Brian Evans, a Cabot School Board member who is president of L&L Freight Services, said Friday that he will run in the Republican primary in May against state Rep. Tim Lemons (R-Cabot) and Darlene Byrd. The winner in the Dist. 43 primary is likely to run unopposed in November 2018.
The district includes Cabot and parts of northwest Lonoke County.
Lemons, a Cabot engineer, is seeking re-election for a third term. Byrd is an advanced-practice nurse who lost to Lemons in 2014. He ran unopposed last year.
“I am honored and pleased to announce my candidacy for the Dist. 43 seat in the Arkansas State House of Representatives,” Evans said.
“I believe anyone who achieves some degree of success in life has a responsibility to share their time, experience and resources for the greater good. In this case, I see this as an opportunity to share my business and life experiences in support of our district that so greatly benefits the state of Arkansas,” Evans said.
He and his wife, Melissa, have lived in Cabot since 2001. They have two children who attend Cabot schools.
“It is important for Dist. 43 to have representation for all stakeholder groups. We must ensure that all constituent voices are heard and all options are considered when government decisions are made thathave a direct effect on Lonoke County,” Evans said.
“I am an earnest believer in transparency. I have years of experience on the local, state and national level of bringing parties together to get underneath assumptions, perceptions and biases. Every citizen of our district should have a voice and our legislators should have an open ear to that voice when it comes to Dist. 43 decision making,” he said.
Evans is a past honorary commander at Little Rock Air Force Base and past executive board member of the Cabot Chamber of Commerce.
He and his family are active members of Faith Baptist Church in Cabot, where Evans most recently served as chairman of its finance committee.
Evans is in his second term on the Cabot Public Schools Board and serves on the executive board as vice chairman of the Transportation Intermediaries Association, a Virginia-based group of transportation professionals who represent the third-party logistics sector.
Evans was born and raised in McCrory (Woodruff County).
“Coming from a small community in northeast Arkansas, I was raised to understand what grassroots representation means. As a conservative Christian, I believe it is time we bring government back to the people, that we begin our focus for the future on what successfully led us from our past and to humble ourselves as a district, state and nation,” he said.
“I humbly and respectfully ask for the support and vote of Dist. 43. I will serve with honesty, integrity and will make decisions based upon the principles of our heritage, not the political influence of those seeking self-gain,” Evans said.