{{short description|American politician (born 1970)}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Will Bond | image = Will Bond.jpg | state_senate = Arkansas | district = 32nd | term_start = January 2017 | term_end = January 11, 2021 | predecessor = David Johnson | successor = Clarke Tucker | office2 = Chair of the Arkansas Democratic Party | term_start2 = February 12, 2011 | term_end2 = July 31, 2013 | predecessor2 = Todd Turner | successor2 = Vincent Insalaco | state_house3 = Arkansas | district3 = 44th | term_start3 = January 2003 | term_end3 = January 2008 | preceded3 = Pat Bond | succeeded3 = Mark Perry | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1970|4|8}} | birth_place = Jacksonville, Arkansas, U.S. | occupation = Attorney | alma_mater = Vanderbilt University <small>(BA '92)</small><br />University of Arkansas <small>(JD '95)</small> | party = Democratic | parents = Tommy Bond, Pat Bond | spouse = Gabriel Bond | children = Cy, Marlee, Elliot | website = [http://www.willbond.com Official website] }}
'''Will Bond''' (born April 8, 1970) is an American attorney and Democratic politician from Little Rock, Arkansas. Born in Jacksonville, Bond studied political science at Vanderbilt University before earning a Juris Doctor at the University of Arkansas School of Law in 1995. Working as an attorney in Central Arkansas, Bond represented the Jacksonville area in the Arkansas House of Representatives from 2003 to 2008. He was elected chair of the Democratic Party of Arkansas in 2011, serving until 2013. Bond served in the Arkansas Senate from 2017 to 2021. He lives in Little Rock with his wife Gabriel and their three children.
==Background== Born April 8, 1970, in Jacksonville, Bond is the son of former State Representative Pat Bond and Tommy Bond. He has two sisters, Melissa Bond and Kelly Bond Emerson. Will Bond graduated from Jacksonville High School. He attended Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, receiving a Bachelor of Arts in political science in 1992, and graduating from the University of Arkansas School of Law in Fayetteville in 1995.
He worked as an associate at Friday, Eldredge & Clark in Little Rock until 1996. Bond joined Pulaski County Clerk Pat O'Brien in creating the Bond & O'Brien law firm, which would change to Bond & Chamberlin when Neil Chamberlin joined the firm in 2002.<ref name="fuf" /> Bond succeeded his mother, Pat, in representing the 44th District of the Arkansas House of Representatives from 2003 to 2008. Representative Bond's service in the House earned him recognition in Arkansas Business's "40 under 40" list in 2005.<ref name="fuf" />
Arkansas's state house and senate offices are part-time positions, and Bond continued legal work during his service in the Arkansas House.<ref>{{ Cite encyclopedia |title= Arkansas General Assembly |url= http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?search=1&entryID=3800 |date= January 25, 2017 |first= Rodney |last= Harris |publisher= Butler Center for Arkansas Studies at Central Arkansas Library System |encyclopedia= Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture |accessdate= October 15, 2017 }}</ref> Bond joined McMath Woods, P.A., a plaintiff's firm specializing in injury law, as a partner in 2006.<ref>{{ cite web |title= Will Bond |url= https://www.mcmathlaw.com/our-attorneys/will-bond/ |publisher= McMath Woods P.A. |accessdate= October 15, 2017 }}</ref> He is admitted to practice law in all state and federal courts in Arkansas, the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the Supreme Court of the United States.
Bond and his wife Gabriel live in Little Rock, Arkansas with their three children.
