View source for Mike Beebe

{{short description|Governor of Arkansas from 2007 to 2015}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2019}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name                = Mike Beebe
| image               = File:MikeBeebe2009 (3x4a).JPG
| caption             = Beebe in 2009
| order               = 45th [[List of governors of Arkansas|Governor of Arkansas]]
| lieutenant          = {{ubl|[[Bill Halter]] (2007–2011)|[[Mark Darr]] (2011–2014)|''Vacant'' (2014–2015)}}
| term_start          = January 9, 2007
| term_end            = January 13, 2015
| predecessor         = [[Mike Huckabee]]
| successor           = [[Asa Hutchinson]]
| office1             = 54th [[Arkansas Attorney General|Attorney General of Arkansas]]
| governor1           = Mike Huckabee
| term_start1         = January 3, 2003
| term_end1           = January 9, 2007
| predecessor1        = [[Mark Pryor]]
| successor1          = [[Dustin McDaniel]]
| state_senate2       = Arkansas
| term_start2         = January 10, 1983
| term_end2           = January 3, 2003
| predecessor2        = Bill Walmsley
| successor2          = [[John Paul Capps]]
| constituency2       = {{ubl|29th district (1983–1993)|21st district (1993–2003)}}
| birth_name          = Mickey Dale Beebe
| birth_date          = {{birth date and age|1946|12|28}}
| birth_place         = [[Amagon, Arkansas]], U.S.
| death_date          = 
| death_place         = 
| party               = [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| spouse              = {{marriage|[[Ginger Beebe|Ginger Croom]]|1979}}
| children            = 3
| education           = [[Arkansas State University|Arkansas State University, Jonesboro]] ([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]])<br />[[University of Arkansas]] ([[Juris Doctor|JD]])
| allegiance          = {{flag|United States}}
| branch              = {{army|United States}}
| serviceyears        = 1968–1974
| unit                = [[File:United States AR seal.svg|24px]] [[United States Army Reserve]]
}}
'''Mickey Dale Beebe''' ({{IPAc-en|'|b|iː|b|i}}; born December 28, 1946) is an American politician and attorney who served as the [[List of governors of Arkansas|45th governor of Arkansas]] from 2007 to 2015.<ref name="Encyclopedia of Arkansas">{{cite web|last1=Barth|first1=Jay|title=Mickey Dale (Mike) Beebe (1946–)|url=http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=8718|website=Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture|access-date=June 3, 2015}}</ref> He is to date the last Democrat to hold that office.

Born in [[Amagon, Arkansas]], Beebe is a graduate of [[Arkansas State University]] in [[Jonesboro, Arkansas|Jonesboro]] and the [[University of Arkansas]] in [[Fayetteville, Arkansas|Fayetteville]]. Beebe entered private practice as an attorney before being elected to the [[Arkansas Senate]] in 1982. Beebe served five terms in the Arkansas Senate from 1983 to 2003 and served as President of the Senate during his last term. Beebe was elected [[Arkansas Attorney General|Attorney General of Arkansas]] in 2002, where he served one term from 2003 to 2007.

A member of the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]], Beebe ran for the governorship in [[2006 Arkansas gubernatorial election|2006]], winning in an uncontested Democratic primary and defeating former [[United States House of Representatives|U.S. Representative]] [[Asa Hutchinson]] in the general election with 56% of the vote. Beebe was elected to a second term in [[2010 Arkansas gubernatorial election|2010]], defeating former State Senator [[Jim Keet]] with 64% of the vote in contrast to fellow Democrat [[Blanche Lincoln]] who lost her second [[2010 United States Senate election in Arkansas|U.S. Senate re-election]] bid in a 58%–37% landslide. Beebe, who was restricted from running in the [[2014 Arkansas gubernatorial election|2014 election]] due to term limits, left office on January 13, 2015.

