School Choice Deciding Factor in State Legislative Races
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Candidates supported by Arkansas Federation for Children Action Fund prove successful on election night
LITTLE ROCK – When the votes were counted on Tuesday night, support for school choice was a deciding factor in three key races for State Legislative races across the state of Arkansas.
Incumbents Richard Womack of Arkadelphia and Rebecca Petty of Rogers both were re-elected by large majorities and will serve another term. Womack, who has represented House District 18 since 2013, received 56%* of the vote and will be serving his third term in the Arkansas House. Petty received 54%* of the vote and will be serving her second term as Representative for House District 94. Both have been steadfast supporters of giving parents more options during their time in the State House – both having supported the Public School Choice Act and the Succeed Scholarship Program in 2015.
First-time candidate Aaron Pilkington also defeated his opponent, former Representative George Overbey, to win the House District 69 race. Pilkington, a healthcare administrator from Clarksville, received 58%* of the vote.
“We are excited to see school choice playing as a major issue in these very important races,” said Ryan Cantrell, Regional Advocacy and Political Director for the American Federation for Children. “But this movement isn’t just specific to these three races, or even just the state of Arkansas. Parents all over the nation are deciding on which candidates to support based on their positions on education issues, and school choice in particular. I want to congratulate Representatives Womack and Petty and newly elected Representative Pilkington. We look forward to working with them as we look to expand school choice during the 2017 legislative session.”
The Arkansas Federation for Children, the state affiliate of the American Federation for Children, advocates for policies that give parents more options over their child’s education, especially those in low- and middle-income families. Through the work of their Independent Expenditure Committee, the Arkansas Federation for Children Action Fund, they spent nearly $50,000 in the general election to support candidates who believe that parents are best at determining what educational environment works best for their child.
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*All numbers are at the time of release