Arkansas’ new legislative district maps for the next decade became final last week, and those changing borders, in addition to term limits and political ambitions, are affecting how many current office holders will return to the House and Senate in 2023.
While population growth in Central Arkansas and Northwest Arkansas means new seats have been created, the retirement or choice to run for other offices of some members of the General Assembly means that seats in other parts of the state are also without incumbents.
In addition, some sitting members of the Legislature have drawn multiple primary challengers.
Barring any legal challenges, the new maps become state law Dec. 30. The new districts will apply to lawmakers elected in 2022; the 100 House members and 35 senators take office in January 2023.
The filing period for state candidates begins Feb. 22 and the primary election is May 24. The general election is Nov. 8 next year.
In Central Arkansas, the new maps create two House seats without an incumbent: one in Saline County as a result of suburban growth and one on the other side of the Arkansas River as a result of two current House members being drawn into the same district.
The new House District 81, which includes much of the city of Bryant, so far has drawn Republican R.J. Hawk as a candidate. Hawk, a Bryant City Council member and local radio personality, announced his bid for the seat in mid-November.
Farther south, House District 92 was redrawn and now covers all of Grant County along with the Saline County communities of East End and Sardis. Incumbent Rep. Julie Mayberry, R-Hensley, is running for reelection in the district, which encompasses much of the area Rep. Ken Bragg, R-Sheridan, currently represents. Bragg is not seeking reelection.
Former state Sen. Bobby Pierce, D-Sheridan, said Thursday he was considering running in House District 92 and had been asked to but had not yet decided. He also declined to say which party he would be affiliated with.
To the north, two Republican representatives from Maumelle, David Ray and secretary of state candidate Mark Lowery, were drawn into the same district, leaving an open seat for which no candidate had announced as of Friday.
Most of the area Lowery currently represents but will be without an incumbent is covered by the new House District 71, which includes most of Maumelle and is bordered to the south by the Arkansas River and Crystal Hill Road.
In the Senate, Sen. Joyce Elliott, D-Little Rock, is term-limited, meaning the new Senate District 15 will be without an incumbent. The district covers a swath of Little Rock and Pulaski County south of Interstate 630 and bordered to the south by the county line.
Last week, Elliott announced that she is launching a new nonprofit organization, Get Loud Arkansas, which will focus on registering new voters, engaging low propensity voters and “mobilizing all eligible voters to use the power of their vote to shape the future of Arkansas,” according to a news release.
Rep. Fred Love, D-Little Rock, announced in June that he would run for Elliott’s seat. Love has served in the House since 2011 and is Pulaski County’s director of community services.
Another Democrat from Little Rock, Rep. Fred Allen, is also considering running for the seat and said Wednesday that he would make a decision this month. Allen, who has served in the House since 2017 and previously served in the chamber from 2007-13, lost a primary challenge to Elliott in 2012.
The new Senate District 17, which covers northwestern Pulaski County and southwestern Faulkner County, will have a Republican primary race. State Rep. Spencer Hawks, R-Conway, will challenge state Sen. Mark Johnson, R-Ferndale, for the seat.
Attorney Chris Corbitt previously told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette that he plans to run for the seat Hawks lives in, House District 55. The district covers a swath of southwest Conway.
Conway Democrat Stephen Magie, who has served in the Legislature since 2013, will have at least two Republican challengers for House District 56: attorney Trent Minner and business owner Kim Slaughter.
In the Hot Springs area, Garland County Justice of the Peace Matt McKee announced last month that he would challenge state Sen. Bill Sample, R-Hot Springs, the Democrat-Gazette previously reported. Sample has served in the state Senate since 2011 and served in the state House from 2005-11.
RIVER VALLEY
Multiple candidates have jumped in the race for seats in the Arkansas River Valley area, for both a Senate seat with an incumbent and a House seat without one.
In the new Senate District 25, which covers most of Pope and Conway counties, incumbent Sen. Breanne Davis, R-Russell-ville, has drawn two primary challengers.
Pope County Justice of the Peace Joe Pearson said in a September news release that the district “deserves a conservative candidate who will always fight for our shared conservative values.” Pearson has been on the Quorum Court since 2017 and in that role has fought to be frugal with taxpayer dollars through responsible spending and transparency, the release states.
Pearson described himself as a “proud Donald Trump Republican” and said he has served for many years on the Pope County Republican Executive Committee, most recently as chairman.
Russellville City Council member and business owner Rick Harrell also announced his candidacy in September. In a news release, he said the people and families in the district “deserve a leader who is focused on the needs and values of local communities, not swayed by the politics and the establishment of Little Rock.” “The people need a candidate who will always fight for conservative values and deliver results for the communities of the district,” he said.
Harrell said he will push for local control of public schools and less government regulation.
Davis said by phone Friday that she will officially announce her reelection bid next week and will focus on her record during the campaign. She was first elected in a special election in 2018 and was reelected in 2020.