Beebe currently serves on the Governors’ Council of the [[Bipartisan Policy Center]] in Washington, D.C., and has endorsed Medicaid work requirements since leaving office.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://talkbusiness.net/2018/12/beebe-defends-hutchinsons-work-requirement-as-pragmatic-politics/|title=Beebe defends Hutchinson's work requirement as 'pragmatic' politics|date=December 4, 2018|website=Talk Business & Politics|access-date=December 4, 2018}}</ref>

==Early life and education==
Beebe was born in Amagon, a small town in [[Jackson County, Arkansas]]. He was raised by his mother, a waitress, and never met his father. As a child, he moved often with his family. They lived in [[Detroit, Michigan|Detroit]], [[St. Louis, Missouri|St. Louis]], [[Chicago, Illinois|Chicago]], [[Houston, Texas|Houston]] and [[Alamogordo, New Mexico|Alamogordo]], [[New Mexico]]. They returned to [[Newport, Arkansas]], where Beebe graduated from high school at the age of seventeen in 1964.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://securingamerica.com/printready/clarkcast_072406.htm|title=ClarkCast 016 - The Importance of 2006|publisher=Securingamerica.com|date=July 24, 2006|access-date=August 29, 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100104200930/http://securingamerica.com/printready/clarkcast_072406.htm|archive-date=January 4, 2010}}</ref>

Beebe received a [[Bachelor of Arts]] degree in [[political science]] from [[Arkansas State University]] in 1968, where he was a member of [[Sigma Pi]] [[Fraternities and sororities|fraternity]]. He earned his [[juris doctor]] from the [[University of Arkansas]] in 1972. Beebe served in the [[U.S. Army Reserve]] from 1968 to 1974.

Beebe is an [[Episcopal Church (United States)|Episcopalian]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Legislators/Detail?member=Beebe&ddBienniumSession=1999%2FS2 | title=Legislators List }}</ref>

==Early political career==
After the incumbent senator from his newly redrawn district unexpectedly dropped out of the race, Beebe was left without a primary or general election opponent and was elected to the [[Arkansas State Senate]] in 1982, where he would serve for 20 years. He never faced an opponent in his twenty-year Senate career in which he became known as one of the most effective legislators based on his pragmatic deal-making ability. During his last session in the state senate, Beebe was elected president pro tempore of the body. In 2002, he was elected [[Arkansas Attorney General]], a position he held for the four years prior to his election as governor.<ref name="govbio"/>

==Governor of Arkansas (2007–2015)==
===Elections===
====2006====
{{main|2006 Arkansas gubernatorial election}}
On June 14, 2005, Beebe announced his candidacy for the Democratic Party's nomination to run for [[Governor of Arkansas]]. Beebe defeated former [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] Congressman and [[Drug Enforcement Administration]] (DEA) chief [[Asa Hutchinson]] as well as the [[Green Party of the United States|Green Party]] candidate and independent candidate Rod Bryan in the general election on November 7, 2006, capturing 55 percent of the vote.<ref name="govbio"/>

Beebe was sworn in as governor on January 9, 2007.<ref>[http://www.nwaonline.net/articles/2007/01/09/news/010907wzbeebegov.txt "Beebe Takes Oath"], ''The Morning News'', January 9, 2007.</ref> He was elected to the [[Democratic Governors Association]] Executive Committee for 2008–2009.<ref name="govbio"/>

====2010====
{{main|2010 Arkansas gubernatorial election}}
Beebe was challenged by Republican nominee [[Jim Keet]], a former state legislator from Little Rock. Beebe defeated Keet 64% to 34%<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.votenaturally.org/electionresults/index.php?ac:show:contest_statewide=1&elecid=231&contestid=4|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101023224833/http://www.votenaturally.org/electionresults/index.php?ac:show:contest_statewide=1&elecid=231&contestid=4|url-status=usurped|archive-date=October 23, 2010|title=2010 General Election & Non Partisan Judicial Runoff Election Statewide Results|publisher=Arkansas Secretary of State|date=November 15, 2010|access-date=November 15, 2010}}</ref>

