Matthew J. Shepherd

Political Party: Republican

District: District 97

Matthew Joseph Shepherd was born on February 21, 1976, in El Dorado, Arkansas, where he was raised and continues to reside. He graduated from El Dorado High School in 1994 as an honor graduate and was a letterman and captain of both the football and basketball teams.

Shepherd is a practicing attorney at Shepherd & Shepherd, P.A. in El Dorado. He is licensed to practice in the state courts of Arkansas and Louisiana, the United States District Courts for the Western and Eastern Districts of Arkansas and the Western District of Louisiana, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. He is a member of the Union County, Arkansas, and Louisiana Bar Associations.

Beyond his legal practice, Shepherd is active in his community. He is a member and Deacon at First Baptist Church of El Dorado, serves as a board member of the El Dorado Boys and Girls Club, and is Chairman of the Boomtown Classic, Inc., which presents the Murphy USA Classic college football game. He dedicates time to pro bono legal work on behalf of individuals and non-profits.

Education

Shepherd graduated Magna Cum Laude with a B.A. in History and Political Science from Ouachita Baptist University in 1998, where he was recognized as the outstanding graduate in both subjects. He received his J.D. from the University of Arkansas School of Law in 2001.

Political Experience

Shepherd has served in the Arkansas House of Representatives since 2011, currently in his 8th term representing District 97. He was elected in 2010, defeating Democrat Ken Bridges, and has been consistently re-elected.

His most notable achievement is serving as Speaker of the Arkansas House of Representatives from June 2018 to January 2025, making him the longest-serving Speaker in Arkansas history. He was initially elected Speaker following Jeremy Gillam's resignation in June 2018 and was subsequently re-elected to the position in January 2019 and May 2020.

Currently, Shepherd co-chairs the Joint Energy Committee and serves on the House Committee for Agriculture, Forestry, and Economic Development and the House Judiciary Committee. He previously served as chair of the House Judiciary Committee for two terms and was a lead sponsor on legislation for the Sales Tax Holiday.