LITTLE ROCK — The Libertarian Party of Arkansas’ first-ever slate of candidates for state offices includes at least one name familiar to longtime Arkansas political observers.
Former state Rep. Bobby Tullis of Mineral Springs is the party’s choice for the 4th District congressional seat.
Tullis served 14 years in the state House and mounted unsuccessful statewide races for auditor in 1994 as a Democrat and for treasurer in 2010 as the Green Party candidate.
He was nominated as the Libertarian Party’s 4th District congressional candidate at a convention Saturday in Little Rock.
New parties in Arkansas must submit 10,000 valid signatures of registered voters to the secretary of state’s office to gain ballot access. Last year, the Libertarian Party was certified as a new political party by Secretary of State Mark Martin after submitting more than 16,000 signatures of registered voters.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Arkansas is the last state in the nation never to have placed a Libertarian Party candidate for an office other than president on the ballot, according to Rodger Paxton of Marion, the state party chairman.
“Now Arkansans will have … at least two libertarians on the ballot, and at least one (party congressional candidate) to vote for. It’s fantastic,” said Paxton, the libertarian nominee for the District 51 House seat.
The national party will choose its presidential nominee at a convention next month in Las Vegas.
Gaining wider ballot access in Arkansas shows the party has truly taken root in the state, Paxton said Thursday.
“The Libertarian Party has been active since 1976 in Arkansas, but it hasn’t been very effective,” he said. “For the first time in our history, people are going to notice that we’re here and we’re not going anywhere.”
Besides Tullis and Paxton, other Libertarian Party candidates nominated for offices in the state are:
• 1st District House: Jessica Paxton, Marion
• 2nd District House: Chris Hayes, Little Rock
• 3rd District House: David Pangrac, Van Buren
• State Senate District 13: Frank Gilbert, Tull
• State Senate District 25: David Dinwiddie, Pine Bluff
• State Senate District 31: Glen Schwarz, Little Rock
• Saline County Judge: Gordon Hall, Bryant
• Constable, Sebastian County Upper Township: Steve Jones, Fort Smith
• Crawford County Justice of the Peace: Crystal Pangrac, Van Buren
• Constable, Henderson Township: William “Bill” House, Bonnerdale