North Little Rock Democrat Victoria Leigh said Wednesday that she's seeking the state House of Representatives seat held by North Little Rock Republican Donnie Copeland.
In a south Arkansas state House race, El Dorado Democrats Yancey Kyle and Floyd Thomas said they're running for the seat held by departing El Dorado Democrat John Baine.
Leigh, an attorney who has a family and consumer-defense law practice, joins North Little Rock Republican Carlton Wing, who owns Wing Media Group, in the race for House District 38.
Early last month, Wing said he decided to run for the House seat after "receiving word" that Copeland would be a candidate for the Arkansas Senate.
Copeland has said he's considering his options, including challenging state Sen. Jane English, R-North Little Rock. He is a first-term representative who narrowly lost the Republican lieutenant governor nomination to Springdale Republican Mark Darr in 2010. He could not be reached for comment Wednesday by telephone.
Leigh said Wednesday in an interview that that it seems like a good time to run for the House because she is seeking an open seat, has legal experience that would be helpful in the Arkansas Legislature, and is a mother who wants to focus on creating a better Arkansas.
"Our representatives should be held and should hold themselves to a higher standard," Leigh said in a written statement.
"Representatives should not be mired in controversies -- controversies that shift the focus from serving Arkansas," she said.
Wing said Wednesday that he agrees that elected officials need to hold themselves to a higher standard.
"We have a responsibility to represent the values that bring about a good society," he said. "We need to have confidence in our government."
Wing said he's running for the House of Representatives because he wants to improve the quality of political discourse and restore faith in governing.
"I want to help bring people together to solve today's problems in a very real and meaningful way," he said in a written statement issued earlier this month. "This calls for people from different viewpoints to be willing to come together in a sincere effort to do what is best. I believe the best solutions come from listening."
In their bids for the Democratic nomination for the House District 7 seat held by Baine, Kyle and Thomas join former state Rep. Garry Smith, a Democrat from Camden, in the race.
No Republicans have announced their bid for the seat yet, state Republican Party Chairman Doyle Webb said.
In August, Baine said he wasn't seeking re-election to the House seat that he has held since 2013, citing growing responsibilities with his job and family.
Kyle is a Union County maintenance worker who lost a bid for the state House of Representatives to Smith in 2008 and served on the Union County Board of Election Commissioners during the past three years.
Thomas is an attorney and making his first run for elected office. Smith owns a plumbing and electrical supply business and served in the state House of Representatives from 2009-2013.
Kyle said he would strive to meet the needs of all citizens in House District 7 and not be drawn into "the political hot button issues in Washington."
Thomas said he would offer the district perspective because he's a successful attorney who has lived in El Dorado for more than 50 years and represented clients ranging from big corporations to "common" people.
A self-described "common sense businessman," Smith said he'll highlight his four years of experience in the state House of Representative and his business and farming experience and part-time teaching experience at Southern Arkansas University-Tech. In 2012, he lost his bid for the Democratic nomination in Senate District 27 to now state Sen. Bobby Pierce, D-Camden.
The state House of Representatives includes 64 Republicans, 35 Democrats and an independent, state Rep. Nate Bell of Mena.
The parties' filing period for state and federal offices runs from noon Nov. 2 until noon Nov. 9 at the state Capitol in Little Rock. The primary election will be March 1, while the runoff election will be March 22 and the general election will be Nov. 8, 2016.
Metro on 10/01/2015