Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders on Friday signed a proclamation to call for a convention to fill the vacancy for the Republican nominee in Arkansas House District 66.
On March 15, the Pulaski County Election Commission certified the Republican nominee in House District 66 was unopposed in the March 5 primary election and the Republican nominee formally withdrew from the race creating a vacancy, the Republican governor said in her proclamation. She said the Republican Party of Arkansas notified her of the vacancy and indicated the party chooses to fill the vacancy in a convention.
On March 8, Nick Priest, a Jacksonville Republican challenging Democratic state Rep. Mark Perry of Jacksonville, announced his withdrawal from the House race, citing health reasons. Perry has served in the House of Representatives since 2019 and was in the state House of Representatives from 2009 until 2015.
The governor said a special convention of delegates of the appropriate county shall be held no later than April 19 for the purpose of filling the vacancy for the Republican Party nominee for the office of the Arkansas House of Representatives District 66.
The period for filing for candidacy as a party candidate with the secretary of state for the special convention will begin at noon Monday and end at noon April 28, Sanders said in her proclamation.
Upon approval of a convention by the appropriate county party committee for the nominee, the Republican Party of Arkansas shall provide a certificate of nomination to the Arkansas secretary of state, and to the Pulaski County Election Commission, no later than April 28, the governor said. All of the deadlines and requirements shall be as provided for by the applicable election laws of this state, the proclamation read.
Republican Party of Arkansas Executive Director Seth Mays said the Friday night that Pulaski County Republican Committee held a convention March 16 and selected Wayne Ball to be the nominee in House District 66.
He said Ball will file as a candidate and the committee will meet in April to approve the minutes from the March 16 convention to formally nominate him.
CORRECTION: An earlier version of the story incorrectly stated which House District Wayne Ball was the nominee of.