Tomlinson To Announce Run For House Seat

— Abel Tomlinson, the former congressional candidate and tree-climbing protester, plans to announce his candidacy for District 92 of the Arkansas House of Representatives on Saturday in front of the Fayetteville Town Center.

The announcement, set to take place at 1 p.m., will consist of a brief speech and news conference.

“My adversary Greg Leding was assumed a winner by many because no Republican challenger surfaced, but my entrance into the race will change this assumption and provide more democracy to Fayetteville voters,” Tomlinson stated in a news release issued Wednesday. “I will be running not only to win, but to educate the public on an extremely important issue that many voters do not understand, and this will be the focus of my announcement speech.”

Tomlinson, 29, ran for Congress in 2008 under the Green Party banner against 3rd District Rep. John Boozman, R-Rogers. He received 58,500 votes.

More recently, he gained attention when he climbed a tree in front of the Washington County Courthouse on April 5 and delivered a rambling, sometimes profanity-laced diatribe about drug laws. Tomlinson removed his coat, tie and shirt. He eventually fell part way down the tree and was detained by police.

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Able Tomlinson

He currently faces two felony counts of delivery of a controlled substance, psilocybin mushrooms. The tree-climbing incident earned him charges of disorderly conduct, public intoxication and resisting arrest, but the case is still pending.

Tomlinson contends he has a right to use hallucinogenic mushrooms because of his religious beliefs. He filed a motion on his own earlier this month notifying the court he intended to raise a religious defense. Tomlinson also paid $45 to file articles of incorporation with the state to create the Psychedelic Pantheism Church three days before he climbed the tree, according to records. He contends he has operated the church for several years and is a minister.

Leding won the Democratic Party’s nomination for the seat in May. He faces no Republican opponent.

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