Candidate list grows for area legislative races

Bill Gossage of Ozark and Rep. Jon Eubanks, R-Paris, are two of the most recent to enter and re-enter, respectively, races for a seat in the Arkansas General Assembly.

On Tuesday (Sept. 13), Gossage announced he will run as a Republican for the newly created Arkansas House District 82. The district stretches north from Charleston, to Ozark and up to Huntsville in Madison County. (See district maps below.)

Rep. Leslee Milam-Post, D-Ozark, is the incumbent in the new district and is expected to seek re-election.

Gossage is the assistant superintendent of Ozark Public Schools and serves as the chairman of the Legislative Affairs Committee for the Ozark Area Chamber of Commerce. He earned a bachelor’s degree in history and political science at Arkansas Tech University and a master’s degree in counselor education from the University of Arkansas.

“Over the coming months I will embark on a positive, issues-based campaign to discuss the matters that are relevant to District 82,” Gossage said in a statement. “It’s time to discuss job-creation, getting the government off the backs of the people and small businesses, and protecting the sanctity of precious human life.”

On Wednesday (Sept. 14), Rep. Eubanks announced he will seek a second term in Arkansas House District 74. The new district — all Arkansas House and Senate districts were redrawn based on the 2010 Census numbers — includes all of Logan County, and parts of Scott, Sebastian and Franklin counties.

Eubanks, an accountant and farmer, serves on the Judiciary Committee, the City, County, and Local Affairs Committee, and the Joint Performance Review Committee. After the 2011 legislative session, Eubanks was named Person of the Year by the Arkansas Municipal League.

“I have fought hard for lower taxes and less government,” Eubanks noted in his campaign statement. “There is a lot of work to do. Not only must we continue to fight for lower taxes and less government, but we must make job creation our number one priority. As the next state representative for District 74, I will be focused on creating jobs in the River Valley and Western Arkansas.”

Charlene Fite is running for the Arkansas House District 80 that covers most of the western half of Crawford County and includes the southwestern corner of Washington County. Fite, running as a Republican, is the wife of Tom Fite who was ruled ineligible in his 2010 campaign against Rep. Milam-Post.

Other recent legislative campaign announcements in the Fort Smith region include:
• Former Arkansas Rep. Rick Green, R-Van Buren, has announced he will run for Senate District 9. He will face Sen. Bruce Holland, R-Greenwood, who has said he will run again but has not made a formal announcement.

• Rep. Tracy Pennartz, D-Fort Smith, has announced she will run for the Senate District 9 seat. She is term limited in the House seat.

• Rep. Denny Altes, R-Fort Smith, has said he will seek re-election to Arkansas House District 76. Altes, who has one term remaining, will face Mat Pitsch in a GOP primary for the House seat that covers portions of south and east Fort Smith.