Unity, Integrity, and the Common Good
Trevor McGarrah is running as an Independent for District 58 in Searcy Arkansas. He is committed to these three guiding principles: Unity, Integrity, and the Common Good. That means bipartisan solutions to shared problems, transparent leadership, and always putting the people of our community first.
People over Politics
This isn’t just a slogan…it’s a commitment!
For too long, partisan games and divisive national culture wars have meant that the real needs of our community get ignored. I’m tired of representatives who act as a rubber stamp for a political agenda instead of listening to the people in the district who elected them. I believe good policy should come from the bottom up, not the top down.
People over Politics means putting the people above a political agenda. It means focusing on the common good issues that unite us, not the us vs. them identity politics that is designed to tear us apart. I promise to listen to, learn from, and serve YOU…not a political party.
I’m beginning a District 58 Listening Tour. I am requesting that any civic group, church group, social clubs, or any individuals or groups invite me to hear your concerns. I want to hear from everyone—Democrats, Republicans, and Independents!
I can’t represent your needs unless you tell me about them. This does not mean we will agree on everything, but we can work through our differences to find a shared solution. Your concerns and ideas are important to help me understand what every Arkansan needs.
I am running to be your representative. I promise to be accessible, be responsive, and put people over politics.
My Common Good Promise
My platform isn’t a list of divisive issues designed to distract us from the real work of building community and a better future. My promise is a commitment to a better process, built on the three principles that will guide every decision I make.
How I Will Promote Unity
To promote unity, I must listen more than they talk. People over Politics means politics must be bottom-up, not top-down. This is why my first act is the District 58 Listening Tour.
I am asking to be invited to hear your concerns and your solutions and to listen to everyone, not just a select few. This is about coming together, to understand each other without judgement, and find a path forward together for the common good. This is how we find the common ground that partisanship ignores.
How I Will Show Integrity
Integrity means being open and transparent. It means doing what I say and saying what I’ll do. It means fighting for an open government, free from the backroom deals and political favors that have divided our state and not promoted the common good.
I am a teacher, a public servant, not a rubber stamp for a party agenda. As your representative, I will show my work by basing my decisions on data, expert testimony, and feedback from the people of our district. I won’t hide behind excuses; I will be radically transparent about my decisions.
This means I will be a legislator who actually reads the bills, asks the tough questions, and is accountable to you—not to party leaders, corporate donors, or special interests. My vote is not for sale.
How I Will Pursue the Common Good
To work for the common good, we must focus on the kitchen table issues that unite us, not the culture war issues that divide us.
My priority is the economic health of our families—addressing the rising cost of groceries, healthcare, and insurance. What good are record profits on Wall Street if if our citizens are struggling on Main Street?
Pursuing the common good starts with ensuring our local public schools, the cornerstones of our community, are fully-funded and held accountable for the educational outcomes of our children. Good education leads to better jobs, which leads to a better, more prosperous community for all of us.
We must come together to support one another as neighbors, to find solutions to shared problems. Tearing each other down as enemies in a culture war that divides us rather than unites us is not the answer. The answer is to unite around problems that affect all of us, then work tirelessly to find a solution that promotes the common good.
About Trevor McGarrah
Trevor McGarrah (pronounced McGarr) is a computer science teacher at Searcy High School, a husband, and a father of three. He and his wife, Mary Ann, have lived in Searcy since 2020. His diverse background, from public education to food manufacturing and pest control, gives him a broad, Main Street understanding of the economic challenges facing Arkansas families.
Trevor’s journey into politics began as a teacher, not a politician. In 2023, he became an outspoken critic of the LEARNS Act. True to his belief in integrity, he showed his work by reading the entire 145-page bill twice on the evening it was released. He then spent countless hours over the next several weeks studying the issue and sharing a deep, data-driven analysis on its true impact. This experience—including testifying at the Arkansas Capitol and seeing legislators act as rubber stamps for a bill they hadn’t read nor understood—became his call to action.
That call led him to run for State Representative in 2024. While knocking on thousands of doors, he heard one message again and again—voters were tired of the us vs. them culture wars and the Democratic Party label was a barrier to having real conversations about the problems in Arkansas that are in dire need of repairing. His message of coming together for the common good has not changed. Trevor believes the previous political label he ran under prevented people in District 58 from engaging in the kind of open conversations needed to make Arkansas, and America, less divided.
Today, he is running as a moderate independent to finish the job. He is committed to Unity—being a bridge-builder for all of District 58. His entire platform is built on the principle of the Common Good: replacing partisan gridlock with transparent, evidence-based solutions that put our community and the needs of the people first, putting People over Politics.