LITTLE ROCK, Ark.— Today, retired Army Colonel and Congressional Candidate Marcus Jones announced his first campaign Chair Pulaski County Circuit and County Clerk Terri Hollingsworth and secured the endorsement of Richard Fierro, the American hero known for stopping the Club Q mass shooting in Colorado Springs. At today’s press conference at the MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History, Jones also launched his Veterans outreach program, “Veterans for Marcus.”
“I’m in this race because I’ve been looking out for Americans for 30 years, and I want to continue that service to Arkansans in Congress. I want to serve our Veterans like only a Veteran can,” said Col. Marcus Jones (Ret.) at the press conference. “The Army is the most diverse and talented workforce in the history of the world, made up of people from every demographic, background, ethnicity, and faith drawn from every corner and every zip code in this Nation.”
Jones continued, “When they come home, our veterans should be receiving the highest quality medical care, mental health services, and administrative services that we’ve got. They’ve EARNED it, and it’s not enough to pay lip service to this issue. We need someone who knows what’s at stake in Congress.”
“I think that if you’re looking for a veteran that’s going to reach out and do things for veterans, Marcus is your guy,” said Richard Fierro, who served under Jones in Iraq from 2008 – 2009.
Captain (Ret.) Richard Fierro served with Jones in the Army. For his efforts he has received the 2023 Congressional Medal of Honor Society’s Citizen Honors Award for Valor, VFW Life Saving Award for Valor, LULAC Freedom and Justice Award, Red Cross Rocky Mountain Hero, Veteran of the year National Able Network, NYPD GOAL Medal of Valor, to name just a few.
“Marcus was the strong guy in the unit. Passionate. He was the one everybody came to. And it was important for us, all of us, to have that, because when you lose folks— and we lost folks on Christmas Eve, one of the hardest days to lose folks,” said Fierro. “Marcus was that steadfast, said ‘Hey, let’s get through this and we’ll move forward.’ And we all served chow to our folks that were still on base there. It’s important to lead with passion, to lead with your heart and, Marcus, you’ve done that.”
“I’m standing here to support Colonel Marcus Jones today because I believe in servant leadership. I know he has public service and leadership baked into his bones,” said Pulaski County and Circuit Clerk Terri Hollingsworth. “When he called to say he was running for Congress, he asked me for my advice. In the first minute of our conversation, you could tell that this race was going to be different. I knew from day one that he would have French Hill sweating all the way from his D.C. residence.”
Campaign Chair Terri Hollingsworth continued, “His military career is exceptional. For three decades, top military and civilian leaders trusted him to lead and supervise vital national security efforts and missions. He led our military targeting to eliminate extremist terrorist groups in Iraq. He worked with our NATO Allies and partners to deliver the Alliance’s largest military planning exercise since the Cold War. Every day in the news we see how this work matters more and more.”
Jones closed out the press conference by saying, “I earned the right to Colonel, by virtue of your years of hard work and service. I know that I can earn the veterans vote and deliver for you, for our kids, our families, and for Central Arkansas.”
Colonel Marcus Jones (Ret.) graduated from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, where he met his wife of 29 years, Carrie. He also holds Master’s degrees from Webster University in Management and Leadership and the U.S. Army War College in Strategic Studies. In 2020, Marcus, Carrie, and their two children completed their fifteenth move as a family, returning to Arkansas after 26 years of service throughout the U.S. and abroad.
Press inquiries and RSVPs can be sent to Micah Wallace at press@marcusjonesforcongress.com or by text/call to 501-539-9987.
The full press conference is available on Youtube.
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