The area from which voters later this year will pick a 2023-24 congressional representative for Arkansas' Third District will be starkly different than it has been for the last decade. Rather than an upside-U-shaped district covering parts or all of 10 counties, Northwest Arkansas' heavy population growth has required a shrinking of the district's land mass. Now, the person elected from this district will represent Benton, Madison, Carroll, Madison, Crawford and northern Sebastian counties.
The change is dramatic, but it doesn't change a bit our recommendation of who voters should support in this month's Republican primary. Rep. Steve Womack is in his sixth term. There's no reason he shouldn't be nominated as the Republican standard bearer again.
Though the shape of the district is new, the conservative foundations of most voters within its boundaries haven't changed. Womack walks the walk and talks the talk, and he's got the public service credentials to back it up. He's formerly the mayor of the city of Rogers and devoted more than 30 years to the Arkansas Army National Guard, achieving the rank of colonel.
Womack is on the right side of history when it comes to the Jan. 6, 2021, invasion of the U.S. Capitol, a key distinction (among many) with his Republican opponent. He recognizes it as a "dark day" and supported a bipartisan investigation other Republicans blocked. His challenger says the people who broke into the Capitol were framed by anti-Trump forces as terrorists to distract people from what he considers a stolen election. Sheesh!
It's not just that Womack is far more reasonable than a challenger spouting outrageous and extreme claims. Womack's leadership and conservative values would speak well for him in any Republican contest and are well aligned with the majority values of the district.
The May 24 winner faces a Democrat and Libertarian in November. This month, we recommend a vote FOR Steve Womack as the GOP nominee in Arkansas' Third District.