I Answer to You, Not A Political Party
I’m Trevor McGarrah, and I’m running for Arkansas Senate District 18.
I’m a husband, a father, a public school teacher, and a lifelong learner. I’ve worked in education, manufacturing, pest control, and delivery driving. I’ve spent most of my adult life trying to understand how things work, whether that means a computer program, a physics problem, a classroom, or the world around me.
I’m running for the State Senate because I believe Arkansas needs people in government who are willing to listen, ask questions, do their homework, and remember who they are there to represent.
People over Politics
I don’t believe one party has a monopoly on the best policies. Our unique perspectives and life experiences make each of us different. Different doesn’t have to divide us.
We can learn to understand without judgement, love without condition. We can stop the hate and come together for the common good. There don’t have to be winners and losers. It won’t be easy.
We have to put people over politics. That means putting the people who live and work with us ahead of party labels. We all largely want the same things, to provide for our families.
Party labels, political games, and constant fighting prevent us from reaching our true potential as a state.
I’m Running as an Independent
I’ve found myself on all sides of the political system. One party never truly felt like home. I was never Republican enough, Libertarian enough, or Democrat enough. I didn’t fit into a simple box that defined my position on all issues. In fact, I’ve changed my mind on many issues over my life as I’ve learned more. And I expect that to continue.
I’m no longer interested in pretending that one political party has all the answers. I’m also not interested in pretending that every issue has a simple answer.
I want to bring curiosity, honesty, and common sense to the job.
Sometimes that may mean agreeing with Republicans. Sometimes it may mean agreeing with Democrats. Sometimes it may mean going my own way.
That’s what being independent means to me.
A Little About Me
I’ve called Searcy home since 2020. I teach computer science at Searcy High School, where I get to spend my days helping students learn how to think, solve problems, and create things. It’s more than a job to me; it’s a calling.
I’m also a husband and a dad. Like a lot of families, ours has had to figure out how to make the numbers work. I know what it feels like when housing costs rise, when a paycheck doesn’t stretch as far as it used to, and when sometimes you have to work a little more just to give your family some breathing room.
I’ve seen Arkansas politics from the outside, too. In 2023, I became involved in the fight over the LEARNS Act. I read the bill, studied it, testified at the Capitol, and eventually decided to run for office myself. I knocked on thousands of doors and talked to hundreds of people in Searcy, Kensett, and Higginson. I didn’t win that race for state representative in 2024, but I didn’t lose. I gained a deeper understanding of what the people in my community are looking for in a representative.
You want someone who will hear your concerns and represent you and your needs, regardless of political affiliation.
This Campaign Is About More Than Me
I don’t expect everyone to agree with me. I don’t even expect everyone to agree with me on every issue. What I hope is that we can get back to a place where disagreement doesn’t automatically make someone an enemy.
We live in the same communities. We send our kids to the same schools. We shop at the same stores, work alongside each other, and worry about many of the same things. There is more that connects us than the political arguments that are spread to divide us. I’m running because I believe our communities deserve better than Democrats versus Republicans. Liberals versus Conservatives.
I want someone who will finally put People Over Politics. I think you do too. I want to represent YOU, not a political party.