Who’s Cee
Cordelia Smith-Johnson is a veteran, public servant, and devoted mom running to represent District 70 in the Arkansas House of Representatives. From growing up in a single-parent household in Mississippi to serving in the U.S. Air Force, and now working as a Prevention Coordinator with the Army National Guard, Cordelia has always led with purpose, service, and heart.
She brings deep experience in criminal justice as a former probation officer, a passion for prevention and mental health, and a commitment to uplifting working families. She knows what it's like to grow up with limited resources but unlimited dreams. Now Cordelia is stepping up to fight for others because our community deserves representation that actually listens and serves the people.
DeShawn M., North Little Rock resident
"Cordelia doesn’t just talk about change. I’ve seen her stand up for veterans, working moms, and families who felt forgotten. She’s exactly the kind of voice we need at the Capitol."
Angela R., Sherwood resident
"She’s fearless, honest, and shows up when others don’t. Cordelia helped my daughter get connected to resources for education assistance. That’s not politics…that’s heart."
A degree isn’t loud enough
A LIFETIME OF SERVICE: STILL SERVING
Cordelia didn’t grow up with a silver spoon or a family full of connections. What she learned came from experience: hard jobs, real people, and the kind of service that doesn’t make headlines.
She joined the United States Air Force and served nearly nine years, building a career grounded in discipline, leadership, and commitment. After the military, she kept showing up. This time for people society often gives up on.
Cordelia became a probation officer, working directly with those caught in the system. She saw the cracks firsthand: how people fall through them, how cycles repeat, and how the state prioritizes punishment over rehabilitation. That work led her to serve as a Prevention Coordinator for the Arkansas Army National Guard, where she focuses on mental health, crisis intervention, and suicide prevention.
She earned her degree in Criminal Justice, hoping it would open doors to create real change. But after years in the system, she realized something bigger: the system isn’t broken. It’s working exactly as designed. And that design is failing too many Arkansans.
That’s why she’s running for Arkansas House District 70.
Because service doesn’t stop at a job title. And change doesn’t come from the top; it comes from people like her, who’ve been on the ground, who’ve lived it, and who are tired of waiting for someone else to fix it.
Cordelia isn’t a politician. She’s a fighter. And she’s just getting started.
When Arkansas families were blindsided by a proposed school merger between Lighthouse Charter and Jacksonville North Pulaski School District, a move that lacked transparency and threatened students’ stability, Cordelia Smith-Johnson didn’t just speak out. She organized! As the founder and driving force behind the community protest, Cordelia mobilized parents, exposed backroom decisions, and rallied public pressure so effectively that the entire merger plan collapsed under the weight of accountability. What started as a fight for her own child’s education became a movement to protect every student’s future. That’s the kind of leadership she brings: fearless, strategic, and rooted in people first.