In The Arena with Mindy McAlindon

Abigail founded Counteract USA in June 2021 in Northwest Arkansas after watching her peers in Gen Z struggle with hopelessness and the deconstruction of their faith. Though once in pursuit of a career as a professional choreographer, God changed the calling on Abigail’s life and ignited a passion within her to equip her generation of Christians to stand upon the truth of the Word of God and counteract the narratives of our culture with the hope of the gospel of Jesus.


Mindy McAlindon represents Arkansans in the10th House district. She continues to fight for parental empowerment, strong s...

"Doug Elms, founder and principal consultant at SafeHaven Security Group, has been appointed by Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders to the Arkansas Judicial Discipline & Disability Commission of Little Rock. Elms has more than three decades of experience in law enforcement, public safety and global security." Mindy McAlindon represents Arkansans in the10th House district. She continues to fight for parental empowerment, strong schools, lower taxes and securing Arkansas' quality of life. In 2023, she was awarded the Legislator of the Year award by ALEC and in 2024 she received the National Consumer Champion award by Consumers’ Research for her bills protecting state pensions. Ou...

Jason Rapert is the Founder & President of the National Association of Christian Lawmakers, Holy Ghost Ministries, the American History & Heritage Foundation, and Providence Financial Group. He continues to lead all four of these organizations with the assistance of each individual organization's board of directors. He served for 12 years in the Arkansas State Senate. He was prime sponsor of the first heartbeat bill to be passed into law in the history of the United States on March 6, 2013 in Arkansas.

The National Association of Christian Lawmakers (NACL) was launched at a charter meeting in August of 2020 in Destin, Florida. The...

Debbie Georgatos hosts America, Can We Talk?, a talk show dedicated to preserving America’s unique greatness and the spirit of freedom that founded the nation and defines Texas. She is the RNC National Committeewoman for Texas, elected by delegates at the Texas State GOP Convention in May 2024 in San Antonio.
 
Debbie and her America, Can We Talk? (www.AmericaCanWeTalk.org) team host the annual Women for Freedom Summit in Dallas each fall, featuring prominent conservative thought leaders and speakers. She is the author of Ladies, Can We Talk? America Needs Our Vote! (2012), a public speaker, and a for...

Dino Fantegrossi is the President of TPUSA UARK but he's also an eagle scout, astronomer and proud patriot! He is involved with the Space Technology, Astronomy, Astronautics, and Rocketry (STAAR) organization as an office and works very hard to present the principles of conservatism to his fellow students.

"I joined Turning Point USA because I was tired of the weak response from Conservatives and Libertarians as our American values were being eroded out from under our feet. It was made clear to me that if I don't stand up for what I believe, I shouldn't expect anyone else...

Chairman Michael Whatley discusses why Democrats are so against election integrity.

Michael Whatley, a North Carolina native, is a lawyer and Republican National Committee (RNC) chairman since March 2024. With degrees from UNC Charlotte, Wake Forest, and Notre Dame, he began in politics with Jesse Helms and Ronald Reagan in 1984.
His career includes roles as a law clerk, counsel to Senator Paul Coverdell, Energy Department deputy (2001–2003), aide to Senator Elizabeth Dole, and advisor to Bush and Trump campaigns. He also lobbied for energy firms.
As North Carolina GOP chairman (2019–2024), Whatley drove electoral wins, pushing “election integrity” and Trump’s fraud claims. Named RNC general counsel in 2023, he became RNC chairman in 2024 wi...

Brian S. Evans, a Republican from Cabot, Arkansas, is the Speaker of the House for the 95th Arkansas General Assembly, elected in 2025 after serving as Speaker-designate. Representing District 68 since 2018, Evans has focused on education, public safety, and economic policy, notably chairing the House Education Committee and advancing school choice and teacher salary reforms. His collaborative leadership secured him 91 of 100 votes for the speakership.

A logistics executive, Evans leads L&L Freight Services, Inc., and previously chaired the Transportation Intermediaries Association. With degrees from the University of Central Arkansas and Arkansas State University, he served a decade on the...

Cole Jester is Arkansas’ 35th Secretary of State, appointed by Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders on January 1, 2025, to succeed John Thurston. A lifelong Arkansan and constitutional lawyer, Jester previously served as Deputy Chief Legal Counsel for Governor Sanders for two years, where he tackled significant issues like restricting Chinese Communist Party farmland purchases, reducing government regulations, and overseeing litigation against Big Tech for its addictive designs. Born in Benton, Arkansas, he graduated valedictorian from Benton High School and summa cum laude from Ouachita Baptist University before earning his law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law.

As Se...

Representative R. J. Hawk is serving his second term in the Arkansas House. He represents District 81 which includes the cities of Bryant, Alexander, Shannon Hills, and portions of Benton in Saline County.

For the 95th General Assembly, Rep. Hawk serves on the House Public Transportation Committee, the House State Agencies and Governmental Affairs Committee, and the Legislative Joint Auditing Committee.

