Republican Trent Garner of El Dorado, an aide to U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton, said Wednesday that he's seeking to oust Democratic state Sen. Bobby Pierce of Sheridan in next year's general election.
Garner said he's running to represent Senate District 27 "because I am the right leader to take us in a new direction."
"I learned the right kind of leadership during two tours in Afghanistan with an elite Green Beret Special Forces team. I will move us in a new direction that creates jobs by using our God-given natural resources, by growing our defense industry, and embracing a smaller, conservative government," Garner said in a written statement.
He formally will announce his campaign Wednesday at Southern Arkansas University Tech in east Camden.
Garner said "unfortunately, my opponent is an out of touch, career politician who cares more about President Obama and the Democrat elites in Little Rock than for the people of District 27.
"His lack of comment about the governor's courageous action of defunding Planned Parenthood shows just how out of touch he is with the values of District 27," Garner said in his written statement.
In response, Pierce said, "I don't get on the plane and fly to Washington. I take care of District 27 in Arkansas."
"This is Arkansas politics and not Washington politics," said Pierce, who has served in the Senate since 2013, was in the state House of Representatives from 2007-13 and on the Sheridan School Board for 26 years.
Pierce said he supports Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson's decision to terminate the state Department of Human Services' contracts with Planned Parenthood of Arkansas and eastern Oklahoma.
"I'm as pro-life as anybody," he said, noting he has an adopted daughter.
Then, Pierce asked, "How can [Garner] be so in touch if he's only been in the district for three months?"
Earlier this month, Garner said that while he looked for permanent housing, he moved to Calhoun County in November. Then, he started working for Cotton's El Dorado office in January and moved to El Dorado last month. He is a graduate of Harmony Grove High School.
Senate District 27 includes Calhoun and Union counties and parts of Cleveland, Grant, Jefferson and Ouachita counties.
In the 2012 election, Pierce narrowly defeated El Dorado Republican Henry Frisby.
Pierce said he's done a good job of representing Senate District 27 and "the people are not upset with the way I have worked it."
Garner said that he's "against the Medicaid expansion known as the 'private option.'
"We have got to stop spending money we don't have on programs that aren't working effectively. While I haven't been able to fully read Governor Hutchinson remarks from [Wednesday morning], I am encouraged that some of the changes he has suggested can be used in future health-care reform," he said in the statement.
Pierce, who has voted to authorize the use of federal funds for the private option since 2013, said Hutchinson wants the private-option program -- developed by three Republican lawmakers -- to continue in another form with changes.
Metro on 08/20/2015