Many candidates running for office in 2024 completed their paperwork at the Arkansas State Capitol on Monday. That includes three Democratic candidates running against Republican incumbents for seats in the U.S. House of Representatives; Rodney Govens in District 1, Marcus Jones in District 2, and Caitlin Draper in District 3.

The three candidates were endorsed by VortexPAC, a federal hybrid PAC run by former Democratic gubernatorial candidate Chris Jones. Standing on the steps of the State Capitol, Jones said he wanted to make Arkansas more of a “voting state” by giving citizens more reasons to get out and vote.

“It's time for a change,” he said. “It's time for us to bring average Arkansans who are rooted in Arkansas to the table, and give Arkansans an option for who to represent them in their congressional districts.”

Arkansas Democratic candidates file to run for Congress

VortexPAC/Courtesy Photo
(From left) VortexPAC Executive Director Robb Ryerse, Democratic candidates Rodney Govens, Caitlin Draper and Marcus Jones, and VortexPAC co-founder Chris Jones stand on the steps of the Arkansas State Capitol in Little Rock Monday.

by Roby Brock (roby@talkbusiness.net)

The first day of candidate filing at the Arkansas State Capitol ended with 215 filings, including Republican Secretary of State John Thurston running for an open State Treasurer position and an unexpected Democrat filing for U.S. Congress in District 1.

Thurston, who previously announced he would seek the remainder of the term from the late Mark Lowery, was the first to file on Monday (Nov. 6). If he is elected, he will be eligible to serve 10 years – the remaining two years of Lowery’s term and two four-year terms. No other candidates filed for the position.

Rodney Govens, a 40-year year old Operation Iraqi Freedom veteran from Cabot, filed as a Democrat in the First Congressional District, the seat currently held by U.S. Rep. Rick Crawford, R-Jonesboro.

First day of filing sees Thurston jump in Treasurer’s race, Democrat to challenge Crawford in CD1