Bryant City Council member and local radio personality R.J. Hawk announced he would seek election to the proposed House District 81.
The new district, which encompasses a section of eastern Saline County, was proposed by the Arkansas Board of Apportionment last month. The 100 new House districts and 35 new Senate districts, drawn based on 2020 U.S. census data, will be finalized Nov. 29 and become law Dec. 30, barring any legal barriers.
Hawk, a Republican, said his campaign will be focused on opposing government overreach.
"Big government should not force health care choices on individuals," he said in a news release, referencing coronavirus-related restrictions. "As a city councilman, I spoke out against mask mandates. I focused on how we can make government more efficient and responsive to the people, all the while holding the line on spending and taxes."
Hawk ran unsuccessfully for the current state House District 31 in 2020, narrowly losing the Republican primary to Keith Brooks, R-Ferndale, by 27 votes. He said in his news release that the new district encompasses an area in which he won every precinct that election.
The filing period for candidates for state and federal offices in Arkansas is Feb. 22-March 1. The primary election and nonpartisan judicial election is May 24, according to the secretary of state's office.
The Arkansas House consists of 78 Republicans and 22 Democrats.