“I’ve been leading the charge on a lot of issues and have done the work of the constituents,” she said.
Rep. Joe Cloud, R-Russell-ville, is not seeking reelection, leaving the newly drawn House District 53 open. Cloud was first elected to the House in 2018.
Three candidates have announced bids for Cloud’s seat.
David Howell, campus pastor at City Church in Russell-ville, said on his website that he is running because “we need individuals with common sense, strong values, and a willingness to stand-up for what is right.” “We need someone in Little Rock who will vote their convictions, and be a voice for the constituents they represent. I believe that being a Conservative Republican is much more than one or two key issues. There is more that must be done, for our children, for our educational systems, for our business owners, and for our communities,” he said.
Business owner and former professional wrestler Matt Duffield said in his campaign video that he is running “to protect the conservative Arkansas values that make us who we are.” “We all breathe the same air and I choose to stand and defend our God-given liberties that make us who we are,” he said.
He said he has experienced the obstacles many small businesses face, including “unnecessary government regulations” and disasters such as the 2019 flood, and wants to make it easier to run a business and keep the government out of the way.
Pope County Justice of the Peace Doug Skelton said he brings conservative values to the Quorum Court and has helped the county remain financially stable and meet its fiscal needs.
“It is through jobs, industry, and infrastructure that we can improve the qualify of life for the people who live in our economic region,” he said.
On his website, Skelton said he is committed to defending Second Amendment rights, freedom of speech, religious liberties and supporting and defending men and women in uniform. He is an attorney and a former diver in the U.S. Navy.
NORTHWEST ARKANSAS
The 2020 census showed that Northwest Arkansas’ population growth outpaced the rest of the state, and the region will gain five seats in the Legislature as a result.
Benton County, the state’s fastest-growing county, will gain two House seats and one Senate seat. Washington County will gain two House seats as well.
The new Senate seat, Senate District 34, includes northern Bentonville along with much of Centerton in Benton County, stretching to the Missouri border and taking in most of Bella Vista.
State Rep. Jim Dotson, R-Bentonville, and Bella Vista Mayor Peter Christie, also a Republican, have announced their bids for the new seat.
In the race for Dotson’s seat are Mindy McAlindon, Republican national committeewoman and vice chairwoman of the Benton County Republican Party, and Democrat Daisy Bonilla, a social worker. House District 10 covers parts of Bentonville, Bella Vista and Centerton.
Sen. Cecile Bledsoe, R-Rogers, is term-limited, and Rep. Joshua Bryant has announced that he will run for her seat, the new Senate District 32 covering eastern Benton County. That leaves where Bryant lives, House District 7, without an incumbent.
Bentonville attorney Greg Payne will run to represent the newly created House District 13, which covers southeast Benton-ville.
Former state Rep. Grant Hodges, R-Rogers, will run for the newly created House District 14, which is also in Benton County.
Sen. Jim Hendren, an independent from Sulphur Springs, who lives in the new Senate District 35, announced in November that he would not seek reelection after 16 years in the Legislature, leaving the Senate district covering the northwest corner of the state open.
His sister, Rep. Gayla McKenzie, R-Gravette, plans to run for Hendren’s seat, she told the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette last month.
That would leave the district she lives in, the new House District 12, without an incumbent.
In Washington County, Fayetteville businesswoman Jody Harris announced her Republican bid for the new House District 25 in eastern Washington and Crawford counties. Incumbent Rep. Bruce Coleman, R-Mountainburg, told the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette last month that he had not yet decided whether to run for a fourth term.
Washington County Justice of the Peace Jim Wilson of Greenland has announced as a Republican for the new House seat in that county, which covers western Washington County and an area south of Fayetteville. Republican Kendra Moore of Lincoln has also announced for that House District 23 seat.
Brian Hester, brother of state Sen. Bart Hester, R-Cave Springs, will run as a Republican against Rep. David Whitaker in House District 22, he announced last week.
In Springdale, attorney and real estate developer Rebecca Burkes announced that she will run as a Republican for House District 11, which will be vacated by Rep. Megan Godfrey, a Democrat.
Van Buren City Council member Jim Petty announced last month that he will seek election as a Republican to the new Senate District 29, which includes all of Crawford County along with the southern and eastern portions of Washington County.
Sen. Mat Pitsch, R-Fort Smith, who lives in the new Senate District 27, is running for state treasurer, and Rep. Justin Boyd, R-Fort Smith, has announced that he will run for the Senate seat. Democrat and former nurse Diane Osborne has announced that she will run for Boyd’s seat, the new House District 50.
In House District 49, which wraps around north and east Fort Smith, CDL Academy founder Max Avery has announced that he will run as a Republican against incumbent Rep. Jay Richardson, D-Fort Smith. Richardson is on his second term in the House.
One sitting representative from Newton County said he will challenge an incumbent senator because of the way his new district is drawn. Rep. Keith Slape, R-Compton, said Friday that he’s more familiar with and would be able to better serve constituents in the newly drawn Senate District 28 than he is with the House District 27 he was drawn into.
