Petty to seek Senate seat in proposed District 29

VAN BUREN — Jim Petty, a member of the Van Buren City Council, will seek the proposed state Senate seat 29, he announced Thursday.

Legislative districts are being redrawn. 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 the maps after a 30-day public comment period. The board unveiled the proposed map Oct. 29.

If approved, Senate District 29 will include all of Crawford County along with the southern and eastern portions of Washington County.

Petty pledged in his campaign announcement to be “100% pro-life” and to defend small business and the right to bear arms while opposing “cancel culture.”

“After much prayer and consideration, I am announcing for the newly created state Senate seat in Crawford and Washington Counties,” Petty’s announcement says. “I am a lifelong conservative who will fight for the unborn, defend our small businesses, and oppose woke cancel culture that is infecting our society.”

Petty, 56, owns Strategic Realty in Van Buren, which he opened in 2007. He is also a certified public accountant, his announcement says. He serves on the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas Affordable Housing Advisory Board. He is a 26-year resident of Van Buren who grew up in Hector in Pope County. He has served on the City Council since 2014, his announcement said.

State senators serve fouryear terms and receive a base salary of $42,428 a year. They also receive per diem and reimbursement for expenses.