BENTONVILLE -- Delia Haak will run to replace retiring state Rep. Dan Douglas, R-Bentonville, for the Republican nomination as the House District 91 representative, she said in a news release Thursday.
Haak plans an announcement at noon Monday on the Benton County Courthouse steps in Bentonville.
Haak is chairwoman of the Arkansas-Oklahoma Arkansas River Compact Commission, a federal appointment. The commission oversees water issues along the Arkansas River and includes appointees from both states. River issues include division of access to water from the river and its tributaries along with improving water quality.
She was executive director of the Illinois River Watershed Partnership, a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting the river's watershed. She's also a member of the Arkansas Forestry Commission, a state board overseeing timberland throughout the state.
Douglas announced last week he won't seek a fifth term. He was the second experienced member of Benton County's delegation in the House to announce departure plans. Rep. Grant Hodges, R-Rogers, announced June 9 he'll leave after serving the remainder of his term.
District 91 stretches from the western tip of Rogers to the Oklahoma border. It takes in Gentry along with almost all of Highfill and Centerton, plus much of Cave Springs and parts of Bentonville.
Haak faces a contested GOP primary. Scott Richardson, who came within 12 votes of defeating Douglas in the 2018 GOP primary, announced in April he intends to run again.
The Republican primary is set for March 3. Candidate filing for partisan offices begins at noon Nov. 4 and ends at noon Nov. 12. The general election is Nov. 3, 2020. State House members serve two-year terms and have an annual salary of $39,400.
NW News on 07/12/2019