That district covers all of Newton, Searcy and Izard counties along with parts of Baxter and Stone counties. That’s an eastward shift from his current district, which includes Newton County and portions of Boone, Carroll, Pope and Searcy counties.
“I could get to Little Rock quicker than I could the other end of the district,” Slape said.
He said he wasn’t sure if he could win his new House district. He also noted that challenging incumbent Sen. Bob Ballinger, R-Ozark, would make for a tough race.
Slape said he didn’t like seeing the government getting involved with private businesses, referring to legislation Ballinger sponsored that would have prohibited employers from requiring workers to be vaccinated.
“I would just say if that’s the case, why did he vote for it?” Ballinger said by phone Friday, indicating that Slape was asked to run by people representing big businesses like Tyson.
Ballinger said Slape was a good guy but “not always the guy taking on some of those hard issues.” Three Republican candidates have emerged for the House district Slape lives in.
Timmy Reid, a small-business owner and cattle farmer from Marshall in Izard County, said in his campaign announcement last month that he will work hard to ensure that the communities he would represent prosper.
“He will work hard, not only to attract more businesses that supply higher quality and better paying jobs for our future labor force, but he will see that our current labor pool is trained and equipped to fill those newly created positions,” the news release states.
Reid said he will also focus on services and care for senior citizens.
Steven Walker, a digital-learning support specialist for the Arkansas Department of Education and a resident of Horseshoe Bend in Izard County, first announced he would run for the Legislature in July. In a Facebook post, Walker said he would be a supporter of family values, law enforcement, fire departments, hospitals, senior centers, public schools and broadband funding.
“I want to be a voice for my constituents in Little Rock and help get things done,” he said. “It is important that our area grows economically, and we need to encourage continued job growth.” Alan Yarbrough, retiring superintendent of the Searcy County School District, said his more than 30 years in public education have made him familiar with the district.
“If I’m elected State Representative, I will continue to use the knowledge and leadership skills I’ve developed to serve you in [the] Legislature,” he said in a news release.
Yarbrough said he is as a common-sense conservative and said he would work to promote less government intervention and regulation. He said he supports local law enforcement and 2nd Amendment rights.
NORTH ARKANSAS
Two representatives from north Arkansas are not seeking reelection, leaving their seats open.
In Baxter County, Rep. Nelda Speaks, R-Mountain Home, announced last week that she would not run for reelection to the new House District 3 after eight years in the House.
“I am so incredibly proud and grateful to have served as your State Representative,” she said in a news release Tuesday.
She added that she was “not leaving this office without having a good Republican to replace me” and endorsed Stetson Painter, who announced his candidacy Wednesday. Painter is the district director and agriculture liaison for U.S. Rep. Rick Crawford.
“Our area deserves a State Representative who will fight for our conservative values, stand up to big government, and support efforts to increase opportunities for all Arkansans,” Painter said in a statement.
[INTERACTIVE: Click here to see the proposed new legislative districts » arkansasonline.com/2021districtmaps/]
In Independence County, Rep. Stu Smith, R-Batesville, is not seeking reelection, and two candidates have emerged to run for the seat. Smith has served in the Legislature since 2019. The seat is now House District 40 and includes parts of Independence, White and Cleburne counties.
Stacey Caplener, equipment maintenance supervisor and former bridge job supervisor for the Arkansas Department of Transportation, said running for the Legislature has been on his mind for years. Caplener, of Pleasant Plains, said he would focus on addressing senior citizens’ needs, promoting jobs in the region and keeping small schools open.
“You lose your schools, you lose your communities,” he said.
Caplener has served on the state Fire Protection Services Board and as chief of the local fire department.
Shad Pearce, a current Arkansas Game and Fish Commission division captain, said he wanted to continue his career of public service. He previously worked for the Mountain View Police Department and the Independence County sheriff ’s office.
“In our current political environment, it is highly important to elect and send a truly honest and fair representative to the House floor. I am that candidate,” he said in a news release last week.
Pearce is an advocate for supporting law enforcement, the Second Amendment and parental choice in education, according to the release.
Rep. John Payton, R-Wilburn, plans to challenge incumbent Sen. James Sturch, R-Batesville, in Senate District 22, he said last week. Payton said he wanted “to add another strong conservative to the Arkansas Senate” and would provide more details about how he would distinguish himself from Sturch in a Republican primary in a formal announcement this week.
Sturch announced that he would seek reelection in a Face-book post earlier this month in which he described himself as a “conservative, common-sense voice of reason.”
Editor’s note: Information for this article was drawn from news releases, news tips, local news sources and social media. Some candidates may not have come to the attention of this newspaper as of Friday.
Information for this article was contributed by Michael R. Wickline of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette and by Doug Thompson of the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
MORE CONTENT
See the proposed new legislative districts
arkansasonline.com/2021districtmaps/