EVENTS

Join My Journey

10/16/22: The Home Stretch!

I'm Jannie Cotton, a licensed professional counselor and a retired mental health services CEO. I'm running to represent Jacksonville & Sherwood in the Arkansas Legislature, because the amazing people of our community deserve a voice.

My campaign has knocked on thousands of doors, and what we hear over and over again is: "Thank you for coming to my home."

In the legislature, it is these faces that will motivate me. It's your families and your dreams that I will answer to.

I want to make sure the schools of Jacksonville and Sherwood are well-funded and that our teachers are paid regionally competitive wages. I want to make sure every family here can access quality healthcare and mental healthcare - I know these systems well, and I want to fix what's broken.

And I want to bring higher-paying jobs to our communities, so our families can get ahead and stay ahead. It doesn't need to be so hard in Arkansas to build our dreams and legacy, and I believe committed servant-leaders can make needed changes.

Early voting starts October 24th, and the last day to vote is November 8th. I'd be so honored to have your support.

11/9/22: Thank You

Dear friends,

I’m sure you’ve seen the election night results by now, but we came up short. I am sad about that outcome, but I accept it. I’m so grateful to everybody who voted, and I’m deeply moved by the support you showed me over the last year. We ran a historic campaign.

I’m proud of all the wonderful people we met while going door to door. You were such a blessing and helped me understand my purpose for running even more than when I started.

Thanks to my amazing campaign team for your daily sacrifices. We didn’t win the position but we will continue to work for the people. We are so proud of Jacksonville and Sherwood, and the people who stood in line past 10:00pm to cast their vote. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.

A big shout out also to those who donated to my campaign so we could get our messages out to voters. I am grateful!

11/7/22: Let's Vote!

Jacksonville and Sherwood, thank you. For everything.

Tomorrow is Election Day, the last day to vote. For the last year, you have embraced me and my campaign team with wide open arms. I’ll never forget your kindness and generosity over the course of this campaign.

We’ve built quite the coalition. From the church community who has known me for decades, to my Republican & Independent supporters who are behind me because of my focus on access to healthcare and mental healthcare, to neighbors of neither party across our community who have simply felt ignored for a long time.

Together, I believe we’ll win. I believe I’ll see you at the polls, because you, too, believe in a future for Jacksonville and Sherwood that honors those who have gone before us, a future that strives for even better for our families.

Thank you for everything. I’d be very honored to have your vote.

9/25/22: Jacksonville Fest & Sherwood Fest!

Nothing is more fun than community events like Jacksonville Fest and Sherwood Fest, where our communities' families, businesses, and non-profits get to show off their very best. I loved meeting families that are new to the area, and reconnecting with old friends and leaders in the business community. Thank you to the event organizers, and thank you to everyone who showed up and showed out!

9/18/22: Community Conversations with Cotton

Our "Community Conversations with Cotton" fundraiser was a huge success! It was so much fun to reunite with old friends and meet some of my favorite new community members. Thank you to everyone who attended - your support means the world to me! In this final stretch of the campaign, we simply couldn't do the work of this campaign without you.

9/14/22: Campaign Update

This last weekend, it was so much fun to take a quick break from canvassing and phone-banking to support this marvelous community event: Sherwood's Puppa Pawlooza! Our campaign was one of the event's community sponsors, and we had a fun time watching some of Sherwood's very good dogs splash around.

Events like this are why I love calling District 67 home - we are an incredible place to raise a family, do business, and plan for the future. Thank you to all of the event sponsors, and thank you to everyone who is working hard to make Sherwood & Jacksonville home.

I'll see you on the campaign trail!

8/24/22: Campaign Update

It's been an incredible summer going door to door in Jacksonville & Sherwood - but we are SO ready for the weather to cool off and usher in Autumn. As we meet our neighbors, we've found that everyone is talking about the same thing: unity, integrity, and how important it is for our leaders to work on making most things just a little more affordable (or in some cases, a lot more affordable).

