Former Pulaski County Election Commissioner Josh Price to pursue Secretary of State bid

Former Pulaski County Election Commissioner Josh Price said Wednesday (July 7) he will seek the Democratic nomination to run for Arkansas Secretary of State. Price made the announcement from the Darragh Center inside the Central Arkansas Library in Little Rock.

“I’m running for Arkansas Secretary of State to protect the voting rights of all Arkansans,” Price said. “Out of touch politicians are making it harder for people to vote. That’s just not right. Rural voters, seniors, single mothers, working-class Arkansans – they’re all facing new hurdles to exercising their American right to vote.”

No other Democrats have announced for the position. Republican Secretary of State John Thurston is running for re-election, but faces a GOP primary challenge from State Rep. Mark Lowery, R-Maumelle.

Price, 42, was born in Southwest Arkansas, the son of a small business owner and a nurse. He is a former Pulaski County Election Commissioner and most recently worked at the U.S Small Business Administration where he worked with numerous small businesses during the pandemic economic slowdown.

On the Pulaski County Election Commission, Price helped expand voter access by opening additional early voting locations, replacing 20-year-old voting machines, and personally trained hundreds of poll workers during the pandemic. He was the first Asian-American to serve in this position and was one of only four AAPI government officials in Arkansas at the time.

“I’ve served as a Pulaski County Election Commissioner. I know what it takes to run large elections smoothly and fairly. As Secretary of State, I will fight to protect the fundamental right of all Arkansans to make their voices heard, whether they live in a big city or a small town like Delight,” he said.

Price has served at the Delta Regional Authority (DRA) where he worked with governors in an eight state region to help improve the lives of citizens along the Mississippi River Delta.

As the Director of Development of the University of Arkansas – Pulaski Technical College Foundation, Price helped raise $8.8 million in grants to advance STEM education, workforce training, and entrepreneurship in Arkansas.

Price graduated from the University of Central Arkansas with a Bachelor of Science in Sociology. He currently lives in Maumelle.