Among the dozens of contested races for the Arkansas House of Representatives, seven lack an incumbent. (John Sykes/Arkansas Advocate)
With no incumbents in seven contested races for the Arkansas House of Representatives this general election, residents will instead vote for a newcomer to act on their behalf in the state Capitol for the next two years.
Candidates include nonprofit leaders, cattle ranchers, former pastors and military veterans. Candidate priorities in each district spanned the gamut, from reproductive rights to education access, gun laws, housing costs and infrastructure.
[2024 Voter Guide: The candidates, the ballot measures, and the tools you need to cast your vote.]
There are also five open seats without incumbents where candidates have no opposition, meaning they will be sworn in in January.
In all but one contested race, Republican candidates reported far more campaign contributions than their opponents. More than half of the seven non-GOP candidates in contested races said they were self-funding their campaigns and recorded no donations on online campaign finance reports.
In seeking candidate interviews for this article, the Advocate sent email requests and left phone messages. Those who didn’t respond were contacted at least four times. The Advocate received one response from the seven Republican candidates in contested races. One Democratic candidate in the contested races did not respond.
The Delta
House District 35
Leadership for House District 35, and its former boundaries as District 50, in the Delta has historically been Democratic, but Republican candidate Robert Thorne Jr. is hoping to flip the script and represent the residents in Crittenden and Cross counties.
Democratic candidate Jessie McGruder, however, is vying to continue the party’s presence in the House by succeeding Rep. Milton Nicks Jr., D-Marion, who is not seeking reelection.
Robert Thorne Jr.
Thorne, 30, is the sole Republican member of the Crittenden County Quorum Court, a role he assumed two years ago. During that time, Thorne said he has worked well across party lines and hopes to use his existing political experience at the state level.
“We’ve got so much potential here in District 35 with two major interstates,” Thorne said. “I think we could be one of the bigger and brighter spots in Arkansas just because of the hardworking individuals we have in this area.”
Thorne is a former mental health therapist and current cattleman who is also involved in a family landscaping business. He said he supports lower income taxes and higher homestead property tax credits.
Regarding reproductive rights, Thorne said he can’t make a choice for a woman, but the government should have a role in policies that ensure affordability to raise a child. Thorne noted his position on the matter was “pro-family,” which is supportive of services that make people comfortable with bringing a child into the world, he said.
Thorne said he thinks the LEARNS Act, an education package the Legislature passed in 2023, is a “step in the right direction,” but he noted it would be beneficial to take another look at the school voucher program created by the law to ensure funding is obtainable as the number of students participating increases.
McGruder, a 46-year-old public school teacher and football coach, said education was one of his top priorities and he would advocate for investment in teachers who work in high priority areas, like House District 35. He also said he would work to reinstate the Fair Teacher Dismissal Act, which the LEARNS Act repealed.
Jessie McGruder
“We need experienced teachers, and we need to figure a way of addressing that financially,” McGruder said. “I am concerned about moving public dollars to private schools and my fear is how much this is going to cost us when it’s in full effect, which is in the next year or two.”
McGruder also worked in law enforcement for three years and said working in the public school system has provided him an opportunity to teach kids deescalating skills.
Regarding a recent lawsuit that challenged the local election commission’s decision to not hold early voting in West Memphis, Crittenden County’s largest municipality, both McGruder and Thorne said they supported more opportunities for residents to vote.
McGruder has not reported any campaign contributions for the general election, according to online reports. As of Oct. 17, Thorne had reported $8,650 in contributions for the general election and expenditures of about $7,600. He had a balance of nearly $31,000.
House District 63
Geographically one district south, in House District 63, Republican Tammi Northcutt Bell and Democrat Lincoln Barnett are vying to represent residents in a portion of Crittenden County. Neither candidate replied to an interview request for this article.
Rep. Deborah Ferguson, D-West Memphis, is retiring from her role after a decade.
Tammi Northcutt Bell
Northcutt Bell has vowed to “stop the political bickering and put people first,” according to her online campaign page.
