Hutchinson Names Cotton Staffer As Chief Health Aide

Governor Asa Hutchinson has named Sen. Tom Cotton’s deputy legislative director as his new senior health policy advisor, Hutchinson’s office announced today.

John Martin will start working in the governor’s office September 8.

In a statement, Hutchinson said, “I’m excited to have John Martin join our team as our new Senior Health Policy Advisor. His expertise on healthcare is well known and his breadth of knowledge and experience on the issue will be of great value to my administration as we work to reform Medicaid and improve access to quality care for Arkansans.”

As Cotton’s deputy legislative director, Martin has been the senator’s primary advisor on domestic policy issues such as health care and agriculture for the past two-and-a-half years. He began working for then-Rep. Cotton in 2013. He previously managed former U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson’s statewide grassroots operation during his 2012 U.S. Senate campaign in Wisconsin. Martin earlier was a consultant for Deloitte’s large energy and wholesale-distribution clients.

A native of Ft. Worth, he earned a bachelor’s degree in supply chain management from Texas A&M University.