Jodey Arrington Bio
Jodey Cook Arrington (born March 9, 1972) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for Texas’s 19th congressional district since 2017. A Republican, his district covers a large portion of West Texas, centered on Lubbock and Abilene. Arrington is an experienced public administrator who held senior roles in the George W. Bush gubernatorial and presidential administrations before entering the private sector and, ultimately, the House of Representatives.
Before his election to Congress, Arrington served as the president of Scott Laboratories in Lubbock and as vice chancellor for research and commercialization at the Texas Tech University System. In the House, he has focused on fiscal policy and has served as Chair of the House Budget Committee.
Early Life and Background
Jodey Cook Arrington was born on March 9, 1972, in Plainview, Texas. He is the son of Gene and Betty Arrington. His father played basketball at Texas Tech, lettering in 1958, 1959, and 1960 under coach Polk Robison. Growing up in Plainview shaped Arrington’s small-town roots and his lasting ties to West Texas.
Arrington attended Plainview High School, where he was a multi-sport athlete and a state-ranked tennis player. After graduating, he enrolled at Texas Tech University, where he joined the Phi Delta Theta men’s fraternity and walked on to the football team under head coach Spike Dykes. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science in 1994 and later completed a Master of Public Administration at Texas Tech in 1997. In 2004, he added a Certificate of International Business Management from Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business.
Path to US Politics
Arrington began his public service career in Texas state government. In 1996, he was named appointments manager for Governor George W. Bush. When Bush won the presidency in 2000, Arrington joined the White House as Special Assistant to the President and Associate Director of Presidential Personnel, serving under Clay Johnson III. In that role, he briefed the President, Vice President Dick Cheney, and Chief of Staff Andy Card, and helped fill more than 5,000 executive-level, board, and commission positions, specializing in energy, environment, and natural resources appointments.
In late December 2001, at age 28, Arrington became one of the youngest chiefs of staff in the history of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), serving under Chairman Donald E. Powell. He managed the offices of the Chairman, Policy Development, and Public Affairs, and later chaired the FDIC Board Appeals Committee. In 2005, following Hurricane Katrina, President Bush appointed Powell as Federal Coordinator for Gulf Coast Rebuilding, and Powell in turn named Arrington as Deputy Federal Coordinator and Chief Operating Officer, helping administer roughly $120 billion in federal recovery efforts during his first year in the role.
Jodey Arrington Career
Early Career (1994–2006)
After completing his master’s degree, Arrington moved into public administration in Austin and then Washington, D.C. His early posts in the Bush orbit gave him direct experience in personnel management, regulatory affairs, and intergovernmental coordination. His tenure at the FDIC further sharpened his focus on fiscal oversight and federal operations.
By 2006, Arrington had returned to his alma mater, the Texas Tech University System, as system chief of staff. In 2011, he was named Vice Chancellor for Research and Commercialization. During his seven-year tenure, he chaired the Task Force for Enrollment Growth and served as the chief architect of “Leading the Way,” the strategic plan for the universities within the TTU System. He also helped secure the naming rights to the Laura W. Bush Institute for Women’s Health for the university health sciences center.
U.S. House of Representatives Breakthrough (2016–Present)
Arrington first ran for public office in 2014, when he sought the Texas State Senate District 28 seat in a special election. He lost the Republican primary to Charles Perry, who continues to hold the seat. The race did not end his political ambitions, and within two years he turned to a congressional bid.
When U.S. Representative Randy Neugebauer announced his retirement from Texas’s 19th congressional district in 2016, Arrington entered a crowded Republican primary. He finished second in the March 1 primary with 26,980 votes (26 percent), trailing former Lubbock mayor Glen Robertson. In the May 24 runoff, Arrington defeated Robertson 53.7 percent to 46.3 percent. He went on to win the November 8 general election with 176,314 votes (86.7 percent) in a heavily Republican district where no Democrat had filed.
Since taking office in 2017, Arrington has focused on fiscal issues and conservative policy priorities. He sponsored the One Big Beautiful Bill Act during the 119th Congress, introducing it on May 20, 2025, and President Donald Trump signed the measure into law on July 4, 2025. As House Budget Committee Chairman, he opened the May 7, 2025 hearing “The Fiscal State of the Nation” with a warning that the nation’s fiscal trajectory is in rapid decline and that Congress lacks the courage to act.
Scott Laboratories Era (2014–2016)
In 2014, between his Senate bid and his congressional campaign, Arrington became president of Scott Laboratories, a healthcare innovation holding company in Lubbock that includes a comprehensive health system. In this role, he focused on launching and growing new ventures and supporting new revenue opportunities at the health system. He helped develop a telehealth startup, launched an innovative insurance product, and established a digital marketing platform for the health system. He held the post until his election to Congress.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among Arrington’s signature congressional moments are his work on the One Big Beautiful Bill Act in 2025 and his service as Chair of the House Budget Committee. He was one of 126 Republican members of the House who signed a 2020 amicus brief supporting Texas v. Pennsylvania, a lawsuit that the Supreme Court declined to hear. In December 2020, he voted against certifying the electoral vote count in the 2020 presidential election, citing concerns from constituents, though he later condemned the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol. On November 11, 2025, Arrington announced that he would not seek re-election in 2026.
Jodey Arrington Career Wins
Arrington’s most decisive electoral victory came in the 2016 general election for Texas’s 19th congressional district, where he captured 86.7 percent of the vote. He also earned a hard-fought runoff win against Glen Robertson, demonstrating his ability to consolidate Republican support in West Texas.
U.S. House of Representatives Highlights
Arrington has won election to the U.S. House for Texas’s 19th congressional district in 2016 and has continued to represent the district since 2017. He won the 2016 Republican primary runoff with 53.7 percent of the vote and the general election with 86.7 percent. The district, anchored by Lubbock and Abilene, has remained solidly Republican throughout his tenure.
Other Wins & Achievements
Arrington received the 2003 Distinguished Public Service Award as part of the 22nd annual Center for Public Service Symposium in Lubbock. He also played a central role in the federal response to Hurricane Katrina, helping coordinate the procurement and implementation of about $120 billion in infrastructure and assistance relief during his first year as Deputy Federal Coordinator for Gulf Coast Rebuilding.
Jodey Arrington Family
Family Background and Public Service Lineage
Arrington is the son of Gene and Betty Arrington, and he was reared in Plainview, Texas. His father, Gene Arrington, played basketball at Texas Tech, lettering in 1958, 1959, and 1960 under coach Polk Robison. The family’s long ties to Texas Tech shaped Arrington’s later roles as system chief of staff and vice chancellor at his alma mater.
Personal Life
Arrington was married to Nicole Reilly from 1995 until their divorce in 1999. He later married Priscilla Jones in 2002, and they divorced in 2007. He married Anne Meyer in 2008. Throughout his career, Arrington has been known for his close ties to West Texas and his longstanding connections to Texas Tech University.