Northcutt Bell told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette in September that she thought residents in the district were ready for a change from their typical Democratic representative to one who can work with the Republican supermajority.
Northcutt Bell is the daughter-in-law of Anita Bell, a Republican member of the Crittenden County Board of Election Commissioners that recently voted to appeal a circuit court ruling that ordered the officials to conduct early voting in West Memphis. The Arkansas State Supreme Court partially agreed with the lower court’s ruling, and ordered that two early voting sites be open in West Memphis, one that the election commissioners must staff.
Campaign finance reports show Northcutt Bell has collected approximately $18,000 in contributions for the general election and spent about $1,500. She had a balance of about $16,000 as of Oct. 17.
Barnett, her opponent, has raised more than $51,000 in contributions for the general election, according to online campaign finance reports. His expenditures total nearly $23,000, and he had a balance of about $32,000 as of Oct. 17.
Mayor Lincoln Barnett
Barnett currently serves as the mayor of Hughes, a small town in St. Francis County. According to his website, Barnett’s priorities if he were elected to the House include adequate funding for public schools and wrap-around services to meet students’ hunger and health needs.
He also supports fair sentencing and enhanced rehab programming, as well as more affordable in-state technical school options, according to his website.
Barnett told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette in September that he opposed the Protect Act, which implemented policy changes to the state’s parole system and requires people convicted of violent offenses to serve most, or all, of their sentences.
Northwest Arkansas
House District 14
In District 14, which includes a portion of Benton County, 40-year-old Democratic candidate Jacob Malloy is running a shoestring campaign and reported $0 in contributions as of Oct. 17.
Malloy, a U.S. Marine Corp. veteran who now works for Walmart’s information technology department, said he has knocked on hundreds, if not thousands, of doors to spread word about his campaign. He does not have a campaign website.
Outgoing Rep. Grant Hodges, R-Centerton, represented the district from 2015-2020 and 2023-2024.
Jacob Malloy
“Republicans have broken so much in this state that the idea of a top priority is kind of moot,” Malloy said. “Everything that’s going wrong is kind of interconnected … but I think the biggest thing that we could probably accomplish would be some anti-corruption issues.”
Malloy said he thought the Republican Party acted inappropriately when its members supported amending the Freedom of Information Act to shield documents related to the governor’s office. He related the move specifically to “lecterngate,” in which a public records request sparked questions about the purchase of a $19,000 lectern by the governor’s office.
“There should never be a situation where a member of your organization gets caught in corruption, and your response is, ‘Let’s protect this person and make it harder to spot corruption,’” Malloy said.
Beyond his qualms about the Legislature’s Republican supermajority, Malloy said he could bring a working-class perspective for Centerton residents who he said are being priced out by increased housing costs.
“My background is not one of privilege by any stretch of imagination,” he said. “I know what it is to struggle financially because I’ve been there. I grew up that way.”
Malloy’s opponent, Republican Nick Burkes, did not return a call for an interview about this article. According to Burkes’ website, he vows to promote small businesses, “protect the unborn” and “safeguard the Second Amendment.”
Nick Burkes
“I will not shy away from battles with the radical left on these issues,” his website states.
Burkes’ website also includes prioritizing parents’ choice for their children’s education, cracking down on violent crime and lowering taxes. Burkes is an accountant who previously worked with U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton, who endorsed Burkes in the primary election.
Burkes is the son of first-term Rep. Rebecca Burkes, R-Lowell, who faces a rematch against her 2022 opponent, Democrat Rey Hernandez, for the District 11 seat.
According to campaign finance reports, Burkes has raised more than $9,200 in contributions for the general election and spent nearly $7,000. His balance as of Oct. 17 was about $15,000.
House District 24
Ryan Intchauspe, a U.S. Navy veteran and government contractor, is running as the Democratic candidate to represent portions of Crawford and Washington counties in House District 24 where Rep. Charlene Fite, R-Van Buren, has served for the last decade.
