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John BoozmanREPRepublican United States Senator
73
Years of Age
23
Years of Experience
ARResidence (state)

John Nichols Boozman (BOHZ-mən; born December 10, 1950) is an American politician and former optometrist serving as the senior United States senator from Arkansas, a seat he has held since 2011. A member of the Republican Party, he was the U.S. representative for Arkansas's 3rd congressional district from 2001 to 2011. He is the dean of Arkansas's congressional delegation. Boozman was born in Shreveport, Louisiana, where his father was stationed with the U.S. Air Force, but the family eventually returned to Fort Smith, Arkansas, where he was raised. He is the brother of the late state senator Fay Boozman. He attended the University of Arkansas, where he played football for the Arkansas Razorbacks, and later graduated from the Southern College of Optometry. He co-founded a private optometry clinic in 1977 and worked as a volunteer optometrist for low-income families. He won a special election in 2001 to the U.S. House of Representatives, where he served as assistant majority whip and sat on the Republican Policy Committee. He was an advocate for drug policy issues and chaired the Veterans' Affairs Economic Opportunity Subcommittee, where he led the passage of bills expanding services for unemployed veterans. Boozman was elected to the United States Senate in 2010, defeating Democratic incumbent Blanche Lincoln by a 21-point margin and becoming the first Republican to be elected to the seat since Reconstruction.

Voterly's Issue Scores  (1 - 30 of 30)

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Special Interest Group Ratings

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Interest Groups That OPPOSE
Rating
Average Score

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Campaign Funding

20
18
$4,918,549
Total Raised
$4,522,499
Total Spent
$497,113
Cash on Hand
Top Industries  (1 - 4 of 10) View All Industries
99%
Health Professionals$327,715
94%
Leadership PACs$311,034
86%
Securities & Investment$284,650
72%
Retired$237,499
67%
Commercial Banks$222,050
59%
Real Estate$194,091
47%
Oil & Gas$155,550
42%
Crop Production & Basic Processing$137,437
39%
Insurance$128,325
38%
Lobbyists$126,964
Direct campaign contributions grouped by the industry industry of each donor/PAC.

Largest Contributors

Funding generally from an organization's PAC or its members/employees. Organizations did not donate directly.
Financial Data Source: Center for Responsive Politics
Education5 - 5 of 3
University of Arkansas
1969 - 1972
Northside High School
Southern College of Optometry
1977
Past Positions1 - 4 of 4
Senator
United States Senate
2011 - Current
Assistant Whip
United States House of Representatives
2003 - 2011
Representative
United States House of Representatives
2001 - 2011
Co-Founder
Boozman-Hof Regional Eye Clinic
1977 - 2001
Other Experience1 - 71 of 71
Founder
Arkansas World Trade Center
2007
Founder
Arkansas School for the Blind, Low Vision Program
Member
American Optometrist Association
Former Member
School Board, Rogers School District
Member
Lions Club
Chair
I-49 Caucus
Member
Air Force Caucus
Member
Americans Abroad Caucus
Member
Congressional African Partnership for Economic Empowerment Caucus
Member
Congressional Coalition on Adoption
Member
Congressional China Caucus
Member
Congressional Fire Services Caucus
Member
Congressional Georgia Caucus
Member
Congressional Glaucoma Caucus
Member
Congressional Indonesia Caucus
Member
Congressional Malaria Caucus
Member
Congressional Missing and Exploited Children’s Caucus
Member
Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus
Member
Congressional United Kingdom Caucus
Member
Congressional Task Force on Alzheimer's Disease
Member
Congressional Travel and Tourism Caucus
Member
French Caucus
Member
Global Health Caucus
Member
Historic Preservation Caucus
Member
House 4-H Caucus
Member
House Cancer Caucus
Member
House Hunger Caucus
Member
House Manufacturing Caucus
Member
House Rural Health Care Coalition
Member
Human Rights Caucus
Member
Immigration Reform Caucus
Member
Iran Human Rights & Democracy Caucus
Member
Law Enforcement Caucus
Member
Manufactured Housing Caucus
Member
Nuclear Issues Working Group
Member
Religious Minorities in the Middle East Caucus
Member
Congressional TRIO Caucus
Member
Second Amendment Task Force
Member
United Kingdom Caucus
Member
United States China Working Group
Member
Vision Caucus
Member
Grand Old Party Doctors Caucus
Member
Values Action Team
Former Chair
Subcommittee on Commodities, Risk Management and Trade, United States Senate
Former Chair
Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies, United States Senate
Former Member
Joint Committee on Printing, United States Senate
Former Member
Homeland Security Subcommittee, United States Senate
Former Member
Budget Committee, United States Senate
Former Member
Rural Development and Energy Subcommittee, United States Senate
Former Member
Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies
Former Member
Subcommittee on Clean Air and Nuclear Safety, United States Senate
Former Member
Subcommittee on Nutrition, Agricultural Research, and Specialty Crops, United States Senate
Former Member
Subcommittee on Conservation, Forestry, and Natural Resources, United States Senate
Former Member
Rules and Administration Committee, United States Senate
Former Member
Senate Committee on Appropriations
Former Member
Subcommittee on Superfund, Waste Management, and Regulatory Oversight, United States Senate
Member
Cystic Fibrosis Caucus
Member
Republican Study Committee
Member
After School Caucus
Member
Medical Doctors’ Caucus
Member
Congressional Pro-Life Caucus
Member
Congressional Caucus on United States-Turkey Relations and Turkish Americans
Member
Caucus for Congressional World Bank Dialogue
Member
Community College Caucus
Member
Congressional Mentoring Caucus
Member
Congressional Immigration Reform Caucus
Member
Congressional Bike Caucus
Member
Congressional Arts Caucus
Member
Congressional Community Pharmacy Coalition
Member
Congressional Caucus to Fight and Control Methamphetamine
Member
Congressional Prayer Caucus