State House of Representatives

DISTRICT 81

Republican Bruce Coleman, 75, seeks a second term but faces a challenge from Democrat Donald R. McKinney, 42, for this district that runs from south of Goshen all the way down past Alma. The voters will tell us whether we’re right, but Coleman’s politics — limited government involvement in people’s lives — and down-home demeanor seem to fit the district voters pretty well.

DISTRICT 87

Kelly Scott Unger, 36, is an impressive Democratic candidate in a district unlikely to support one, and Republican Robin

Lundstrum, 55, has the benefit of having served three terms representing the district in the House. We’ve heard little in the way of complaints about Lundstrum’s representation and, unlike a few of her colleagues, she has given voters no reason to question her integrity or ethics. We recommend Lundstrum for another two-year term.

DISTRICT 90

The race in District 90 is really no race at all. Democrat Kati McFarland, 27, has been a no-show even though she filed to challenge two-term incumbent Republican Jana Della Rosa, 42. If voters want someone to represent them at the state Capitol, they need someone to show up. Della Rosa is a Republican with enough of an independent streak that she’s served the district smartly. We recommend voters give her another opportunity to represent them.

DISTRICT 93

Jim Dotson, 40, seeks his fourth term in the House representing his extremely conservative causes more so than the people of his district. Was anyone clamoring for a law requiring school districts to place “In God we trust” posters in classrooms? Was that a burning issue? District 93 is a changing population of people and his challenger, Democrat Gayatri Jane Agnew, 37, represents a broadening of ideas within that district. Has it changed enough? Count us skeptical, but we know Dotson hasn’t changed a bit and we’re not sure he’s so much a representative of the people as he is of himself. Agnew, a senior director of corporate philanthropy for the Walmart Foundation, is smart, informed and full of potential, a mother of two youngsters who knows education, not posters, are critical to the district’s future. She admires Republican Dan Douglas as a “poster child” for effective legislators, and that’s an admirable example to follow. We recommend Gayatri Agnew as a better choice to represent the people of District 93.

DISTRICT 95

Voters in this north Benton County district deserve a representative. Austin McCollum, 27, was elected two years because he’s the Republican. His representation — i.e., his lack of accessibility to voters — suggests he’s relying heavily on voters expecting little more than the “R” beside his name. We think a representative ought to be visible and easy to reach. He’s not. Celeste Williams, 43, of Bella Vista is a Democrat who has lived in District 95 for seven years and is serious about being a representative of the people. She said McCollum ignored her calls to discuss health care — she’s a nurse practitioner — and that motivated her to run for the office. She appears ready to devote herself to the concerns of constituents, not just a pledge to an ideology that’s seems to be as far as McCollum is ready to go. The Republican Party of Arkansas has even tried nasty mailbox politics to damage Williams, which they wouldn’t need to do if McCollum were a stronger presence among the people he’s supposed to represent. We recommend a vote for Celeste Williams for any constituents who are tired of being taken for granted.

DISTRICT 97

Harlan Breaux, 71, boils things down pretty simply: He can’t think of anything the Republican Party supports that he might oppose. Gary Morris, 71, was a Republican for years but shifted Democrat after the U.S. invaded Iraq without sufficient evidence related to the Sept. 11 attacks. As a Vietnam-era veteran, sending U.S. troops into an unneeded war offended him. Today, Morris and Breaux hope District 97 voters will favor them. We recommend Morris, who we think will be a more independent voice for the district on the many issues that come before the General Assembly, including support for agriculture, education, tourism, efficiency, accountability and integrity in public office.