Whitaker announces bid to keep seat

FAYETTEVILLE — Rep. David Whitaker, D-Fayetteville, will run for reelection, he announced Monday.

Whitaker will run for the newly redrawn House District 22, which will include part of Fayetteville, all of Farmington and parts of Prairie Grove if the maps that have been proposed are approved. State legislative district boundaries are being redrawn to equalize populations in them after the 2020 U.S. census.

“Our state is currently controlled by extreme interests who have an awful plan for NWA — politicians who enjoy punching at cities like Farmington and Fayetteville for exercising local control and having unique visions for their own futures,” Whitaker said in his announcement, referring to recent legislative mandates on matters ranging from mask policy to building codes.

Whitaker, 60, was first elected to the Arkansas House in 2012 and is running for his sixth term. He is a practicing attorney, a U.S. Air Force veteran, a former assistant city attorney of Fayetteville and a former instructor at Northwest Arkansas Community College in Bentonville.

“My current work in the Legislature prioritizes passing a state earned income tax credit, promoting Fayetteville and Farmington as leaders in green jobs and sustainable industry in Arkansas and ensuring that every Arkansas student has access to an excellently funded classroom and high-speed internet at home,” Whitaker said.

He has no announced opposition.

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.