*Chris Jones, a physicist and ordained minister, announced his candidacy for Arkansas governor last week with a powerful video that has since gone viral.
The Democrat and former head of the nonprofit Arkansas Regional Innovation Hub, officially launched his campaign on Tuesday, entering a crowded field vying to replace sitting GOP Gov. Asa Hutchinson, who is ineligible to run for reelection due to term limits. Former White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the daughter of former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, is among two Republicans who are also in the race.
Jones, in his announcement video, said that as both a both an ordained minister and physicist, for him “there’s never been a conflict between science and faith.” Using a stole as a symbol to represent time, he continued, “As a Christian, I thank God everyday for that time. As a physicist, I know that time is also relative. And with the right amount of energy, you can bend it and be anywhere.” He then used the metaphor to go through eight generations of his family’s history – from slavery, to his grandfather’s sacrifice and entrepreneurial spirit, to the explosion of the Challenger space shuttle that inspired his desire to become an astronaut.
He was ultimately unable to pursue the career because he was deaf in one ear. But one full NASA scholarship, Morehouse degree and MIT PHD later, Jones says that with the support of his wife, Air Force veteran and ER doctor Jerrilyn Jones, and their three daughters, he’s running for governor to help Arkansas take “a big leap forward.”
“But we need the right leaps. The last few years have shown just how easy it is to slip back in time. So that’s why I’m running for governor,” Jones said.
Watch his moving video, “About Time,” below:
We Publish News 24/7. Don’t Miss A Story. Click HERE to SUBSCRIBE to Our Newsletter Now!
