Bill Halter

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Bill Halter
Bill Halter

Incumbent
Assumed office 
January 9, 2007
Governor Mike Beebe
Preceded by Winthrop Paul Rockefeller

Born November 30, 1960 (1960-11-30) (age 47)
Little Rock, Arkansas
Political party Democratic
Spouse Shanti Patching
Profession Economist, Management Consultant

William A. "Bill" Halter (born November 30, 1960) is the lieutenant governor of Arkansas and a member of the Democratic Party. He succeeded the late Republican Winthrop Paul Rockefeller, who served in the position for the preceding decade.

In 1993, Halter began service in the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), part of the Executive Office of the President. In his six years with President Clinton's OMB, the U.S. annual federal budget deficit of $290 billion was transformed into a $125 billion surplus and federal civilian employment was reduced to its lowest level since the Kennedy Administration.

After serving in the OMB for six years he was nominated by U.S. President Bill Clinton and confirmed unanimously by the United States Senate in 1999 as the Deputy Commissioner (later, also Acting Commissioner) of Social Security.

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[edit] Academics and business

Halter is a Rhodes Scholar who studied Economics and Political Science at Stanford University and received an A. B. with Honors and Distinction in 1983. He received a Master of Philosophy in Economics from St John's College, Oxford in 1986. He is a trustee emeritus of Stanford University, having served on its board of trustees for seven years and having chaired the Stanford Committee on Academic Policy.

His official website[1] notes, "Not a career politician, Halter’s business background offers Arkansas leadership with the experience and know-how needed to expand economic development and attract new jobs for Arkansans. Before entering public service, he was a Management Consultant with McKinsey and Company where he advised companies in a range of industries and coauthored a study on the management practices of successful companies. Currently, Bill Halter is a member of the Board of Directors of two public companies in biotechnology and information technology: Threshold Pharmaceuticals...and Akamai Technologies...He previously served on the Board of InterMune,.. Xenogen,...and webMethods."[2]

[edit] Political Career

In the run-up to the 2006 Arkansas elections, Halter initially ran for Governor of Arkansas but dropped out in March 2006 and instead ran successfully for Lt. Governor. He won a Democratic primary election run-off against Tim Wooldridge and then defeated Jim L. Holt of Springdale, a former conservative Republican state legislator and minister, in the general election.[3]

In 2007, there was speculation that Halter would run for the United States Senate against incumbent Mark Pryor in 2008.[4]

[edit] References

Political offices
Preceded by
Winthrop Paul Rockefeller
Lieutenant Governor of Arkansas
2007 – present
Incumbent

[edit] External links