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Rick Crawford

Rick Crawford

Republican Incumbent

Rick Crawford is the incumbent U.S. Representative for Arkansas's 1st Congressional District, first elected in 2010. He serves as chair of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and as vice ranking member of the House Agriculture Committee. Prior to Congress, he served in the U.S. Army as an Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician and founded the AgWatch Network.

Positions on Key Issues

Climate/Energy

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Rick Crawford supports an "all of the above" energy policy, advocating for the use of oil, coal, and natural gas. He has criticized EPA regulations on coal-fired power plants, arguing they raise energy costs and impede new plant construction. He also supports developing oil shale reserves, offshore oil, and the Keystone XL Pipeline.

Healthcare

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Rick Crawford supports repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) with legislation that enhances care, improves access, and controls costs. He also cosponsored the 2025 Protecting Access to Ground Ambulance Medical Services Act.

Economy

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Rick Crawford advocates for a balanced budget amendment and has introduced legislation to achieve this. He also supports small businesses and believes in American energy independence to fuel economic growth.

Abortion & Reproductive Health

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Rick Crawford voted to pass the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act and the Defund Planned Parenthood Act. He supports transferring Planned Parenthood's funding to other women's health organizations to protect the unborn and those born alive.

Immigration

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Rick Crawford opposes what he characterizes as President Biden's plan to grant amnesty to undocumented immigrants and supports increased border security. He has voted to fund the government and defend the southern border.

Firearms & Second Amendment

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Rick Crawford is a strong supporter of the Second Amendment and believes in upholding the constitutional right of law-abiding citizens to own firearms. He has stated that he will not support laws that infringe upon this right.

Local Issues

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Rick Crawford focuses on the unique challenges faced by rural America, emphasizing the importance of access to education, healthcare, food security, and employment in these areas. He works to highlight these concerns in Congress.

Election Policy

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Rick Crawford supported an objection to the electoral college vote in January 2021, stating that he questioned "the method by which those electors were chosen." He emphasized the importance of ensuring voter integrity in future elections.

Foreign Policy

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Rick Crawford opposes efforts to restrict the President's ability to take action against the Iranian regime, which he considers the largest state-sponsor of terrorism and a threat due to its pursuit of nuclear weapons. He supports decisive action to protect American interests.

Tech & AI

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Rick Crawford emphasizes the critical importance of the United States winning the global AI race against China for national security and economic dominance. He advocates for vigorous export controls to maintain the U.S. infrastructure lead, calls for the Intelligence Community to build out adequate computing power, reform acquisition processes for AI models, and develop a qualified workforce to leverage these technologies.

Education

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Rick Crawford advocates for an updated education system that moves beyond a single path to a four-year college. He supports a flexible model that better prepares students for a highly technological, complex, and skill-based economy, emphasizing vocational training and skills that are in demand in sectors like energy, manufacturing, healthcare, and technology.

Civil Rights & Equality

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Rick Crawford supports an amendment to prevent same-sex marriage.

Background

Career History

U.S. Representative 2011 – Present
United States House of Representatives

Representing Arkansas's 1st Congressional District; Chair of House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (2025-present); Vice Ranking Member of the House Agriculture Committee

Founder / Owner
AgWatch Network

Agricultural news network serving over 50 radio affiliates across five states

Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician 1985 – 1989
United States Army

Advanced to Sergeant in under three years; served in Southwest Asia

Education

Arkansas State University Bachelor of Science in Agriculture Business and Economics (1996)

Top Donors

Rick Crawford raised approximately $3.2 million during the 2023-2024 election cycle, primarily from real estate, leadership PACs, and health professionals. Top contributors include various PACs and individual donors. Full data is available via OpenSecrets.

Voting Record

As an incumbent legislator, Rick Crawford's voting record can be found on GovTrack.us, which provides detailed legislative statistics for his tenure in Congress. Vote Smart also offers comprehensive information on his voting record and positions.

About this research

Data compiled from public sources and analyzed using AI. Last updated 6/26/2026. Visit candidate websites for the most current information.

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