Another new Democratic face emerges to challenge for a Republican-held state House seat, again with the subtle message that suggests voters should turn  to local issues in choosing representatives. It’s a good theme against the all-Obama-all-the-time theme Republicans have used so well the last four years. One question is whether it might still have staying power.

Melissa Fults, an East End dairy goat farmer, says she’ll run for House District 27, which covers parts of Pulaski and Saline counties and is currently held by Republican Julie Mayberry. Her husband Andy Mayberry, who’s held the seat before, says he’ll run for it this year.

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Fults news release:

Melissa Fults announced her candidacy for Arkansas State House District 27 earlier today.

A dairy goat farmer, community champion, and Democrat, Fults expressed her disappointment that many lawmakers are increasingly shifting their focus away from the important issues that affect every day

“The people in our district—my family, my friends, and my neighbors—need a representative who more accurately reflects them and shares their concerns for our future and that of future generations. We have to change direction, seek solutions for the real problems Arkansans face daily, and, most importantly, get back to helping others succeed.

Fults pointed to her grandmother, Pauline, as her “biggest hero” and the individual most responsible for shaping her own values.

“During the Great Depression, homeless individuals used signs to indicate places of safe haven. My grandmother’s house must have been marked with that sign because rarely a day passed where she didn’t provide a stranger with food and water.” Fults continued, “My grandparents had so very little, but they shared what they had. She lived by those standards throughout her life, and, until the day she was taken to the nursing home, my grandmother always left the stove on with something warm—just in case.”

Addressing the need for a better education for our state’s children, Melissa said, “The state must expand our pre-K programs to provide opportunities for each and every child to get that extra step up in education.”

She added that improving educational opportunities does not stop with pre-K, saying, “We must also increase the accessibility of technical training and address college affordability.”

As shown by the dedication to her dairy farm and her determination in advocating for patients and their doctors to have the right to choose an alternative treatment, Fults expressed she has the strength, courage, and commitment to be the best advocate for the people in District 27. “We all want the same thing;” Melissa continued, “a chance to earn a decent living so that we may provide our families with a home, food, clothing, and quality healthcare.”

Melissa Fults lives in East End where she and Gary, her husband of nearly thirty-five years, raised their three children. Gary, a retired railroad engineer, is currently the woodwork director and an instructor at the  Museum School at the Arkansas Arts Center. Melissa and Gary also have three grandchildren.

For more information, visit Melissa Fults for State Representative on Facebook and www.melissafults.com. 

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