FAYETTEVILLE, Ark — Three candidates are competing in Arkansas’ U.S. House District 4 race.
Libertarian Frank Gilbert and Democrat William Hanson are challenging Republican U.S. Representative Bruce Westerman.
Rep. Westerman, the only congressman in the country with a degree in forestry, has represented Arkansas’ heavily wooded 4th District for three terms.
Congressman Westerman has sparked the White House interest with his trillion-dollar tree act, a topic President Trump has mentioned in both presidential debates.
The legislation calls for the United States to join a worldwide tree-planting effort.
The U.S. would aim to complete one-tenth of the task, resulting in 100 billion trees over the next 30 years.
“I’m working on how we get conservatives back into conservation," Westerman said. "Conservatives started the conservation movement with Teddy Roosevelt. We got a long and good track record on the environment but I think we can use market base approaches to make the economy and the environment good."
Democratic Candidate William Hanson was not available for an interview when this story aired, but we caught up with him a day after, and here's what he had to say about the issues his opponents were asked about.
In addition to Westerman and Hanson, voters have another option come Election Day, Libertarian candidate Frank Gilbert.
Gilbert is the former Mayor of Tull and has run unsuccessfully for other offices in the last decade.
This year he decided to run for the 4th Congressional District.
Gilbert expressed concern about the direction of the country and promised to put the interests of constituents first.
“We’ve started these days trying to tell people how to live their lives and we’ve used the treasury as a piggy bank to buy votes for politicians and that seems to be what’s gotten us into the problem we are facing today,” Gilbert said.
One thing both candidates do agree on is to get out and vote and that they will serve all Arkansans in a time of divide.
“The Republicans and Democrats have been in charge of the country for 160 years and anyone who’s real satisfied with the condition of the country after their leadership probably doesn’t need to listen to Frank Gilbert but if you’re looking for a third way, another option that’s what Frank Gilbert and the Libertarian party are,” Gilbert said.
“I think Arkansas has what America needs and I want to take those values and the work ethic and the common sense and good ideas we have here in the natural state and be a voice for those on a national level,” Westerman said.