Tom Cotton
RepublicanU.S. Senator, AR| Age | 49 (b. 1977-05-13) |
| Gender | Male |
| In office since | 2013-01-03 (~13 yrs) |
| Race / ethnicity | White/Non-Hispanic |
| Religion | Methodist (United Methodist / now Global Methodist Church, Dardanelle, AR) |
| Education | Dardanelle High School (1995); Harvard University, B.A. in Government, magna cum laude (1998, completed in 3 years); Claremont Graduate University (1998-1999, withdrew); Harvard Law School, J.D. (2002) |
| Prior occupation | Law clerk (U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit, Judge Jerry Edwin Smith); associate attorney (Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, Washington, D.C.); U.S. Army officer (2005-2013); management consultant (McKinsey & Company, 2010-2012) |
| Military service | Yes: U.S. Army (Captain) |
| Birthplace | Dardanelle, Arkansas |
| Marital status | Married — Anna Peckham Cotton |
| Children | 2 |
| Residence | Little Rock, Arkansas (voting residence); McLean, Virginia (mortgage disclosed on financial disclosure) |
| Notable relatives | Father Thomas Leonard Cotton served with 4th Infantry Division in Vietnam; mother Avis Bryant Cotton was a schoolteacher and principal; Cotton is a sixth-generation Arkansan; no notable political dynasty |
Pending research: languages · openly lgbtq.
Career & politics
| First elected | 2012 |
| Previous offices | U.S. Representative, Arkansas's 4th Congressional District (January 3, 2013 – January 3, 2015) |
| Committees | Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (Chair) · Senate Committee on Armed Services · Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources · Joint Economic Committee |
| Caucuses | Senate Republican Conference (Chair) · Senate Taiwan Caucus · Rare Disease Caucus |
| Leadership | Chair, Senate Republican Conference (January 2025 – present) · Chair, Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (January 2025 – present) |
| Ideology | Conservative Republican; ACU lifetime rating 86.06; Heritage Action scorecard 73%; GovTrack places him on the far right of the Senate; DW-NOMINATE data available at voteview.com confirms strong conservative positioning |
| Signature legislation | RAISE Act (Reforming American Immigration for Strong Employment Act, S. 354, 2017) – proposed 50% cut to legal immigration, introduced with Sen. David Perdue; not enacted · Iran Open Letter (2015) – co-authored open letter to Iranian leaders signed by 47 Republican senators warning them of Congress's role in any nuclear deal · Saving American History Act (2020) – bill to prohibit federal funding for 1619 Project curriculum in K-12 schools; not enacted · Foreign Merger Subsidy Disclosure Act (S. 4322, enacted December 29, 2022) – requires disclosure of foreign government subsidies in premerger notification filings · Fairness for American Victims of State-Sponsored Terrorism Act (S. 5156, enacted) – expanded compensation for American terrorism victims including 1983 Beirut Barracks Bombing families |
Financial
Net worth: disclosed $-4,767,985–$-95,001 (2023) · estimate
| Marcus by Goldman Sachs (savings account) | other · –$250,000 · 2022 |
| iShares Russell 3000 ETF (IWV) | fund · –$100,000 · 2022 |
| Mortgage - First Security Bank, Little Rock, AR | other · $50,000–$100,000 · 2022 |
| Mortgage - Chain Bridge Bank, McLean, VA (30-year) | real_estate · $1,000,000–$5,000,000 · 2022 |
Top donors: Goldman Sachs ($20,500) · AKSM Urology PAC ($25,000) · Ernst & Young ($23,000) · Stephens Inc. ($20,000) · National Beer Wholesalers Association ($20,000) · Bank of America ($15,000) · Murphy Oil Corporation ($17,000) · Deloitte ($16,000)
Top industries: Finance, Insurance & Real Estate · Professional Services (Accounting, Consulting) · Defense/Armed Forces · Energy & Natural Resources · Agriculture
Scandals & crimes ledger
resolved — FEC ADR 798: Cotton for Senate Failure to Disclose Campaign Receipts
Cotton for Senate, Tom Cotton's 2014 Senate campaign committee, failed to disclose approximately $155,050 in receipts on its original 2014 30-Day Post-General Election Report filed December 4, 2014. The FEC Reports Analysis Division referred the matter to the ADR program. On October 19, 2015, the committee filed an amended report disclosing the additional receipts. The FEC voted 5-1 to approve a settlement agreement requiring payment of a $2,000 penalty; the case was closed August 10, 2016. Counsel Cleta Mitchell represented the respondents.