Sturch is named for a grandfather, James White Sturch, a veteran of the United States Navy.He received a Bachelor of Science in Political Science, with secondary education certification, from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, where he was inducted into the Pi Sigma Alpha honor society. In 2015, he earned his Master of Public Administration degree from UALR.
After working briefly in the classroom, he became an office manager. In 2014, Sturch sought the District 63 seat in the Arkansas House vacated by the Democrat incumbent James McLean. Sturch then defeated the Democrat candidate, Lackey Gene Moody JR, also of Batesville, 5,343 to 3,386, nearly 62% of the vote.
Republicans dominated the state races in Arkansas in 2014.
Representative Sturch is assigned to the House committees on: (1) Rules, (2) Aging, Children and Youth Legislative and Military Affairs, and (3) Public Transportation. In early 2015, Sturch spent his first legislative session focusing on the issues of education, economic development, and making state government more efficient.
To improve education, Sturch voted to add computer science training in public schools and to ensure workforce education would be widely available for Arkansas students. He also helped strengthen state scholarships and to allow some scholarships to be held for up to two years if the student has a family emergency or decides to serve in the military.
Sturch voted for the largest middle income tax reduction in Arkansas history, which will save the average family over $500 a year.
He joined dozens of his fellow Republicans and two Democrats in co-sponsoring legislation submitted by Representative Lane Jean of Magnolia, to reduce unemployment compensation benefits. The measure was advocated for by the State Chamber of Commerce to align Arkansas" benefits with surrounding states and was promptly signed into law by Republican Governor Asa Hutchinson.
Each person is responsible before God for his or her own understanding of the Bible and is encouraged to work out his or her salvation with fear and trembling.
Christians should engage the culture through discipleship and through participation in the democratic political process in order to fulfill the kingdom mandate taught in the Bible.
The distinctive feature of the Baptist Churches is that lay people are involved in decision making.
He is a member of the Missionary Baptist denomination. Sturch was nearly a quarter-century younger than his Democratic opponent, and went on to become the youngest member of the 90th General Assembly at the age of 24 when he took office.