Intchauspe, 48, said he is self-financing his campaign and has depended on door knocking, t-shirts and fliers to get the word out.
With bodily autonomy at the top of his priority list, Intchauspe said he would work toward amending the state constitution to include it as a sovereign right if elected. Though bodily autonomy extends beyond reproductive rights, Intchauspe said the government shouldn’t be involved with a woman’s decision to have an abortion.
Ryan Intchauspe
“Until the life growing inside of that woman is capable of bodily autonomy, or the state is capable of granting that child bodily autonomy by taking over its incubation … the only person who has the right to dictate what happens to that woman’s body is that woman. Period,” Inchtauspe said.
Growing up with young parents who turned to drugs, Intchauspe said he has experience living in poverty.
“I didn’t have the privileges of going to college right after high school,” he said. “My only choice was joining the labor force, which is what I did. I worked really hard, then I joined the military and worked really hard. I bettered myself. I’ve walked in the shoes of the people around us.”
A self-described “blue-collar rural Democrat,” Intchauspe said he supports changes to the tax code for working-class residents so they have increased opportunities to buy homes or invest their capital gains.
Intchauspe also supports expanding mental health services and implementing proactive policing efforts to identify potential school shooters. He suggested using the state’s surplus funds for school lunches, health care and law enforcement education.
Brad Hall
Brad Hall, Intchauspe’s opponent, did not return an interview request for this article. Hall’s website says he is a “conservative Republican” who would continue phasing out the state income tax, protect life and traditional family values and defend gun rights.
Additionally, Hall’s website says he would “fight the woke liberal agenda being forced on us by national democrats.”
He also supports efforts to eradicate wild hogs, keep national forest lands open for public use and establish a vocational college in the community.
According to online campaign finance reports, Hall has collected about $6,200 in contributions for the general election. He has spent nearly $15,000 and had a remaining balance of $21,500 as of Oct. 17.
North Central Arkansas
House District 41
In North Central Arkansas, Tom Nowlin, a veteran, former pastor and current manager at Petit Jean Electric Cooperative, said prioritizing “hard” and “soft” infrastructure to take care of future generations would be his goal if elected to represent House District 41, which includes a portion of Cleburne and Stone counties.
Outgoing Rep. Josh Miller, R-Heber Springs, has represented the district since 2013.
Tom Nowlin
Hard infrastructure, such as adequate roads, broadband and other utilities, is as important as soft infrastructure like education, law enforcement and business and tourism development, Nowlin, a 65-year-old Democrat, said.
Like his Republican challenger Alyssa Brown, Nowlin said he is “pro-life.” However, Nowlin said his perspective on the controversial issue differs from the typical conservative stance, which he described as “pro-birth.”
Nowlin said being pro-life should extend beyond the birth of a child to the resources available for families afterward. The focus of policy should be on eliminating reasons why a person would choose abortion, he said, and cited Arkansas’ rank as the worst in the country for maternal deaths, and the state’s high infant mortality and child poverty rates.
Eliminating health care deserts, which Nowlin said are places where it takes at least 40 minutes to travel for the care needed, would also be one of his priorities if elected. Ultimately, the district’s needs are nonpartisan, Nowlin said, and he vowed to work across the aisle to implement policy.
“If Republicans get it right, I will stand with Republicans,” he said. “If Democrats get it right, I will stand with Democrats. The solutions we need are nonpartisan. Potholes don’t care if you’re Democrat or Republican.”
Alyssa Brown
As of Oct. 17, Nowlin reported approximately $45,000 in contributions for the general election. He has spent more than $48,000, leaving him with a balance of about $300.
Brown did not return interview requests for this article. According to an online page about her campaign, Brown identifies as a conservative Republican who is endorsed by both Arkansas Right to Life and the National Rifle Association of America.
Campaign finance reports showed Brown has raised more than $66,000 in contributions for the general election and spent nearly $53,000. Her balance was about $16,000 as of Oct. 17.