You have my word that in the legislature, I will work hard to bring people together. My word will be my bond, and I will be honest with you. I will listen to you, and I won't divide us to score points. I won't bully, and I won't abuse your trust. I'll work hard to provide relief for rising food and energy costs, and I'll work hard to ensure nobody in our district has to choose between necessities like healthcare, prescription drugs, utility payments, and putting food on the table. It's so energizing to find, over and over gain, that the things my district cares about are the things I care about. Here are some of my favorite photos from recent weeks:

7/4/22: Canvassing & July 4th!

This weekend, Team Jannie went door-to-door with our campaign message and joined the beautiful Sherwood & Jacksonville communities for their July 4th celebration. It was so great seeing Jacksonville & Sherwood families celebrate together.

Thank you, everyone, for your support. It is so much fun, and so meaningful to me, to get to meet with you out in the community. If you'd like to get plugged into the campaign, please reach out to: JannieMCotton@Yahoo.com.

I hope everyone had a safe and happy 4th of July!

4/2/22: Reverend Jesse Jackson Inspires Arkansas Leaders

It's not every day that you get to spend time with a civil rights legend. This weekend the Reverend Jesse Jackson was in Arkansas, and he blessed us with his time.

We were in Hot Springs for a state Democratic Party meeting, and Rev. Jackson rallied us around voter registration efforts and getting Arkansans out to vote. He was inspirational, thanked me for running for office, and applauded me for not giving up. It reminded me of the first time I met him while I was in high school - he applauded us for not giving up then, too.

Afterward, some other candidates for elected office and I took Rev. Jackson and his team to Lindsey's for lunch, one of our local favorites. Rev. Jackson is a man who just keeps showing up. I admire his career and his advocacy for fairness. In a time when things are bitterly divided, I also admire his goodness and compassion for everybody. Let's follow his lead and keep showing up for Arkansas.

5/5/22: Jannie Cotton Meets with Sherwood & Jacksonville Community Members

It's been a busy week on the campaign trail! This week, I met with the residents of Jacksonville at North Pulaski Community Park. It was so great to hear voters' concerns, introduce myself, and answer questions.

Everybody I spoke with is on board with this campaign's message: that Sherwood & Jacksonville's schools can lead the state, that our district can create new good-paying jobs, and that we can do more to create access to healthcare and mental healthcare services for our area's seniors and veterans.

It was also so meaningful to me to gather this week with friends and neighbors for the Sherwood Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast.

Here in Sherwood and Jacksonville, faith, hope, and love bring us together. They always have. I’m grateful for this event that brought people together.

6/2/22: Back to My Roots

I am overflowing with gratitude.

Recently, some dear friends and supporters threw me a fundraiser at The Rail Yard in Little Rock. Our theme was "Back to my Roots," because the East End is where I grew up. My event hosts were all neighbors and classmates from that time in my life - it was truly special.

Thank you to everyone who made this event successful, and thank you to The Rail Yard. The people of Jacksonville and Sherwood are energized about this campaign, and over the last couple of months, we've rallied support to our cause from all over the state. We know this campaign will require a whole of state effort - just know that we will not let you down.

6/19/22: NAACP Advocacy, Mental Health Press Conference & Juneteenth!

Hey, everyone! It's been a busy week on the campaign trail, and I thought I'd update you! On June 11th, I was the keynote speaker for the Little Rock Women in the NAACP annual scholarship program. It was such a special event, and I was honored to speak.

On Wednesday, June 15th, I joined the Arkansas Medical, Dental & Pharmaceutical Association at the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center for a press conference to announce new mental health resources in conjunction with Juneteenth. After a career of working in mental health services as a counsellor and CEO, I was honored to attend alongside representatives from UAMS, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, the Girl Scouts, and servicemen, servicewomen & their families.

And finally, this Juneteenth weekend, I joined the families and public servants of Jacksonville for a celebration of freedom. At the event, I met with the Mayor, police chief, and officers - and everyone in attendance was so excited to be gathered! It was so nice to hear their heartfelt gratitude for showing up. On the trail, we're hearing from a lot of people who just don't expect their leaders to show up for them, and I'm going to do my best to keep showing up!