Tom Cotton

Thomas Bryant Cotton (born May 13, 1977) is an American politician, attorney, and former Army officer serving as the junior United States senator from Arkansas since 2015. A member of the Republican Party, he served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2013 to 2015. As Chair of the Senate Republican Conference since 2025, he is the third-ranking Senate Republican. He is also the chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee.

Cotton was elected as the U.S. representative for Arkansas's 4th congressional district in 2012 and to the Senate at age 37 in 2014, defeating two-term Democratic incumbent Mark Pryor. In 2024, Cotton was selected as chair of the Senate Republican Conference. An ardent conservative, Cotton is known for his hawkish views regarding foreign affairs, especially towards China and Iran. Provided by Wikipedia