Bentonville's Bonilla to run for state rep seat

Daisy Bonilla
Daisy Bonilla

BENTONVILLE -- Daisy Bonilla announced this week she is running again for state representative. She currently lives in Arkansas House District 93, but redistricting may change that before the election.

Bonilla, 35, of Bentonville, is a social worker, small-business owner and community advocate, according to a news release from her campaign.

Bonilla, a Democrat, ran for the District 93 seat in 2020, but lost to Republican incumbent Jim Dotson of Bentonville. Dotson received 10,368 votes (58%) to Bonilla's 7,431 votes (43%), according to the Benton County Election Commission.

"I believe we are all stronger when we're united, when we work together and we take care of one another," Bonilla said in the release. "We don't need to be unanimous to be unified -- we need leaders who build community and facilitate necessary conversations to ensure everyone feels welcome and can thrive here."

Bonilla has worked for organizations across Northwest Arkansas including The Children's Safety Center, Washington Regional Medical Center, Circle of Life Hospice, RootED NWA, Eason Counseling and the NWA Latinx Task Force, according to the release.

Bonilla has a master's degree in social work from New York University and a bachelor's degree with a dual major in U.S. history and media and cultural studies from the University of California, Riverside.

Bonilla has lived in Bentonville for 15 years. She lists health, education and unity as issues she wants to address, according to her campaign website.

"I'm running because Bentonville was built on a sense of possibility and innovation. We need a representative who believes in our progress and our commitment to protect one another so we can grow stronger together," according to a statement posted on the website.

The primary election is scheduled for May 24, said Dana Caler, the Benton County Clerk's Office's elections administrator/voter supervisor.

The boundaries for all House districts in the state will likely change as the state Board of Apportionment draws new legislative districts based on the 2020 census count. The apportionment board's job is to redraw legislative districts every 10 years, using federal census data to ensure each district has roughly the same population. The state's 100 House districts should have about 30,000 residents each. House District 93 is estimated to have at least 38,000 residents because of population growth since the 2010 census.

Daisy Bonilla, Democratic candidate for Arkansas House District 93
Daisy Bonilla, Democratic candidate for Arkansas House District 93

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