=== First term ===
In his official website, Beebe outlines some of the policies he has pursued during his first term. He has outlined a plan for a balanced budget and attempted to cut [[middle class]] taxes by slashing in half the percentage of the state's grocery tax and increasing the Homestead Property Tax Credit, which can provide for the lowering of property taxes.<ref name="govbio">{{cite web|url=http://www.governor.arkansas.gov/gov_biography.html|title=Biography|publisher=Governor.arkansas.gov|date=January 9, 2007|access-date=August 29, 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100824152854/http://governor.arkansas.gov/gov_biography.html|archive-date=August 24, 2010}}</ref>

Beebe has focused heavily on education reform. He has called for an additional $19 million per year to be spent on assisting [[special education|special needs]] students and has designed a program that attempts to increase the quality of teachers within Arkansas by providing alternative pay and mentoring to motivate bright students to enter education or young teachers to work in struggling rural schools. Beebe has rejected calls to allow for [[Social Security (United States)|Social Security]] private accounts to be established. He has also made plans to phase out the tax on utilities for manufacturers.<ref name="ontheissues.org">{{cite web|url=http://ontheissues.org/Mike_Beebe.htm |title=Mike Beebe on the Issues |publisher=Ontheissues.org |access-date=August 29, 2010}}</ref>

He outlined a 12-point plan to make health care more accessible and affordable. Some of his proposals include using federal tax credits to make private insurance cheaper, expanding [[Medicaid]], increasing use of preventive care to stop health concerns before they grow worse, expanding school health clinics, and using home and community-based care as an alternative to nursing homes.<ref name="ontheissues.org"/>

===Second term===
[[File:Gov. Beebe.jpg|right|thumb|upright|Governor Beebe attended the groundbreaking for the [[Bella Vista Bypass]] with [[Ray LaHood]] and [[Mark Pryor]] in 2011]]
In January 2011, he said that he supported a tax increase for highway funding saying "If they pass a tax increase for highways and it was reasonable, I'd sign it. I don't think it's going to happen."<ref>{{cite web|last=Demillo|first=Andrew|url=http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9KIRSFG0.htm|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120724071304/http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9KIRSFG0.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 24, 2012|title=Beebe: Doubtful tax hike for roads could pass|publisher=BusinessWeek|date=January 6, 2011|access-date=July 7, 2012}}</ref>

In January 2012, he proposed a $163 million funding increase in a $4.7 billion state budget. He called for $117 million increase in the Human Services Department and a $56 million increase in public schools.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.boston.com/news/education/higher/articles/2012/01/17/beebe_proposes_163m_increase_in_arkansas_budget|work=The Boston Globe|first=Andrew|last=DeMillo|title=Beebe proposes $163M increase in Arkansas budget|date=January 17, 2012}}</ref> He also called for an [[audit]] of the state's Forestry Commission's finances after a $4 million shortfall and a layoff of 36 workers.<ref>{{cite web|last=Demillo|first=Andrew|url=http://www.stuttgartdailyleader.com/newsnow/x255282227/Beebe-calls-for-audit-of-Forestry-Commission|title=Beebe calls for audit of Forestry Commission|work=Stuttgart Daily Leader|date=January 13, 2012|access-date=July 7, 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120128015817/http://www.stuttgartdailyleader.com/newsnow/x255282227/Beebe-calls-for-audit-of-Forestry-Commission|archive-date=January 28, 2012}}</ref>

In the 2012 midterm elections, Republicans gained control of both houses of the General Assembly for the first time since 1874 after making major gains two years earlier. This made Beebe the first Democratic Governor of Arkansas ever to face a Republican-controlled legislature. The GOP margin was 21 to 14 in the Senate, and 51 to 48 in the House (with one Green). In his 2013 State of the State address, Beebe made a comprehensive case for Medicaid expansion. In April 2013, Beebe signed into law Arkansas's "private option" to use federal Medicaid money to purchase private insurance for thousands of low-income residents. To become law, the proposal needed a two-thirds majority vote. The state's General Assembly, with Republicans in the majority, narrowly approved the three necessary bills to establish and finance the insurance program.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Home |url=https://www.bondbuyer.com/ |access-date=2023-03-11 |website=Bond Buyer |language=en}}</ref>

Beebe did not see his approval rating slip below 70 percent at any point during his tenure, according to yearly polls from the University of Arkansas. According to the FiveThirtyEight Blog, "[Beebe's] crossover appeal — and the recent history in Arkansas of producing a popular Democratic president—might suggest Mr. Beebe, who will be term-limited in 2014, would be among the more talked-about [[2016 United States presidential election|2016]] contenders";<ref>[http://fivethirtyeight.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/05/28/popular-governors-and-prospects-for-2016 Popular Governors, and Prospects for 2016], fivethirtyeight.blogs.nytimes.com, May 28, 2013; accessed November 15, 2014</ref> however, Beebe ultimately did not run for president in 2016.

