Benton County : Ex-Rep . Bledsoe aims for open seat in Senate
Posted on Friday, June 29, 2007
ROGERS — Former state Rep. Cecile Bledsoe has been waiting for years, keeping old campaign signs in storage and biding her time, to make the announcement that she’s running for state Senate.
“Yes, yes, yes, I am in this race,” the Rogers Republican told about 140 cheering supporters on Thursday, almost 11 months before the party primary.
She waited for the Senate seat to come open, choosing not to run against long-serving Sen. Dave Bisbee, also a Republican, because she felt like he was doing a good job, she said. But the state’s term limits amendment bars Bisbee from running for reelection in 2008, so Bledsoe decided the time is right for her own campaign.
District 8 encompasses most of Rogers and eastern Benton County. Bledsoe already represented part of the district as a three-term state representative from 1999 to 2004.
Bledsoe asserted that her three-term tenure as a state representative “did a lot of good” for Northwest Arkansas. For example, she worked with city officials and the Area Agency on Aging to help bring affordable housing for senior citizens to Rogers with Miller Place and Dixieland Gardens, she said.
She worked to bring General Improvement Fund money to her district, including money for a warm-water therapy pool at the city’s wellness center and a community center in Garfield, she said.
She told the crowd she’d fight for the right to bear arms, fewer taxes and “the freedom to live life without more government intrusion.”
In an interview, Bledsoe said it’s too early to tell what the major issues of her campaign will be, but she’ll concentrate a great deal on infrastructure for growing Benton County, including money for highways. She emphasized her support for the city and county’s attempt to join the federal 287 (g ) program, which grants state and local officials authority to detain, question and process illegal aliens for deportation.
Her campaign already sent surveys to district voters seeking input on issues important to them.
Duane Neal, Bledoe’s campaign manager, said 90 percent of respondents in the unscientific survey supported the idea of local police being trained to assist federal immigration officials. Almost as many said money for roads should be divided based on population growth, he said.
Thursday’s crowd at Frisco Park in downtown Rogers milled about under shade trees, eating hot dogs and baked beans provided by the campaign. Maroon signs Bledsoe used in running for the state House were staked in the ground, recycled with stickers reading “Senate 2008.”
Rogers Mayor Steve Womack attended, saying he wanted to show support for Bledsoe as a longtime family friend. But he said it’s too early to endorse her as a candidate.
“I have the utmost of respect for her, but I fully realize we’re in the early stages of next year’s races,” Womack said. “I have no idea who’s going to be running for what.”
A couple of people already have publicly shown interest in the race.
Dick Trammel, a retired banker and civic leader in Rogers, said this week that he’s interested in running as an independent.
Linda Bisbee, a Republican, said she’s considering running to succeed her husband, though she said she’s also interested in running for the open District 95 seat in the House of Representatives.
State Rep. Jon Woods, RSpringdale, attended Bledsoe’s announcement and said he’s already endorsing her because he thinks she’s a true conservative.
Bledsoe is married to Dr. James Bledsoe and has lived in Rogers for 29 years. They have three children.
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