Those that have worked with him know that he has the hands of a leader.  Not only has he been active in neighborhood organizations, but has also worked with other Arkansas Democrats to create a state party that’s one of the most successful in the South.

Most importantly, those that have served with him know that he has the heart of a leader.  He has spent countless hours working to ensure equality for all, regardless of the many ways people try to divide us.

Jay Barth will have an extraordinary impact on the State Senate.  From the moment he steps foot on the Senate floor,  he will use his mind, his hands, and his heart to be a progressive voice for all Arkansans. If you know the Jay I know, then I’m sure you agree.

Sanford Johnson
Class III, Clinton School of Public Service

Rev. Steve Copley speaks to Jay's leadership and listening skills.

I know Jay to be a public servant in all aspects of the definition. A public servant looks to lead by being concerned about the good of all people in the state. An elected official once said that the best judge of a society was they treated those in the beginning of their lives, those who were in the shadows of life, and those who were at the end of their lives. As I have worked with Jay in the Democratic Party of Arkansas, with the Pulaski County Democratic Party , and on a number of other advocacy projects, these are the values which he embodies. This is what makes him a great leader.

Jay is able to lead people. People are willing to listen to him and to be challenged to make a difference in their community. He leads with compassion, hope and a sense of justice. He has a vision of where the community needs to go and works diligently to make that happen.

He leads with compassion, hope and a sense of justice.

Jay also has time to listen to all people about their hopes and dreams. He has an ability to lead by being comfortable with people of all avenues Jay is a public servant that will bring great hope to his Senate district and to the entire state of Arkansas.

Rev. Steve Copley
United Methodist Pastor