Ken Ferguson (politician)

Kenneth Bernard Ferguson, Sr. (born c. 1951),^[1] is an African-American retiree from Pine Bluff, Arkansas, who is a Democratic member of the Arkansas House of Representatives for District 16, which includes Jefferson and Lincoln counties in the southeastern portion of his state. Ferguson has held his legislative seat since January 2015.^[2]

Ferguson was elected in 2014 in House District 16 to succeed the term-limited African-American Democrat James Word, also of Pine Bluff. In the primary, Ferguson led two opponents but was forced into a runoff election with intra-party rival, Win Trafford (born c. 1972), also of Pine Bluff, whom he led by nineteen votes. In the second round of balloting with a low turnout, Ferguson prevailed 1,170 (54.5 percent) to 978 (45.5 percent). Ferguson faced no opposition in the November 4 general election.^[3]

Representative Ferguson holds these committee assignments: (1) Revenue and Tax Committee and (2) City, County, and Local Affairs.^[2] In February 2015, Ferguson was one of twenty legislators who opposed House Bill 1228, authored by Republican Bob Ballinger of Carroll County in northwestern Arkansas,^[4] which sought to prohibit government from imposing a burden on the free exercise of religion.^[5] Representative Camille Bennett, a Democrat from Lonoke, called for a reworking of the legislation.^[6] She claimed that the Ballinger bill would establish a "type of religious litmus test" which could impact nearly any law under consideration by the legislature.^[4] The measure was subsequently passed by a large margin in the House and signed into law in revised form, SB 975, by Governor Asa Hutchinson.^[7]

Ferguson is a former resident of Roanoke in Denton County in North Texas, dates unavailable.^[1]

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