{{Short description|American politician}} {{about|the Arkansas politician|the Wyoming murder victim|Matthew Shepard|the rugby player|Matthew Shepherd (rugby)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}} {{Infobox officeholder |name = Matthew Shepherd |office = Speaker of the Arkansas House of Representatives |term_start = June 15, 2018 |term_end = January 13, 2025 |predecessor = Jeremy Gillam |successor = Brian S. Evans |state_house1 = Arkansas |district1 = 6th |term_start1 = January 1, 2011 |term_end1 = |predecessor1 = John Lowery |successor1 = |birth_name = Matthew Joseph Shepherd |birth_date = {{birth date and age|1976|2|21}} |birth_place = El Dorado, Arkansas, U.S. |death_date = |death_place = |party = Republican |spouse = Aile Shepherd |children = 3 |father = Bobby Shepherd |education = Ouachita Baptist University (BA)<br>University of Arkansas (JD) }} '''Matthew Joseph Shepherd''' (born February 21, 1976)<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://static.ark.org/eeuploads/arml/91st_AR_General_Assembly.pdf |title=91st Arkansas General Assembly Legislative Directory |access-date=March 1, 2018 |archive-date=March 1, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180301225027/https://static.ark.org/eeuploads/arml/91st_AR_General_Assembly.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> is an American attorney from his native El Dorado, Arkansas, who is a Republican member of the Arkansas House of Representatives for District 6, which includes western Union County. He was elected in the 2010, 2012, and 2014 legislative races.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.arkansashouse.org/member/288/matthew-shepherd |title=Matthew J. Shepherd, R-6 |publisher=Arkansashouse.org |access-date=2013-01-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181113205058/http://www.arkansashouse.org/member/288/matthew-shepherd |archive-date=2018-11-13 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
In 2010, Shepherd claimed the District 6 seat by defeating Democrat Ken Bridges, 4,780 to 2,074.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ballotpedia.org/Arkansas_House_of_Representatives_elections,_2010|title=House District 6 election returns, 2010|publisher=ballotpedia.org|access-date=January 11, 2014}}</ref> In 2012, still in the reorganized District 6, Shepherd won a second term, defeating Independent Peter Cyphers, 10,051 to 2,149.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ballotpedia.org/Arkansas_House_of_Representatives_elections,_2012|title=House District 6 election returns, 2012|publisher=ballotpedia.org|access-date=January 11, 2014}}</ref>
Upon the resignation of Speaker Jeremy Gillam in June 2018, he was elected Speaker of the Arkansas House of Representatives for the 91st General Assembly. He was re-elected in January 2019 to serve as Speaker of the 92nd General Assembly and again in May 2020 for the 93rd General Assembly.
== Biography == Shepherd was born to Bobbi (née Beeson) and Bobby Shepherd, a federal circuit judge on the Eighth Circuit.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2018/jul/22/new-speaker-takes-helm-in-house-2018072-1/ | title=New state House speaker takes helm, faces choppy seas in addressing ethics issues | date=22 July 2018 }}</ref> Shepherd graduated in 1998 from the Southern Baptist-affiliated Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia, South Arkansas, his parents' alma mater. In 2001, he received the Juris Doctor degree from the University of Arkansas School of Law at Fayetteville. Shepherd is a partner at the El Dorado-based law firm Shepherd & Shepherd, P.A., practicing alongside his brother John Thomas.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.arktimes.com/ArkansasBlog/archives/2018/06/15/shepherd-becomes-house-speaker-defers-ethics-rule-change-questions|title=Shepherd becomes House Speaker; defers ethics rule change questions|last=Hardy|first=Benjamin|website=Arkansas Times|date=15 June 2018 |language=en|access-date=2019-02-05}}</ref>
== Personal life == Shepherd is married to his wife Alie (née Hill), who is also an Ouachita Baptist graduate ('99). They live in El Dorado with their three teenage children, Eli, Mary Kate, and Libby. They are members of First Baptist Church, where Shepherd is a deacon and Sunday school teacher. Shepherd is also a board member of the Arkansas Baptist Foundation, the Boys and Girls Club of El Dorado, and El Dorado Fifty for the Future and serves as president of the Murphy USA Classic football game.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://obu.edu/stories/circle/2022-summer/shepherd.php | title=Matthew Shepherd ('98) | date=18 November 2022 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://scholarlycommons.obu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1047&context=alumni_mag|title=The Ouachita Circle Spring 2003|publisher=Ouachita Baptist University|access-date=June 13, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://open.spotify.com/show/5ijGse1q2xRy96mgoGPFya | title=Tiger for Life Podcast | website=Spotify }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://votesmart.org/candidate/biography/119100/matthew-shepherd|title=Representative Matthew Shepherd's Biography|publisher=votesmart.org|access-date=September 12, 2013}}</ref>
== See also == * List of speakers of the Arkansas House of Representatives
== References == {{reflist|30em}}
{{s-start}} {{s-off}} {{s-bef|before=Jeremy Gillam}} {{s-ttl|title=Speaker of the Arkansas House of Representatives|years=2018–2025}} {{s-aft|after=Brian S. Evans}} {{s-end}}
{{Arkansas House of Representatives}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shepherd, Matthew}} Category:1976 births Category:21st-century members of the Arkansas General Assembly Category:Arkansas lawyers Category:Baptists from Arkansas Category:Living people Category:Ouachita Baptist University alumni Category:People from El Dorado, Arkansas Category:Republican Party members of the Arkansas House of Representatives Category:Speakers of the Arkansas House of Representatives Category:University of Arkansas School of Law alumni
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