Another Republican has thrown his hat into the ring for the District 6 seat in the Arkansas House of Representatives.

Eureka Springs resident Steven Baird declared his candidacy during the monthly Republican committee meeting on Aug. 11. Joining three others, Baird said in a news release that he was motivated to run for the primary purpose of proposing and passing legislation to make District 6 and Arkansas as a whole a better place to live and thrive.

“I know in my heart that all four of us will protect the sanctity of life, our second amendment guarantees as well as putting a halt to all the radical notions proposed by those who sit across the aisle,” Baird said in the news releasae. “My purpose is not to just check the appropriate boxes when legislation comes up for votes, but to actually have meaningful legislation in front the state Assembly that will accomplish what our community needs.” The key to his candidacy, Baird said, “was beyond just supporting eliminating taxes, requiring paper-only ballots and hand tabulations as well as equitable property assessment rules, but to submit the legislation to make those issues a reality. To date, I’ve drafted over a dozen pieces of legislation for the 2027 session. Everyone will have the opportunity to review these items via my website, BairdforARHouseDistrict6. org, and engage in a meaningful dialog with me about these and other issues. You’ll know where I stand and what I plan to propose.”

Baird spent more than 33 years in county government, most recently as the director of technology for Washington County before retiring in March. He has a bachelor’s degree in computer science from the University of Idaho and an MBA in financial management from National University. He also was a management instructor in addition to earning the International Airport Professional (IAP) designation from ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) and ACI (Airports Council International).

Married for more than 37 years, Baird has two children and three grandchildren and counting. Asked why he would give up retirement for such a venture, Baird replied “my neighbors and I discuss the condition of our roads, the upward spiraling of our property taxes and the few services we receive in return. We all knew somebody had to do something to make the changes. For my community, I volunteered to become that somebody and would appreciate the support of the District 6 voters in the Republican Primary in 2026 who want more action in the areas important most to them.”