Rep. Pennartz enters Senate 9 race
by September 6, 2011 4:13 pm 97 views
There will be a November 2012 battle for the newly created Arkansas Senate District 9 that includes parts of Fort Smith and Crawford, Scott and Sebastian counties.
Rep. Tracy Pennartz, D-Fort Smith, who is term-limited in the Arkansas House of Representatives, announced Tuesday (Sept. 6) she will run for the Senate seat. Pennartz begin her announcement swing in Fort Smith and then traveled to Charleston, Van Buren and Waldron.
Former Rep. Rick Green, R-Van Buren, has announced he will seek the office. Sen. Bruce Holland, R-Greenwood, the incumbent in the new district, has told The City Wire he will run again, but has not yet issued a formal statement.
The new district includes an eastern portion of Crawford County, the eastern and southern portion of Sebastian County, the southwestern edge of Franklin County and all of Scott County. The district also includes the northern tip of Fort Smith.
The 2012 election cycle may be one of the most closely watched in modern Arkansas political history because Republicans have an opportunity to gain a majority in one or both legislative chambers.
Democrats now hold a 54-46 majority in the Arkansas House and a 20-15 majority in the Arkansas Senate.
Speaker of the House candidate Rep. Darrin Williams, D-Little Rock, recently took on the task of fundraising chairman for the House Democratic Caucus PAC and he says that events to raise money will begin as early as October and continue through next year.
Money raised will obviously be spent to help House candidates, says Williams, but he also says to expect a "branding" effort to distinguish Arkansas Democrats from national Democrats.
Republican political strategist Clint Reed, with Little Rock-based Impact Management Group, recently said political shifts are possible in south Arkansas and northeast Arkansas. Reed said the two regions of the state are areas where Democrats have long held a grip on local elections, but he sees that evolving in recent years and expects 2012 to continue the trend.
"Barack Obama’s candidacy will put seats in play for Republicans the likes that we’ve never seen. I predict you will see competitive races in those parts of Arkansas — areas that Democrats have never had to spend resources to defend," Reed explained.
Following is the election statement from Rep. Tracy Pennartz, D-Fort Smith.
FORT SMITH, ARKANSAS — State Representative Tracy Pennartz announced her candidacy for the Arkansas State Senate District 9 today amidst a large crowd of supporters. Pennartz will be running in the newly created Senate District 9 which includes the northside of Fort Smith as well as Van Buren and other portions of western Arkansas.
“After prayer and hours of talking to people here in Fort Smith, Van Buren and western Arkansas, I feel called to continue to be of public service to our communities," Pennartz stated. "During my legislative tenure, I’ve worked to balance the state budget, advocate for economic development, improve public safety, and helped to ensure a sound educational foundation for Arkansas kids," noted Pennartz.
Serving her third and last term in the Arkansas House of Representatives, Pennartz emphasized, "I have always made people my priority over any political agenda!" Pennartz went on to say, “I know it’s tough right now. We need stability in our economy so businesses can commit to creating jobs and thereby have a positive effect on the quality of life for thousands of people here in western Arkansas."
During her public service as a State Representative, Pennartz co-sponsored part of the largest tax cut in Arkansas history which has cut the grocery tax by hundreds of millions of dollars and she is committed to “finishing the job.” In the 2011 legislative session, Pennartz voted for more than $35 million in tax cuts to provide tax relief for small business owners and hard-working Arkansas families.
Due to her strong legislative record, Representative Pennartz is a recipient of the "Legislative Award" from the Mental Health Council of Arkansas and the Arkansas Veterans of Foreign Wars. Other awards include the "Distinguished Legislator Award" from the Arkansas Municipal Association and the "Friend Of Education" Award from the Fort Smith Classroom Association.
In the House of Representatives, Pennartz currently serves as Chair of the Special Language Sub-Committee of the Joint Budget Committee; a member of the Public Health, Welfare & Labor Committee; the State Agencies & Governmental Affairs Committee; the Joint Performance Review Committee; and on other committees where she has advocated for the citizens of western Arkansas.
The newly created Senate District 9 includes the northside of Fort Smith; the southwestern portion of Crawford County which includes Van Buren, Figure Five, and Dripping Springs; Scott County and the southwestern portion of Franklin County which includes the cities of Charleston and Branch as well as the Vesta community area.
For decades, Pennartz has served with dozens of local organizations such as the Crawford-Sebastian Community Development Council, WestArk Retired & Senior Volunteer Program, Fort Smith Public Library Board of Trustees, the America Reads Tutor Program, and the Fort Smith Art Center.
An Arkansas native, Pennartz was born in 1948 and raised on the family farm in Charleston. Pennartz is a U.S. Navy veteran and holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Communications from the University of Arkansas. Pennartz retired in 2006 as Associate Director of the Western Arkansas Counseling & Guidance Center after more than 25 years of professional service. Pennartz serves as a Lector and Lay Minister of Communion at the St. Boniface Catholic Church.