Rogers Republican Rebecca Petty, a child and crime-victim advocate, said Thursday (Feb. 6) she is running for the state House District 94 seat.
Petty, whose 12-year-old daughter was slain in Polk County in 1999, is vying for the seat being vacated by Rep. Debra Hobbs, R-Rogers, who is running for governor in the 2014 primary election.
Marge Wolf, a member of the Rogers City Council and president and CEO of the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank, also is running for the House District 94 seat in the GOP primary. There are no announced Democrats vying for the seat so far. Candidates have until the first week of March to file for office.
Petty, 43, a consultant who works with the U.S. Department of Justice on Amber Alert training, said she is on the “side of Benton County families to keep our children safe from sexual predators by equipping our police with the tools they need to put criminals behind bars.”
Petty’s daughter, Andi Brewer, was raped and strangled in woods near Mena by Karl D. Roberts, the child’s uncle by marriage, records show. The now 45-year-old Roberts, who was sentenced to die on May 24, 2000, is one of 35 people on Arkansas’ death row, according to the Arkansas Department of Correction website.
“I cannot stand sexual predators,” Petty, a first-time candidate for public office, told 5NEWS on Thursday. “I can’t stand it if they get out and re-offend.”
Among other issues, Petty also said she is a “pro-life” candidate and supports gun rights.
“I will not vote to infringe on Arkansas gun rights,” said Petty, who holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Arkansas Tech University.
Petty, who is endorsed by state Sen. Bart Hester, R-Cave Springs, also said she supports “lower taxes and limited government.”
The primary election is May 20, with the winners from each party advancing to the Nov. 4 general election.
