Governor appoints her campaign manager to Arkansas Game and Fish Commission

Chris Caldwell, a longtime friend of the Sanders' family and a political advisor to Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, addresses a crowd in Little Rock after being appointed to the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission on July 8, 2024. (Mary Hennigan/Arkansas Advocate)

Chris Caldwell — a longtime friend to Arkansas’ first family, Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ campaign manager and political adviser, and the chair of a group that opposes three ballot initiatives — was appointed to the state Game and Fish Commission Monday afternoon.

Sanders announced Caldwell’s appointment at the Witt Stephens Jr. Central Arkansas Nature Center in Little Rock, where native fish swam in a habitat nearby, preserved geese were strung from the ceiling, and a stuffed beaver and bear occupied a scene in the background.

The room was filled with boisterous applause as Sanders announced Caldwell’s appointment, a position he will hold for the next seven years. Sanders told several stories of Sanders-Caldwell hunting trips and other outdoor activities. She also seemed to get choked up as she recalled Caldwell cheering on his son as he shot his first deer.

“But I’m not appointing him to this commission because he’s my friend,” Sanders said of Caldwell. “I’m appointing him because I know how much he loves Arkansas, how much he adores hunting and fishing, and the Arkansas way of life.”

The written mission of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission is “to conserve and enhance Arkansas’ fish and wildlife and their habitats while promoting sustainable use, public understanding and support.” The commission is made up of seven people who lead these efforts, and the agency’s website states it is “privileged to have a diverse and passionate group.”

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The first woman to hold a full term on the commission in the state’s history was appointed by former Gov. Asa Hutchinson in 2019. No other women have been named to the commission since. No person of color currently holds a seat on the commission.

During the appointment announcement, Sanders noted Caldwell was a bit “rough around the edges,” and she said it’s not uncommon for him to have a deer or a couple of dead raccoons in his truck bed while doing business at the state Capitol.

Caldwell, 45, said he’s spent four decades hunting and fishing on Arkansas’ public lands, making many core memories along the way. He currently lives in Little Rock.

“I feel that we have a responsibility to all Arkansans, and particularly the commission and staff, to preserve and conserve that future for future generations,” said Caldwell, a father of two children. “…Getting to spend time outdoors on our public lands is so important to our family that I bring to this a commitment to preserve that to all Arkansans.”

Sanders also referenced Caldwell’s involvement in her parents’ and her own wedding, as well as Caldwell’s previous work with U.S. Sen. John Boozman and as the federal co-chairman of the Delta Regional Authority under former President Donald Trump’s administration.

Alexa Henning, Sanders’ spokesperson, told the Arkansas Advocate after the announcement that Caldwell would continue as the chair for Stronger Arkansas, a ballot question committee opposed to the Arkansas Abortion Amendment of 2024 , the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Amendment of 2024 and the Arkansas Educational Rights Amendment of 2024 .

Henning did not reply to a question of whether Caldwell’s appointment poses a conflict of interest.

The spokesperson for the Arkansas Ethics Commission was not privy to Caldwell’s appointment before an inquiry, though Graham Sloan said there was no existing concern. A resident could submit a complaint to the commission if they were concerned, which could then prompt an investigation that has the potential to end in fines. Sloan said the commission does not have the authority to remove someone from such a position.

Monday’s announcement was also a leadership handoff of sorts as outgoing Chair Stan Jones and incoming Chair J.D. Neeley spoke. Hutchinson appointed Jones and Neeley to the commission in 2017 and 2018, respectively.

Both Jones and Neeley expressed their support for Caldwell. They also shared positive sentiments about the leadership from Austin Booth, the commission’s director.

Booth was among the primary topics of discussions during a recent special legislative session that was called to fund the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission after lawmakers failed to do so during its fiscal session. Legislators referenced the need for better communication between the agency and state leaders.

On Monday, Neeley said that under Booth’s leadership the agency was “plowing ahead with a straightforward precision focus.”

The commission appointed Booth director in 2021. Booth and his family were present for Monday’s announcement, though he did not speak.

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