Fayetteville attorney Max Deitchler announces for House District 20 seat

Fayetteville-based attorney and former member of the Washington County Election Commission Max Deitchler announced Wednesday (May 21) he will seek the Arkansas House District 20 seat in the 2026 election.

Deitchler, a Democrat, is hoping to follow Rep. Denise Garner, D-Fayetteville, in the district seat. Garner announced April 28 she will run for the Arkansas Senate District 30 seat in 2026 now held by Sen. Greg Leding, D-Fayetteville. Leding is term limited.

“I’m running for state representative because Arkansas families are falling further behind,” Deitchler said in a statement. “As an attorney, I can’t sit by as our constitutional rights are under attack at both the state and federal levels. We need real solutions that support working families, strengthen our democracy, and protect what makes our state special — including the Buffalo River.”

Deitchler, 40, said in his statement that his three broad priorities if elected are to support Arkansas families, strengthen democracy, and protect the state while also promoting the outdoor recreation economy.

He and his wife, who have a young daughter, own Float Eureka, a water sports outfitter company.

“The startup ecosystem is growing in Northwest Arkansas, but we can do more as a state to help entrepreneurs — both in the outdoor recreation field and outside of it,” he said. “Visitors come to Arkansas to explore the outdoors and Arkansas’s natural beauty — that aligns directly with outdoor recreation.”

He also said a goal if elected will be to push for online voter registration, noting 89% of Americans living in 43 states have access to online registration.

“When more people vote and participate in our democracy, our state becomes stronger and more representative,” he said. “We need to encourage more Arkansans to vote — not make it harder to cast a ballot or undermine the ballot initiative process that gives power directly to the people. These are rights that are guaranteed to us by the Arkansas Constitution.”

No other person has officially announced for the District 20 seat, which covers parts of Fayetteville.