Biography of Senator Gilbert Baker

Senator Gilbert Baker was first elected to the Arkansas State Senate in 2000, representing District 30 which includes Conway, Greenbrier, Vilonia, Mayflower and Faulkner County.

Sen. Baker ranks third in senate seniority, and serves as Co-Chair of the Joint Budget Committee and Vice Chair of the State Agencies and Governmental Affairs. He also serves on the Arkansas Legislative Council, the Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee, Legislative Facilities, Children and Youth Committee, Senate Efficiency, and Academic Facilities Oversight Committee.

Sen. Baker has proven to be a fiscally responsible leader. Working in a bi-partisan fashion, he voted to eliminate taxes on groceries, worked to balance the state budget without a tax increase, and has helped bring over 10,000 new jobs to Conway alone.

Since being elected to the Arkansas Senate, Sen. Baker has been a conservative leader in Arkansas politics. During the 2006 election cycle, he was elected Chairman of the Republican Party of Arkansas, (RPA) raising almost $3 million toward its campaign programs.

In 2008, Sen. Baker won re-election to the Arkansas Senate with 55% of the vote while raising almost $500,000 for his efforts. Top Democrats including former President Bill Clinton and Governor Mike Beebe targeted Baker’s re-election efforts. During the campaign, Baker was endorsed by the Arkansas Right to Life (ARTL) and received an “A” rating by the National Rifle Association (NRA).

Arkansas News columnist John Brummett has referred to Sen. Baker as, “the most energetic and personable figure in the Arkansas Republican Party.”

Sen. Baker is a retired instructor, academic advisor, and administrator at the University of Central Arkansas, with more than 20 years of service to higher education.

Sen. Baker is very active in his church and the community that he loves, having served on the boards of Independent Living Services, Habitat for Humanity, Faulkner County Area Agency on Aging, Life Choices Crisis Pregnancy Center, Southern Regional Education Board and the Arkansas Workforce Investment Board.

Gilbert Baker graduated from O. Perry Walker High School in New Orleans (’74) and has degrees from Louisiana Tech (’77) and University of Arizona (’78). He and his wife of 28 years, Susan, live with their family in Conway, Arkansas.