Former Legislator, Poultry Federation Chief Marvin Childers Considering AG Bid

Arkansas Poultry Federation president and former State Rep. Marvin Childers is considering a run for Arkansas Attorney General.

On Tuesday (May 28), Childers tells Talk Business Arkansas that he has been approached by a variety of friends and colleagues and is seriously considering a 2014 race for the state’s top legal and law enforcement post.

“I am getting a lot of encouragement and I’m going to give it serious consideration,” Childers said. He added that a deadline for making a decision would come “later this summer.”

A former Republican State Representative from Blytheville, Childers said he would seek the GOP nomination for the AG’s post, if he declares. North Little Rock attorney David Sterling is the only announced GOP candidate for Attorney General. No Democrats have officially declared and current Attorney General Dustin McDaniel (D) is term-limited.

Childers said his experience and background in the state legislature, where he served from 2001 to 2006, as well as his business involvement during the last five years with the Poultry Federation – which covers Arkansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma – would be assets if he makes the race. He has also practiced law with Little Rock-based Friday, Eldredge & Clark since 2000. Childers also was a partner in a general law practice in Blytheville.

“I’ve got a law enforcement background having served as a deputy prosecutor in Mississippi County for more than 10 years. I’ve practiced law on the civil side, served in the legislature and had an opportunity to work in the private sector,” Childers said. “I’ve had a first-hand look at how important the AG’s office is to the state.”

Childers received a B.A. in Accounting from the University of Mississippi and his Juris Doctor from the University of Mississippi School of Law. He is a member of the Arkansas Bar Association, Missouri Bar Association, and the Pulaski County Bar Association. He was raised on a family farm in Cooter, MO where his family grew over 2,000 acres of cotton, soybeans, wheat and milo, according to his bio on the Poultry Federation web site.