===Democratic Party of Arkansas=== On February 12, 2011, Bond was elected to serve as the chair of the Democratic Party of Arkansas.<ref>http://arkdems.org/2011/02/12/chairman-will-bond-elected-to-democratic-party-leadership {{Dead link|date=February 2022}}</ref> Bond remained in the position until resigning on July 31, 2013. It was speculated Bond was resigning to pursue elected office, including the Arkansas 2nd or Arkansas Attorney General, but he chose not to run. Bond was replaced at the DPA by Vincent Insalaco.<ref>{{ cite web |title= Will Bond steps down as Arkansas Democratic Party chair; Vince Insalaco tapped to succeed him |publisher= Arkansas Times |url= https://www.arktimes.com/ArkansasBlog/archives/2013/07/31/will-bond-steps-down-as-arkansas-democratic-party-chair-vince-insalaco-tapped-to-succeed-him |date= July 31, 2013 |first= Max |last= Brantley |accessdate= October 15, 2017 }}</ref>
==Political career==
===State House=== During his time in the Arkansas House of Representatives (2003-2008), Bond held numerous positions including Chairman of the city, County and Local Affairs Committee and served on the Joint Budget Committee, including being Chair of the Special Language subcommittee.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/assembly/2005/R/Pages/MemberProfile.aspx?member=Bond|title = Representative Will Bond - Arkansas State Legislature}}</ref> Arkansas Business awarded Bond with the ''Top 40 Under 40 Award'' for his legislative work on school consolidation, health savings accounts, efforts to reduce recidivism in the state's Department of Correction and identity theft prevention.<ref name="fuf" >{{ cite web |title= Will Bond |url= http://www.arkansasbusiness.com/people/lists/profile/537/will-bond |publisher= Arkansas Business |work= 40 Under 40 Award |year= 2005 |accessdate= October 15, 2017 }}</ref>
===State Senate=== On June 18, 2015, Bond announced he would run for the Arkansas State Senate.<ref>{{ cite web |title= Democrats' Bond in state Senate bid |publisher= Arkansas Democrat-Gazette |url= http://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2015/jun/18/democrats-bond-in-state-senate-bid-2015 |date= June 18, 2015 |accessdate= October 15, 2017 }}</ref> The 32nd District is a strong Democratic district, located in an affluent section of Little Rock including the Arkansas State Capitol, Colony West, Leawood, Cammack Village, Pleasant Valley, and parts of Chenal Valley. The incumbent, David Johnson, chose to run for Jacksonville/Maumelle District Judge.<ref>{{ cite web |title= Sen. David Johnson to run for district court judge |first= David |last= Ramsey |date= June 15, 2015 |publisher= Arkansas Times |url= https://www.arktimes.com/ArkansasBlog/archives/2015/06/15/sen-david-johnson-to-run-for-district-court-judge |accessdate= October 15, 2017 }}</ref> Initially believed to be a crowded Democratic field, Bond won the Democratic nomination unopposed. Bond defeated Jacob Mosier of the Libertarian Party, 75% to 25%, on November 8, 2016, to win the seat (the Republican Party did not field a candidate).
He was assigned to the city, County and Local Affairs and Judiciary committees. Bond was the primary sponsor of 21 bills in the 91st General Assembly, with four minor bills becoming law. He co-sponsored the Teacher's Classroom Investment Deduction, an up-to $250 tax credit for teachers who buy school supplies out-of-pocket.<ref>{{ cite web |title= Act 666 of 2017 |date= March 27, 2017 |url= http://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/assembly/2017/2017R/Acts/Act666.pdf |publisher= State of Arkansas |work= Arkansas Code |accessdate= October 15, 2017 }}</ref>
==References== {{Portal bar|Biography|United States|Politics|Political science|Law}} {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{Official website|http://www.willbond.com}} * [http://mcmathlaw.org McMath Woods P.A.] * [http://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/assembly/2007/R/Pages/MemberProfile.aspx?member=Bond Member Profile 86th General Assembly] * [http://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/assembly/2005/R/Pages/MemberProfile.aspx?member=Bond Member Profile 85th General Assembly] * [http://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/assembly/2003/R/Pages/MemberProfile.aspx?member=Bond Member Profile 84th General Assembly] * [http://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/assembly/2017/2017R/Pages/MemberProfile.aspx?member=Bond Member Profile 91st General Assembly]
{{s-start}} {{succession box |before=David Johnson |title=Arkansas Senate<br />(District 32) |years=January 2017–January 11, 2021 |after=Clarke Tucker}} {{succession box |before=Dave Bisbee |title=Chair of the Arkansas Democratic Party |years=February 12, 2011–July 31, 2013 |after=Vincent Insalaco}} {{succession box |before=Pat Bond |title=Arkansas House<br />District 44 |years=2003–2008 |after=Mark Perry}} {{s-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bond, Will}} Category:Living people Category:Arkansas lawyers Category:Arkansas Democrats Category:Pulaski County, Arkansas Category:Jacksonville High School (Arkansas) alumni Category:Vanderbilt University alumni Category:University of Arkansas alumni Category:1970 births Category:American United Methodists Category:21st-century members of the Arkansas General Assembly