Dr. Anthony Bland of Little Rock has announced that he will seek the Democratic nomination for governor in 2022. Bland, a teacher and minister, previously ran as a Democrat for lieutenant governor in 2018.
Bland’s campaign said the candidate will make it official on Wednesday, June 23, at 1 p.m. from the Webb Community Center in Hot Springs. Bland joins at least six others who have declared their Democratic candidacies for governor: Natalie James, Supha Xayprasith-Mays, James Russell, Chris Jones, Dan Whitfield and Jack Foster. Republican candidates to succeed term-limited Gov. Asa Hutchinson are Sarah Sanders and Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge.Â
James Lowery, Bland’s campaign manager, said the candidate wants to provide the working poor with useful resources and opportunities required to pull themselves out of poverty. He said Bland as governor would enhance the education, health care and criminal justice systems while improving job opportunities for all Arkansans.
“It is vital for the growth of Arkansas that we retain our talented young people here in the state,” he said. Â