RUDY -- A second candidate on Wednesday joined the race to succeed state Rep. Justin Harris, R-West Fork.
Derek Goodlin, 45, of Rudy announced his bid for the Republican nomination. Another GOP candidate, Bruce Coleman, 72, announced his candidacy last month. They and any other candidates for state office must file with the secretary of state the week of Nov. 2-9.
Goodlin is president of Stein LTC of Fort Smith, a long-term care management organization, and is a small-business owner. He runs Homebase Properties, a real estate management company, and ViaCare Therapy Services, which serves home health patients.
Coleman is a chairman of the Crawford County Election Commission. He has announced plans to step down from the commission after Tuesday's school elections since he is now an active candidate in the March 1 primary.
Harris announced in June that he will not seek re-election for the District 81 post after revelations that he sent an adopted daughter to live with another family, where the girl was sexually abused.
District 81 straddles the Washington and Crawford county line and stretches from Alma in the south to Elkins in the north. Democrats have no announced candidates in the district yet, but the party has several prospects, said Tyler Clark of Fayetteville, the Washington County Democratic chairman.
In his announcement Wednesday, Goodlin said he believes "we should keep government limited and local."
"Big government is responsible for invasive programs like Obamacare and Common Core," he said, referring to the national health care law and education standards, respectively. "As state representative, I will fight for real solutions that keep government out of our everyday lives."
Goodlin holds a degree in industrial engineering from Pennsylvania State University and a master's degree in business administration from the College of William and Mary.
Coleman holds a doctorate in nutritional biochemistry from the University of Wisconsin. He and his wife owned and operated the Coleman Butane Gas Co. and C&C Transport Co. in Mountainburg from 1973 until selling the business five years ago, he said. He then worked for Ralston Purina feed company before moving back to Mountainburg.
State Desk on 09/10/2015