Megan Godfrey

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Megan Godfrey
Member of the Arkansas House of Representatives
from the 89th district
In office
January 14, 2019 – January 9, 2023
Preceded byJeff Williams
Personal details
Born
Megan Cardwell

(1983-12-05) December 5, 1983 (age 40)
Political partyDemocrat
Spouse
Daniel Godfrey
​
(m. 2008)​
[1]
ChildrenElizabeth "Zuzu", Jude
EducationLoyola Marymount University (MA)
University of Arkansas (BA cum laude)

Megan Cardwell Godfrey (born December 5, 1983) is an American educator and politician who served in the Arkansas House of Representatives from the 89th district from 2019 to 2023. She is a member of the Democratic Party.

Early life

Megan Cardwell was born to parents Cindy and Gary Cardwell on December 5, 1983.[1] The family moved to Springdale, Arkansas when she was 14. After graduating from Springdale High School, Cardwell attended the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, graduating with a major in Spanish and minor in Latin American studies. She was active in Associated Student Government[2] and was named homecoming queen at the University of Arkansas in 2004.[3]

Career

Cardwell joined Teach for America after graduation and taught in the Los Angeles Unified School District until 2008. During this time, she also earned a master's in early childhood education from Loyola Marymount University.[4]

In 2008, Cardwell married Daniel Godfrey of Springdale[1] and returned to Springdale to raise her family. She worked at Springdale Public Schools as a teacher and ESL curriculum specialist.[5] Springdale is the largest school district in Arkansas and often has the highest proportion of ESL-students in the state, reflecting the diverse demographics of Springdale and the 89th district.[6] After nine years in Springdale, Godfrey took a position with Fayetteville Public Schools as Co-Director of English Language Learning.

Politics

Arkansas State Capitol
See also: 2018 Arkansas elections

In the general election on November 6, 2018, Godfrey narrowly unseated Republican State Rep. Jeff Williams by a final vote of 1,857 to 1,827[7] (50.5%-49.5%).[8] She was the first Democrat elected to the House from Springdale since Louis McJunkin, who retired in 1999.[9]

As a member of the 92nd Arkansas General Assembly, Godfrey was in the minority as a Democrat. At the start of the session, Republicans had maintained a state government trifecta since 2015. Godfrey's signature legislation in 2019 was lead sponsor of Act 837, which grants nursing licenses to qualified nursing school students with a Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status.[9][10]

She announced plans to run for reelection in June 2019.[9] Unopposed in the Democratic primary, Godfrey won a second term in November 2020 against Republican challenger Jed Duggar, a son of former state representative Jim Bob Duggar of 19 Kids and Counting fame.[11]

Following the redistricting of House maps in 2021, Godfrey was drawn into a much more heavily Republican district that did not contain most of the area she already represented. She announced her intention to retire from the House and not run for reelection in 2022.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "Cardwell-Godfrey". The Morning News of Northwest Arkansas. Springdale. June 28, 2008. ISSN 1080-952X. OCLC 31943926. Retrieved March 24, 2020 – via NewsBank.
  2. ^ Scorse, Yvette (October 27, 2004). "U. Arkansas students vote in mock election". The Arkansas Traveler. Fayetteville: University of Arkansas. OCLC 891087545.
  3. ^ Staff of The Arkansas Traveler (October 22, 2004). "UA names homecoming court" (PDF). The Arkansas Traveler. Fayetteville: University of Arkansas. OCLC 891087545. Retrieved March 24, 2020.
  4. ^ Talk Business & Politics staff (August 18, 2019). "Forty Under 40: Rep. Megan Godfrey". Forty under 40 2019. Talk Business & Politics. Retrieved March 25, 2020. {{cite web}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  5. ^ Thompson, Doug (February 28, 2018). "Democrat enters Springdale House race". Northwest Arkansas Times. Northwest Arkansas Newspapers LLC. ISSN 1066-3355. OCLC 18117496. Retrieved March 24, 2020.
  6. ^ Bernet, Brenda (July 31, 2015). "Springdale, Rogers learn new strategies for helping English learners". Northwest Arkansas Times. Retrieved March 24, 2020.
  7. ^ "Godfrey unseats Williams for House District 89". Arkansas Online. 2018-11-06. Retrieved 2019-10-14.
  8. ^ "Arkansas Election Results". The New York Times. 2018-11-06. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-10-14.
  9. ^ a b c Thompson, Doug (June 25, 2019). "Godfrey runs for second term". Northwest Arkansas Times. Northwest Arkansas Newspapers LLC. ISSN 1066-3355. OCLC 18117496. Retrieved March 24, 2020.
  10. ^ Davis, Andy (March 8, 2019). "Bill on nursing licenses in DACA cases advances". Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Vol. 200, no. 111. Little Rock: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. pp. 1A, 3A. ISSN 1060-4332. Retrieved March 24, 2020.
  11. ^ Thompson, Doug (November 5, 2019). "Duggar to challenge Godfrey in District 89". Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Northwest Arkansas Newspapers LLC. p. 11. Retrieved March 24, 2020.
Political offices
Preceded by Arkansas House of Representatives
Representative for 89th District
January 14, 2019 - Present 		Succeeded by
Incumbent
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