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David Pryor
David Hampton Pryor (August 29, 1934 – April 20, 2024) was an American politician who served as a representative for Arkansas's 4th congressional district from 1966 until 1973 and as a senator from Arkansas from 1979 until 1997. A member of the Democratic Party, Pryor also served as the 39th governor of Arkansas from 1975 to 1979 and was a member of the Arkansas House of Representatives from 1960 to 1966. He served as the acting chairman of the Arkansas Democratic Party from 2008 to 2009, following Bill Gwatney's assassination.
David Hampton Pryor was born in Camden, the seat of Ouachita County in southern Arkansas, to William Edgar Pryor and the former Susan Pryor (née Newton). Both had deep roots in Arkansas; the marriage 'united two of the pioneer families of Arkansas'. William Pryor moved to Camden from Holly Springs in 1923 and started selling cars. By 1933, he had bought the partners out of the business and become sole owner of Edgar Pryor Inc, a well-known Chevrolet dealership in the area. The family was also involved in the civic, religious, and political life of Camden, with W.E. serving as Ouachita County Sheriff from 1939 to 1942.
Pryor was a third generation Ouachita County resident. He attended public schools in Camden, attended Henderson State Teacher's College in Arkadelphia, and graduated from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville in 1957. Pryor was founder and publisher of the Ouachita Citizen from 1957 to 1960. He graduated from law school at the University of Arkansas in 1964 and was admitted to the bar that same year.
Pryor first won elected office representing Ouachita County in the Arkansas House of Representatives in 1960. Seated as a member of the 63rd Arkansas General Assembly, Pryor would win reelection to the seat in 1962 and 1964.
In 1966, Pryor was elected to Congress following a vacancy that year after U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson appointed fellow Democrat Oren Harris to a federal judgeship. He was not a candidate for reelection in 1972, instead challenging longtime U.S. Senator John L. McLellan in the Democratic Primary. Pryor lost to McLellan in a runoff by less than 20,000 votes.
Pryor entered the 1974 Democratic Gubernatorial Primary when Governor Dale Bumpers declined a third term to successfully challenge Senator J. William Fulbright. Pryor narrowly avoided a runoff in the primary, defeating former governor Orval Faubus and Lt. Governor Bob C. Riley, then easily besting Arkansas Republican Party Executive Director Ken Coon in the General Election. Pryor was reelected in 1976, gaining 66 percent of the vote in the Democratic Primary against former Razorback football great Jim Lindsey, and 86 percent in November against a token Republican. He served as Governor of Arkansas from January 14, 1975 to January 3, 1979. Navigating a difficult economy from the 1974–76 recession, Pryor appointed banker and future governor Frank D. White as his economic development director.
He declined a third term in order to seek McLellan's former seat in 1978 (the senator died in 1977) and faced two congressmen: Jim Guy Tucker and Ray Thornton in the Democratic Primary. Pryor advanced to a runoff with Tucker, and defeated the central Arkansas congressman by 12 points. He defeated a Republican and Independent opponents in the General Election with 76 percent of the vote.
In 1984, in spite of the Ronald Reagan landslide, Pryor defeated central Arkansas Congressman Ed Bethune in a race dominated by national GOP money backing Bethune. In 1990, Pryor defeated a write-in candidate; no other Democrat or Republican filed. He retired in 1996 and was replaced by Republican congressman Tim Hutchinson.
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David Pryor
David Hampton Pryor (August 29, 1934 – April 20, 2024) was an American politician who served as a representative for Arkansas's 4th congressional district from 1966 until 1973 and as a senator from Arkansas from 1979 until 1997. A member of the Democratic Party, Pryor also served as the 39th governor of Arkansas from 1975 to 1979 and was a member of the Arkansas House of Representatives from 1960 to 1966. He served as the acting chairman of the Arkansas Democratic Party from 2008 to 2009, following Bill Gwatney's assassination.
David Hampton Pryor was born in Camden, the seat of Ouachita County in southern Arkansas, to William Edgar Pryor and the former Susan Pryor (née Newton). Both had deep roots in Arkansas; the marriage 'united two of the pioneer families of Arkansas'. William Pryor moved to Camden from Holly Springs in 1923 and started selling cars. By 1933, he had bought the partners out of the business and become sole owner of Edgar Pryor Inc, a well-known Chevrolet dealership in the area. The family was also involved in the civic, religious, and political life of Camden, with W.E. serving as Ouachita County Sheriff from 1939 to 1942.
Pryor was a third generation Ouachita County resident. He attended public schools in Camden, attended Henderson State Teacher's College in Arkadelphia, and graduated from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville in 1957. Pryor was founder and publisher of the Ouachita Citizen from 1957 to 1960. He graduated from law school at the University of Arkansas in 1964 and was admitted to the bar that same year.
Pryor first won elected office representing Ouachita County in the Arkansas House of Representatives in 1960. Seated as a member of the 63rd Arkansas General Assembly, Pryor would win reelection to the seat in 1962 and 1964.
In 1966, Pryor was elected to Congress following a vacancy that year after U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson appointed fellow Democrat Oren Harris to a federal judgeship. He was not a candidate for reelection in 1972, instead challenging longtime U.S. Senator John L. McLellan in the Democratic Primary. Pryor lost to McLellan in a runoff by less than 20,000 votes.
Pryor entered the 1974 Democratic Gubernatorial Primary when Governor Dale Bumpers declined a third term to successfully challenge Senator J. William Fulbright. Pryor narrowly avoided a runoff in the primary, defeating former governor Orval Faubus and Lt. Governor Bob C. Riley, then easily besting Arkansas Republican Party Executive Director Ken Coon in the General Election. Pryor was reelected in 1976, gaining 66 percent of the vote in the Democratic Primary against former Razorback football great Jim Lindsey, and 86 percent in November against a token Republican. He served as Governor of Arkansas from January 14, 1975 to January 3, 1979. Navigating a difficult economy from the 1974–76 recession, Pryor appointed banker and future governor Frank D. White as his economic development director.
He declined a third term in order to seek McLellan's former seat in 1978 (the senator died in 1977) and faced two congressmen: Jim Guy Tucker and Ray Thornton in the Democratic Primary. Pryor advanced to a runoff with Tucker, and defeated the central Arkansas congressman by 12 points. He defeated a Republican and Independent opponents in the General Election with 76 percent of the vote.
In 1984, in spite of the Ronald Reagan landslide, Pryor defeated central Arkansas Congressman Ed Bethune in a race dominated by national GOP money backing Bethune. In 1990, Pryor defeated a write-in candidate; no other Democrat or Republican filed. He retired in 1996 and was replaced by Republican congressman Tim Hutchinson.
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