Democrats Camacho, Grimsley push for Republican held legislative seats
by October 27, 2015 2:17 pm 254 views
Springdale resident and immigration activist Irvin Camacho along with English teacher and Marine Corps veteran Graham Grimsley are jumping into legislative election waters in a Northwest Arkansas section that have proven to be a Democrat-free zone in many previous legislative elections.
Camacho has announced for the Arkansas House District 89 seat, and will face Rep. Micah Neal, R-Springdale. Neal, part of a well-known family in the Springdale area, ran unopposed in 2014.
Camacho, a Springdale High School graduate and employee with Arvest Bank, has worked as an organizer on immigration and social issues. He helped organize a Peace Walk following several area shootings. He said he is running for the House seat to improve the city’s reputation – a city he says is in the “middle of a resurgence.”
“The walk was an important reminder of what Springdale can achieve when we all come together,” Camacho said in a statement. “We have to work harder to get rid of the communication barriers between the people of this district and its leaders and institutions. If we want to move Springdale forward, we have to create a climate where everyone feels safe and welcome – a place we can all call home.”
In addition to the Peace Walk, Camacho worked as lead coordinator for the Arkansas Natural DREAMers, an immigration rights group. He also has worked with the United Community Coalition, chairing their iDREAM campaign to help organize more than 15 immigrant support clinics in Arkansas.
On the other end of the social spectrum, is Grimsley. He’s spent 30 years teaching English at Rogers High School, and was a 1st Lt. when he cycled out of the U.S. Marine Corps. It’s also his second attempt at House District 94. Republican Rebecca Petty won the seat by a wide margin (57.7% to 42.2%) over Grimsley in the 2014 election.
“I want to be your state legislator because too many people feel like their voices just aren’t being heard in Little Rock. We deserve leaders who will listen to us, put our community first, and bring people together to get things done,” Grimsley said in his candidate announcement.
Grimsley, who has served on the Rogers Public Education Foundation for five years and received the Lifetime Service Award by the Arkansas Council of Teachers of English and Language Arts in 2014, said education will be his priority.
“Great teachers and schools are the key to a better quality of life for every family. Benton County is positioned to lead the state, but we’re being held back by legislators who prioritize blind allegiance to partisan Party politics over the issues that matter most for Rogers and Bentonville,” Grimsley said.
However, Democratic victories in the two legislative districts are rare. In many north Washington County and Benton County districts and similar districts through Census changes, it has been a decade or more that Republicans have held the seats. Democratic legislative victories have been in the Fayetteville area of south Washington County, and include Sen. Uvalde Lindsey, D-Fayetteville; Rep. Greg Leding, D-Fayetteville; and Rep. David Whitaker, D-Fayetteville.