FAYETTEVILLE -- Rep. Greg Leding, D-Fayetteville, plans to run for the state Senate District 4 seat in next year's election.
Sen. Uvalde Lindsey, D-Fayetteville, who currently holds that seat, announced Friday that he will not seek re-election.
Leding's decision means he will not seek re-election to House District 86, one of 24 seats currently held by Democrats in the 100-seat House. Leding said Tuesday that he expects opposition in next year's Democratic primary for the Senate seat and would not be surprised to see a primary contest for his current House seat.
Senate District 4 and House District 86 both cover parts of Washington County.
Leding, 39, was an outspoken opponent of legislation that allows concealed-carry permit holders to take their handguns onto state college and university campuses. Rep. Charlie Collins, R-Fayetteville, introduced the concealed-carry bill, now a law, in this year's regular legislative session.
Leding listed other issues as priorities.
"I've spent four terms in the House fighting wage theft, for affordable housing, tenant rights and paid family leave," Leding said Tuesday. "Now I want to fight for those issues in the Senate."
Leding stepped down from his position as House minority leader in 2015, saying he wanted to focus on those issues.
Tyler Clark, chairman of the Washington County Democrats, called House District 86 "probably the most liberal district in the state. I anticipate we will maintain that seat without any problem."
The District 4 Senate seat is more competitive, but still largely leaning Democratic, he said.
James Estes, Washington County's Republican chairman, felt differently.
"What are we here for, if not to fight the battles?" Estes said, adding that he expects the GOP to field a candidate in the House 86 race and has no doubt that there will be a GOP candidate for the Senate 4 seat. "We might have a primary" in the Senate district, he said.
Leding has previously worked successfully with Republicans on controversial issues. For example, he and Rep. Rebecca Petty, R-Rogers, worked to pass a law that makes inmates eligible for parole if they were sentenced to life in prison without parole before they turned age 18. That bill passed in this year's session. Petty was the strongest opponent to a similar bill by Leding in 2015.
Metro on 06/14/2017