The top Democrat in the Arkansas House, Minority Leader Charles Blake of Little Rock, announced his resignation Thursday, saying he was going to pursue other career opportunities.
Blake, 36, informed Gov. Asa Hutchinson of his decision in a letter, saying his resignation will be effective today. The departure leaves a vacancy in House District 36, comprising some of downtown and southeast Little Rock, for which the governor will set a special election.
Early Thursday morning, Blake informed his colleagues in the House of his plans to step down, writing in an email that "serving with you all and in this chamber is fulfilling a life long dream.
"The last 5 years have helped define who I am, my purpose, and my continued service to my state, my city, and my community. I like to think, this is not the end but just an added leg to an extended journey. So please believe, I will be around, still involved, in the back somewhere still causing trouble and fighting the necessary fights," Blake continued. He ended the email with "#AlwaysReppin."
As he walked into the Capitol on Thursday morning, Blake told a reporter that he had yet to make a decision regarding a new job, saying, "I have a few opportunities."
Blake declined to confirm speculation that he would join the staff of Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott, a friend for whom Blake served as campaign manager during the fall elections.
In a statement Thursday, Arkansas Democratic Party Chairman Michael John Gray praised Blake for his service, pointing to his involvement in the 2017 effort to end the state's dual Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert E. Lee holiday.
"In his three terms, Blake took on the hardest fights and delivered, including the unthinkable like ensuring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is honored alone on the calendar," Gray said.
First elected to the House in 2014, Blake rose to the position of minority leader last June. During the regular session of the Legislature earlier this year, Blake pushed a series of unsuccessful bills that sought to re-designate a star on the Arkansas flag that honors the Confederate States of America.
Blake argued that the star, added to the flag in the 1920s, was a symbol of white supremacy and that it should instead honor American Indian tribes that once inhabited the state. His efforts failed.
"Rep. Blake is someone who served his constituents with a lot of passion and conviction," said House Speaker Matthew Shepherd, R-El Dorado. "I certainly wish him well with his future endeavors."
The No. 2 Democrat in the House, Minority Whip Rep. LeAnne Burch, D-Monticello, said Thursday that there is a "process" to follow in selecting the next minority leader, though Burch said she did not know when that decision would be made.
Burch said she was not currently thinking about running for the leadership post.
As for Blake's former House seat, Darrell Stephens of Little Rock said, "I already got started" in running for the open seat.
Stephens ran unsuccessfully against Blake in the Democratic primary for the House seat last year. The 45-year-old said he is self-employed at his own company, Stephens Solutions.
A spokesman for Hutchinson, J.R. Davis, said the governor has yet to meet with staff members regarding a special election to fill the House seat. He said the governor's office will have "a clearer idea first of next week."
Metro on 05/17/2019