By Rob Moritz
Arkansas News Bureau
PICKLES GAP — The speaker of the state House of Representatives announced Wednesday his candidacy to represent Arkansas’ 2nd District in Congress.
House Speaker Robbie Wills, a Democrat from Conway, said he would strive to rebuild the nation’s battered economy and put people back to work if elected to succeed retiring U.S. Rep. Vic Snyder, D-Ark.
“Now more than ever, we need a congressman committed to building a strong economy, a congressman who will work for common sense solutions to the problems we face, a congressman that will take a dose of Arkansas values to Washington, D.C.,” Wills said in making his announcement to about 100 supporters at a restaurant in this tiny Faulkner County tourist attraction founded by his grandfather.
Wills and his family lived at Pickles Gap when he was a child.
“This is where I grew up,” he said during his speech inside the crowded Pickles Gap Fudge Factory Snack Shop.
Wills showed off a “do nothing” — a wooden device developed and sold at Pickles Gap — to illustrate about point that Congress has been unable to get anything done.
“It’s full of moving parts working very hard to stay out of each other’s way and accomplishing absolutely nothing,” he said.
“I keep one of these handy to remind me, I’m not a do nothing, I’m a do something,” Wills told the crowd.
During his speech, Wills complained that Congress has done too little to encourage job growth or address the skyrocketing national debt and continues to bicker along party lines.
“We need to send a do-something to Congress and that’s why I’m running,” he said.
Last year, Wills was instrumental in writing legislation to implement the state lottery voters approved in the 2008 general election. He also was a key supporter of a 56-cents-a-pack increase in the state cigarette tax the Legislature approved to fund a statewide trauma system and other health care programs.
After his short announcement Wednesday, Wills declined to answer questions from reporters before getting into a vehicle and driving off to what an assistant called a “budget meeting.”
Wills was introduced to the crowd by his wife, Dana. They have two children.
The 41-year-old lawyer is serving his third state House term. He was elected House speaker for the 2009 regular session. He represents House District 46, which covers parts of Conway and Faulkner counties.
Wills is the second Democrat to announced for the party’s 2nd District nomination since Snyder announced last week that he would not seek re-election. State Sen. Joyce Elliott of Little Rock also has said she would run for the seat.
Elliot did not immediately return a call seeking comment Wednesday.
Three Republicans have announced, Tim Griffin and Scott Wallace of Little Rock, and David Meeks of Conway.
“I look forward to discussing the issues folks in the 2nd District are interested in, including private sector job creation, the cap and trade energy tax, cutting the national debt and market-based health care reform,” Griffin said.
Meeks described the House speaker as “just another Nancy Pelosi” liberal Democrat who “wouldn’t really be any different than Vic Snyder.”
“I don’t think that is what the 2nd District wants,” Meeks said.
“The more the merrier,” said Wallace’s spokesman Ted Thomas.
