Tall Cotton

Hot Springs, Ark.

‘I picked up running in the Army,” says Representative Tom Cotton from the backseat of a car as we drive out of Hot Springs on April 26. On most days he tries to jog five or six miles. When he’s in Washington, serving in Congress, he usually takes a route around the monuments or along the Potomac River. “Everywhere I look, I see construction cranes — the signs of a healthy and growing economy,” he says. “I see more construction cranes on my runs in Washington than there probably are operating in the whole state of Arkansas.” The Republican pauses to let the contrast sink in. “Who’s paying for that?” He gestures out the car window. “Taxpayers. The people you see here in Hot Springs.”