Linda Ann Pondexter Chesterfield (born September 13, 1947, in
Hope
Hope is an optimistic state of mind that is based on an expectation of positive outcomes with respect to events and circumstances in one's life or the world at large.
As a verb, its definitions include: "expect with confidence" and "to cherish ...
,
Arkansas
Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the Osage ...
) is an American politician and a
Democratic member of the
Arkansas Senate for District 12, a position that she has held since January 14, 2013 (she started in District 30 before redistricting changed her district). Chesterfield served consecutively in the
Arkansas General Assembly
The General Assembly of Arkansas is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The legislature is a bicameral body composed of the upper house Arkansas Senate with 35 members, and the lower Arkansas House of Representatives with 100 ...
from January 2011 until January 2013 in the Senate District 34 seat and non-consecutively from January 2003 until January 2009 in the
Arkansas House of Representatives
The Arkansas State House of Representatives is the lower house of the Arkansas General Assembly, the state legislature of the US state of Arkansas. The House is composed of 100 members elected from an equal amount of constituencies across the ...
District 36 seat.
Chesterfield is standing down at the
2024 Arkansas Senate election.
Education
Chesterfield graduated from
Hendrix College in
Conway, Arkansas, in 1965 and was the college's first African-American graduate.
Elections
*2012 Redistricted to District 30, with Senator
Gilbert Baker term limit
A term limit is a legal restriction that limits the number of terms an officeholder may serve in a particular elected office. When term limits are found in presidential and semi-presidential systems they act as a method of curbing the potenti ...
ed, Chesterfield was unopposed for both the May 22, 2012 Democratic Primary and the November 6, 2012 General election.
*2002 Initially in House District 36, when Representative
Tommy Roebuck left the Legislature and left the seat open, Chesterfield won the three-way 2002 Democratic Primary (the NIMSP double-lists her in that election as Linda Pondexter) and was unopposed for the November 2002 General election.
*2004 Chesterfield was unopposed for both the 2004 Democratic Primary and the November 2, 2004 General election.
*2006 Chesterfield was unopposed for both the 2006 Democratic Primary and the November 7, 2006 General election.
*2010 With District 34 Senator
Tracy Steele
Tracy Steele (born December 18, 1963) is a Democratic former member of the Arkansas House of Representatives, having most recently represented the 39th District, with service from 2011 to 2013.
Personal life
Tracy Steele's hometown is in North ...
running for the House District 39 seat, Chesterfield ran for the open District 5 Senate seat, won the May 18, 2010 Democratic Primary with 4,588 votes (62.4%) and was unopposed for the November 2, 2010 General election.
Chesterfield was the 2015 president of the Arkansas Legislative Black Caucus.
References
External links
Official pageat the
Arkansas General Assembly
The General Assembly of Arkansas is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The legislature is a bicameral body composed of the upper house Arkansas Senate with 35 members, and the lower Arkansas House of Representatives with 100 ...
*
Linda Chesterfieldat
Ballotpedia
Ballotpedia is a nonprofit and nonpartisan online political encyclopedia that covers federal, state, and local politics, elections, and public policy in the United States. The website was founded in 2007. Ballotpedia is sponsored by the Lucy Bur ...
Linda Pondexter Chesterfieldat the National Institute on Money in State Politics
1947 births
Living people
African-American state legislators in Arkansas
21st-century African-American women politicians
21st-century African-American politicians
Democratic Party Arkansas state senators
Hendrix College alumni
Democratic Party members of the Arkansas House of Representatives
People from Hope, Arkansas
Politicians from Little Rock, Arkansas
Women state legislators in Arkansas
School board members in Arkansas
Methodists from Arkansas
21st-century American legislators
21st-century American women politicians
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