William Hanson to announce for Congress in Fourth District

Retired attorney and law professor William Hanson said Tuesday (Sept. 3) that he would formally announce a run for U.S. Congress in the Fourth District on Friday as a Democrat. The seat is currently held by U.S. Rep. Bruce Westerman, R-Hot Springs.

Hanson is a native of Camden, Arkansas, but left in the late 1970’s and has lived in California before returning to Hot Springs.

According to a bio provided by the candidate, Hanson graduated from Stephens High School in 1972, attended the University of Arkansas, and then volunteered in the U.S. Army.

He also attended Henderson State University for one semester, but completed his college work at the University of California, Berkeley in 1985 with a B.A. in Political Economy of Industrial Societies. Hanson holds a law degree from Columbia University and is licensed in California and Colorado.

He recently retired from Chabot College in Hayward, California after working at Mills College and Peralta Community College District in Oakland, California.

Hanson plans to formally announce his candidacy for Congress on Friday, Sept. 6 at noon at The Postmasters Grill in Camden, Ark.

“I believe in the power and promise of collaboration and that we deserve leadership that is independent and courageous enough to speak the truth about the needs of our state and nation,” he said in a news release. “I have spent my career working as a lawyer, educator and community organizer seeking to empower communities to control their own destiny. I believe that Arkansans are ready to work together to find sustainable solutions to the problems that confront us. This campaign will be a catalyst for that work.”

Another candidate has filed paperwork to run as a Democrat in the Fourth District. Raymond Dallas Redmond, Jr. of Rison, Arkansas filed a statement of candidacy on July 11, 2019 with the Federal Election Commission.