Central Arkansas
House District 83
The LEARNS Act, a sweeping education law that passed last year, is what Democrat Teresa Dannaway said motivated her to run to represent House District 83, which includes a portion of Saline County.
Outgoing Rep. Lanny Fite, R-Benton, has served the district since 2015.
The LEARNS Act implemented many changes to the state’s education system, including the creation of the school voucher program, which provides parents with financial assistance to enroll their child in a private institution. It also established a minimum starting teacher salary of $50,000 a year.
Teresa Dannaway
“One of the ways [public] schools are funded is based on enrollment,” Dannaway, 47, said. “If their kids are going to private schools, they’re going to lose that funding for their school because they’re not going to have near as many students involved.”
Dannaway said she would work toward reforms to the education policy if elected. She also said it was important to implement gun safety laws and proposed working toward a red flag law, which would allow people to petition a judge for an emergency order to temporarily remove firearms from a person at risk of harming themselves or others. Dannaway also said she didn’t support convicted felons or people found guilty of domestic violence having access to firearms.
Running a grassroots campaign, Dannaway has raised more than $5,000 in contributions for the general election. She has spent about $3,100 and had a balance of approximately $3,100 as of Oct. 17.
Paul Childress
Dannaway’s opponent, Paul Childress, has raised more than $156,000 in contributions for the general election and has spent about $76,000. He had a balance of about $86,000 as of Oct. 17.
Childress is a father of five with 10 years in law enforcement in Saline County, according to his website.
He believes in safe and secure elections, phasing out the state income tax and quality education for students. He defends gun rights and believes “all life, including the unborn, should be protected,” according to his website. He also supports taxpayers receiving revenue from the state surplus.
Southwest Arkansas
House District 88
In Southwest Arkansas, Libertarian Tammy Goodwin is facing Republican Dolly Henley in a race to represent House District 88, which includes all of Hempstead County and portions of Miller and Howard counties.
Rep. Danny Watson, R-Hope, has served in the House since 2017 and is not seeking reelection.
11-13-2023 Dolly Henley 240215
Henley secured the Republican nomination after she defeated her opponent Arnetta Bradford in a primary race that made headlines for potential behind-the-scenes political dealings involving Watson. Henley did not return a request for an interview for this article.
Henley, a Washington resident, has more than two decades of experience working in parks and recreation, according to her website. She also currently serves as the president of the Southwest Arkansas Counseling and Mental Health Board and is involved with other local panels.
“I’ll fight everyday to grow our economy, improve opportunities for our kids and to make Arkansas a better place to live,” Henley’s website states.
According to online campaign finance reports, Henley reported more than $93,000 in contributions for the general election and has spent $74,000 as of Oct. 17. She had a balance of about $19,000.
Goodwin, however, has not reported any campaign contributions and is purposefully not accepting donations to avoid being tied to a person or organization, she said.
Tammy Goodwin
Her husband, Lonny Mack Goodwin, is challenging Republican incumbent Jimmy Hickey Jr. in Senate District 4. To save money, the Goodwins bought joint yard signs and have been moving them around the district to increase visibility. They currently live in Saratoga.
If elected, Tammy Goodwin, 62, said she would advocate for less government involvement in everyday life and be supportive of phasing out the state income tax, as well as removing taxes on groceries and other household necessities.
Tammy Goodwin is a retired nurse educator and former chicken farmer. Regarding reproductive rights, she said she is pro-life and finds it “very difficult to legislate morality.” She said the country has monetized abortion and education about the procedure could make a difference in how many people choose to have one.
“To go aggressively after abortion clinics, and that sort of thing, is not who we are,” Tammy Goodwin said, speaking for her and her husband. “What we feel is if we can let people know what is happening when you go for an abortion — this is what they’re taking from you and these are the risks to your health, and then also know that these people who act like they’re doing it for your good in the health clinic, they’re literally selling all the components of that baby.”
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Publish date : 2024-10-22 00:48:00
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