Mindy McAlindon represents Arkansans in the10th House district. She continues to fight for parental empowerment, strong schools, lower taxes and securing Arkansas' quality of life.

Outside of politics, Mindy is a Vanderbilt and...

Charlie Collins serves as the Commissioner of Revenue for the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration (DFA), a role he assumed in November 2019. With a robust background in both public service and private enterprise, Collins brings a wealth of experience to this position. Born on November 30, 1962, he graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1985 with a degree in economics and later earned a master’s degree in quantitative economics from George Washington University in 1986.

His early career included service as a Naval Intelligence Officer aboard an aircraft carrier, followed by a successful tenure in corporate America. Collins wo...

AK Kamara creates content and engages with the media in both written and video form, discussing political, cultural, and social issues. He is regular weekly guest on the Jon Justice radio show heard on AM1130 Twin Cities News Talk. He has gained over 150,000 followers across various social media platforms creating overtly Conservative political content.
AK is also member of Project 21, a group of black Americans who advocate for right of center policies. Professionally, AK owns and operates a small courier business in the twin cities metro area. Politically, AK was elected to serve as Minnesota’s RNC Committeeman. His 4 ye...

"Howard Beaty, a lifelong and consistent conservative, is running as the Republican candidate for State Representative in Arkansas House District 95, which includes portions of Drew and Ashley Counties.In these times, southeast Arkansas needs a proven and conservative leader, like Howard, who knows what it takes to create jobs and help small-business owners get started, expand, or get back on their feet. As President of the Crossett Economic Development Foundation and the Chamber of Commerce, Howard knows what it takes to create jobs and bring industry to our area. In fact, Crossett just announced 70 news jobs in April, right in...

Rep. Mary Bentley is serving her sixth term in the Arkansas House. She represents District 54 which includes portions of Yell, Pope, Perry, Saline, and Conway counties. For the 95th General Assembly, Rep. Bentley serves as Vice-Chair of the House Aging, Children and Youth, Legislative and Military Affairs Committee. She also serves on the House Public Health, Welfare, and Labor Committee and the Arkansas Legislative Council.
Currently, Bentley is the owner of Bentley Plastics in Perryville, Arkansas where she has been the CEO since 2000. Rep. Bentley has three grown children and six beautiful grandchildren where she resides in Perry County...

Rep. David Ray is serving his third term in the Arkansas House. He represents District 69 which includes portions of Pulaski and Faulkner Counties.For the 95th General Assembly, Rep. Ray serves as Vice-Chair of the House Revenue and Taxation Committee. Rep. Ray also serves on the House State Agencies Committee.Rep. Ray is a consultant and communications strategist. He previously served as Chief of Staff to Lieutenant Governor Tim Griffin from 2017-2020 as well as U.S. Senator Tom Cotton’s Communications Director on his 2014 campaign. Rep. Ray is the former State Director of Americans for Prosperity – Arkansas.He graduated from...

"Allen Phelps is a board-certified security professional who has focused his career on establishing Research Security Management Programs and Insider Threat Management Programs to safeguard intellectual property, research, trade secrets and other types of proprietary information assets from loss, theft, and misappropriation. He is currently the founder and CEO of IPTalons, Inc., a managed research security service provider focused on protecting research personnel and related innovation assets in the academic, corporate, and government sectors.

His corporate research security management work includes the establishment of a trade secret protection program at Merck & Co., a large innovative research-based pharmaceutical company...

Doron Keidar is a seasoned security professional and IDF reservist with over 20 years of military and defense experience. He has served in a combat unit of the Israeli Defense Forces since 2003 and continues his service in the reserves. Keidar is also known for his work in developing innovative security equipment for military, law enforcement, and private sectors, drawing from his extensive field experience. Fluent in both English and Hebrew, he travels globally to advocate for Israel, delivering insights from his firsthand experiences and engaging audiences with his straightforward style. He hosts the "Doron Keidar Podcast" and is involved with...

Welcome to "In The Arena" with host Mindy McAlindon, where we dive deep into the issues shaping our state and country. In today's episode, we're joined by Joseph Wood, the Chairman of the Arkansas Republican Party. Joseph brings a wealth of experience from his past roles at Walmart, as the first elected black judge in Washington County, Arkansas, and various governmental positions under Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders. 

During our conversation, Joseph shares his incredible personal journey, including his discovery of his adoption story which led to the creation of his children's books, "Saving Joey" and "Adopting Joey." We d...

Mindy sits down with Jay Shepard of Junction Consulting.  

"Jay is the former Vice-Chair of the RNC and currently serves as the National Committeeman for Vermont to the RNC. Delivered invocations at both the 2016 and 2020 Republican National Conventions. He is also a media advisor on U.S. Senate, U.S. Congressional, and Gubernatorial races. He is an ACEK Board Member and national messaging consultant."