On November 12, 2014, two months before the end of his term, Beebe said he intended to pardon his son for a 2003 felony drug possession conviction.<ref>[https://news.yahoo.com/arkansas-governor-pardon-sons-drug-conviction-report-091546906.html Mike Beebe to pardon his own son, Kyle], yahoo.com; accessed November 15, 2014.</ref>{{clarify|date=October 2023}}

==Post-governorship==
In March 2015, Beebe joined the Roberts Law Firm PA of Little Rock. In December 2015, he was named to the board of directors for Tyson Foods.<ref name="Encyclopedia of Arkansas"/>

==Electoral history==

===As Governor of Arkansas===

====2006====
{{Election box begin |title=Arkansas Gubernatorial Election 2006}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link|
|party      = Democratic Party (US)
|candidate  = Mike Beebe
|votes      = 430,765
|percentage = 55.6
|change     =
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party      = Republican Party (US)
|candidate  = [[Asa Hutchinson]]
|votes      = 315,040
|percentage = 41.7
|change     =
}}
{{Election box end}}
{{Clear}}

====2010====
[[Image:Beebe inauguration.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Inauguration, Little Rock, Arkansas, January 9, 2007]]
{{Election box begin|title=Arkansas Gubernatorial Election 2010}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link|
|party      = Democratic Party (US)
|candidate  = Mike Beebe (incumbent)
|votes      = 503,336
|percentage = 64.42
|change     =
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party      = Republican Party (US)
|candidate  = [[Jim Keet]]
|votes      = 262,764
|percentage = 33.63
|change     =
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party      = Green Party of the United States
|candidate  = [[Jim Lendall]]
|votes      = 14,513
|percentage = 1.86
|change     =
}}
{{Election box end}}

==See also==
*[[List of governors of Arkansas]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Mike Beebe}}
*{{C-SPAN|1021551}}
*[http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=8718 Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture entry]

{{Navboxes
|title=Offices and distinctions
|list1=
{{s-start}}
{{s-legal}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Mark Pryor]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Arkansas Attorney General|Attorney General of Arkansas]]|years=2003–2007}}
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{{s-ttl|title=[[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] nominee for [[Arkansas Attorney General]]|years=2002}}
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{{s-bef|before=[[Jimmie Lou Fisher]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] nominee for [[List of Governors of Arkansas|Governor of Arkansas]]|years=[[2006 Arkansas gubernatorial election|2006]], [[2010 Arkansas gubernatorial election|2010]]}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Mike Ross (politician)|Mike Ross]]}}
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{{s-bef|before=[[Mike Huckabee]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[List of Governors of Arkansas|Governor of Arkansas]]|years=2007–2015}}
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{{s-prec|usa}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Mike Huckabee]]|as=Former Governor}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[United States order of precedence|Order of precedence of the United States]]}}
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{{Governors of Arkansas}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Beebe, Mike}}
[[Category:1946 births]]
[[Category:20th-century members of the Arkansas General Assembly]]
[[Category:21st-century members of the Arkansas General Assembly]]
[[Category:Arkansas State University alumni]]
[[Category:Arkansas attorneys general]]
[[Category:Arkansas lawyers]]
[[Category:Democratic Party Arkansas state senators]]
[[Category:Democratic Party governors of Arkansas]]
[[Category:Episcopalians from Arkansas]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:People from Newport, Arkansas]]
[[Category:Sigma Pi members]]
[[Category:Tyson Foods people]]
[[Category:United States Army reservists]]
[[Category:University of Arkansas alumni]]