Greg Leding / Photo: Todd Gill, Fayetteville Flyer

Fayetteville’s Greg Leding stood on the steps of the Old Post Office building Saturday morning during the Farmers’ Market to officially announce his plans to run for the Arkansas House of Representatives District 92 seat.

If elected, Leding will succeed Lindsley Smith, who has reached the Arkansas House limit of three two-year terms as representative of the area that surrounds the university. Smith, who has been a Fayetteville resident for 17 years, is also a research assistant professor of communications at the University of Arkansas and was recently published in the American Communication Journal.

Smith’s husband, Stephen, who is a communication professor at the UA, introduced Leding to the crowd of a few dozen Saturday morning and said he had complete faith in Leding in both terms of character and commitment to community. “I know he’ll continue the progressive leadership we’ve had in Fayetteville for the past two decades,” said Smith.

Stephen Smith / Photo: Todd Gill

Leding said his main priorities as a candidate would be education, the environment, and equality but he also stressed the importance of strengthening our local economy.

“Though we’re fortunate in Fayetteville to be somewhat insulated from the economic difficulties facing our country, our community has not gone unscathed,” said Leding. “We can work together to support our local economy.”

Leding, 31, is a life-long resident of Northwest Arkansas and recently served as campaign manager for Walt Eilers during his candidacy for Fayetteville mayor.

In promising to listen to the concerns of his constituents, Leding said, “I will not go to Little Rock with a one-person agenda. We are all equal. We all have a stake in the future of Arkansas.”

Disclosure: Greg Leding is an occasional Fayetteville Flyer guest contributor.