GREENLAND -- Washington County Justice of the Peace Jim Wilson announced Monday his bid for the proposed new state House District 23 seat.
State legislative district boundaries are being redrawn to equalize populations in them after the 2020 U.S. census. Northwest Arkansas gained population while other areas of the state lost, resulting in Washington County potentially gaining two seats in the 100-member House under the proposals currently under review.
Proposed District 23 includes Greenland, West Fork, Prairie Grove, Lincoln, Summers, and Cane Hill.
Wilson, a Republican, is retired, but manages his real estate holdings. He holds a bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville and supervised operations departments at two local banks in his business career, he said. He also served as chief of staff for the state Department of Health and was director of board and commissions for former Gov. Mike Huckabee.
Wilson, 69, pledged in his announcement to work to eliminate wasteful spending and keep taxes as low as possible. He was elected to the quorum court in 2020 and is a member of the Finance and Budget Committee. He has lived in the area since 1978, he said in a statement.
The state Board of Apportionment redraws legislative district boundaries every 10 years, after each U.S. census. The board consists of the sitting governor, attorney general and secretary of state.
The board set its next meeting for Nov. 29 to consider final approval of proposed district maps after a 30-day public comment period.
House members run for two-year terms. Their base salary is $39,399 a year, not including per diem and expenses.
Candidate filing for partisan primaries begins Feb. 22 and ends March 1. Party primaries are set for May 24.