Jay Bradford

Bradford was born April 30, 1940 Little Rock, Arkansas to J. Turner Bradford and Chrystal Jacobs Bradford and was one of four children.[1] When he was eight he and his siblings moved to live wit relatives in Paris, Arkansas after his mother died.[1] He was educated in the Subiaco Academy followed by Henderson State University where obtained a bachelors degree in economics and psychology in 1963.[1]

He worked in insurance and was the founder and chairman of the First Arkansas Insurance Group as well as being president of the Independent Insurance Agents of Arkansas.[1]

Bradford started his political career as an alderman in Pine Bluff, Arkansas.[1] Then he ran for a seat in the Arkansas Senate as a Democrat in 1982 and won, a position he would serve from 1983 to 2000[2][3] before being term limited out.[4] Bill Clinton nominated Bradford as chairman of the Democratic Party in 1889 when Skip Rutherford resigned but in February the next year Bradford resigned to avoid a lawsuit for serving a dual role.[5] In his final years in the senate he served as President of the Arkansas Senate in 1999/2000.[2] He then served in the Arkansas House after running unopposed[4] serving from 2000 until 2007.[1] He has also been appointed as a state official and served as a state commissioner of insurance.[1]

After his political career he returned to the insurance business. He is married to Anne T. Bradford, they have a child, and live in Pine Bluff.[6][1]