RIVER VALLEY and OZARK AREA — Trevor Drown has Russellville roots. His father taught school in town for 27 years. Drown graduated from high school in Russellville and attended Arkansas Tech University. However,
these days he says he is still settling back into the local
business community.
Drown served in the U.S.Army as a sergeant first class
Green Beret and as an intelligence officer and spent time in
Afghanistan, sometimes living among indigenous people.
“When you go and see what a country is like when
people don’t have democracy, you grow a huge apprecia
tion for what you have here,” he said.
That realization helped him make the decision last
July to run for the U.S. Senate.
On July 4, he made the announcement that he had
decided to run for office, but he left the decision of
which office up to his supporters. Drown allowed them
to vote on which seat they wanted him to pursue.
“Four hundred people voted, and 50 percent said,‘We
want you to run for the U.S. Senate,’” Drown said.
As the owner of American Vending, he still works full
time and is involved in the Russellville Area Chamber of
Commerce.
Drown wants to represent the state as an independent
because he believes the majority of Arkansans care more
about the values and character of the person they are
voting for than for the party the candidate represents.
“I have always been an independent,” he said.“I always
vote for the person, not the party.That is pretty much
the way Arkansas does it.” Drown said important issues for his campaign include the
economy and bringing jobs back to Arkansas and out-of
control government spending. He wants to bring an Arkansan
voice to the Senate and said that his campaign is going great.
“We have had overwhelming support from people all
over the state and all over the nation. Every time we
turn around, people are coming to us,” Drown said.
Drown has given guidance to people in other states
who would like to run for the Senate and other offices
independently, and he is not too worried about the financial
side of things.
“Up to this point, money has come in as we have needed
it,” Drown said.“Our focus has been more on a message
instead of fundraising. Up to this point, our strategy is
working great for us.”
One thing not many people know about you: Before I left for Afghanistan, I trained with packhorses.
Biggest fear: My children will not grow up enjoying the same freedoms I have.
River Valley Ozark, Pages 200 on 01/31/2010