Lawmaker, school official plan to seek Arkansas secretary of state post

State Rep. Trevor Drown, R-Dover, has said he's running for secretary of state next year, after House Speaker Jeremy Gillam, R-Judsonia, ruled out a bid for the post.

Anthony Bland, a Democrat from Little Rock, said Friday that he also plans to run for secretary of state -- a post held by term-limited Republican Mark Martin of Prairie Grove.

Both Drown and Bland said they plan to make formal campaign announcements for secretary of state next month.

Last June, state Land Commissioner John Thurston, a Republican from Little Rock, announced that he was seeking the secretary of state job in the 2018 election. Thurston has been the state's land commissioner since January 2010.

The filing period for state and federal offices will be from noon Feb. 22 to noon March 1. The primary election will be May 22 and the general election will be Nov. 6.

The secretary of state maintains the state Capitol and its grounds, assists counties with conducting elections, handles corporate filings and serves on the Board of Apportionment that will redraw the boundaries of the 135 legislative districts in 2021 -- which occurs every 10 years or earlier if prompted by courts. The board comprises the governor, secretary of state and attorney general.

The secretary of state makes $90,000 a year.

Drown, who has served in the House since 2015, said there are "no chances I am changing my mind" about running for secretary of state next year.

He said he wants to be the secretary of state because "you have everything from the security of the Capitol grounds, elections, the maintenance of the Capitol grounds and then the business licensing.

"I have been involved in all that. I have the experience for it," said Drown, who serves in the Mississippi National Guard as a Green Beret and is retired from United Parcel Service.

"And with redistricting coming in 2021, having someone who has the experience of having run and seen how the districts have been gerrymandered and folks on both sides of the fence are not happy with it, I think it will pay off huge benefits in 2021 to have someone who is experienced and understands it," he said.

In 2010, Drown ran unsuccessfully as an independent for the U.S. Senate.

Gillam, who has served in the House since 2011 and as speaker since 2015, said he's not running for secretary of state because "I really don't feel led to do it.

"I really want to spend more time with my boys and my wife. They are hitting teenage years," he said, referring to his 9- and 12-year-old boys.

"I need to de-stress and do something different and change the pace I'm at," said Gillam, who had what he called "a mini-stroke" last year. The berry farmer said he doesn't plan to return to working full time at his family's farm.

Gillam, who has said he wouldn't seek re-election next year, said his options could range from working in state government to the private sector and "anything in between."

"I have a year and a half until I leave office. I'll explore everything. They may want to keep me in the building," he said. "I'm not going to rule anything out."

Gillam subsequently said he doesn't plan to run for Congress in 2018.

Thurston said he has the upmost respect for both Drown and Gillam in their service to the state.

"Jeremy will do well in whatever he pursues. I'm sure there will be a lot of opportunities there," Thurston said.

"Now that there is a confirmed primary my message will be the same. It will be to keep the trains running on time, to be a good steward for the state," Thurston said. "I'm not running against someone. I am running for the secretary of state's office and I have only one political agenda and that's the state of Arkansas."

Bland, a media technician for the Little Rock School District, said he plans to seek the Democratic nomination for secretary of state in his first bid for elected office next year.

"I'm definitely going to run," he said. "I have the desire to make every voter's vote count."

Bland said he also wants Arkansans to understand their rights as voters and how they can make a difference in the state by casting their votes.

Metro on 05/22/2017

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