Senator Ben Gilmore was elected to the Senate in November 2020 and was sworn-in on the first day of the 93rd General Assembly.
Senator Gilmore represents District 1, which includes Ashley, Bradley, Chicot and Cleveland Counties and parts of Drew, Grant, Jefferson and Lincoln Counties.
His Senate colleagues elected Senator Gilmore to serve as the Senate co-chair of the Arkansas Legislative Council. He also is chair of the Senate Interim Committee on Children and Youth
Senator Gilmore is a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, the Senate Agriculture, Forestry and Economic Development Committee, the Joint Retirement and Social Security Committee, the Joint Budget Committee and Legislative Joint Auditing Committee.
In 2023, Senator Gilmore was the lead sponsor of the Protect Arkansas Act, bringing comprehensive reform to Arkansas’s criminal justice system, among other bills to target fentanyl trafficking and those who would traffic illicit drugs to Arkansas’s children.
Senator Gilmore has also passed legislation to enhance our pro-life laws, helping keep Arkansas the most pro-life state in the nation. He has advocated for removing burdens on Arkansas’s businesses, passed legislation to reform public assistance programs that put Arkansans back to work.
In 2023, Senator Gilmore was the lead sponsor of a bill repealing the burdensome “Throwback Tax,” ultimately saving Arkansas businesses $75 million in additional taxes. As chair of the Arkansas Forestry Caucus, Senator Gilmore has led on policy strengthening Arkansas’s forestry and agriculture sectors.
Senator Gilmore was selected as the GOPAC Emerging Leader for Arkansas in 2023 and received the Jay Dickey Party Builder Award for helping strengthen the Arkansas Republican Party.
Before being elected, Senator Gilmore served as Deputy Chief of Staff and Communications Director for then Lieutenant Governor Tim Griffin. He previously served on the staff of Fourth District Congressman Bruce Westerman, where he worked on issues facing the forestry and agricultural industries.
While attending the University of Arkansas at Monticello, Senator Gilmore worked at the Crossett Public Library, serving in the outreach role and helping build the Ashley County Imagination Library. Before serving at the library, he was a licensed electrical apprentice.
Senator Gilmore is a consultant specializing in strategic communications and marketing. He has actively served his community and has supported economic development efforts across southeast Arkansas.
Senator Gilmore has served on the Crossett Chamber of Commerce Board, the Crossett Beautification Committee, the Crossett Committee for the Future, the Ashley County United Fund Board, and currently serves on the Friends of the Library Board and the Hamburg School Foundation Board.
He is a Delta Regional Authority’s Leadership Institute graduate, FBI Citizens Academy, Family Policy Foundation’s Statesman Academy, and the Union County Chamber of Commerce Leadership Class. Senator Gilmore is a skilled violinist and oil painter. He is a member of the First Baptist Church of Crossett and has served as a Trustee of the Church and is currently serving on the Executive Board for the Arkansas State Baptist Convention.
