Hendren announces plans to run for state senate seat

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

— A former state representative who left the state political scene a decade ago announced plans Friday to return to the mix with a run for state Senate.

Jim Hendren, 48, a Republican from Gravette, will seek to represent District 2, which covers Bella Vista and the western side of Benton and Washington counties.

The owner of Hendren Plastics said the timing is right.

“When I was in the House, Republicans were fighting over whatever scraps were thrown to them,” he said. “To be part of a movement that I think has a good chance to take control of the Senatechamber is exciting.”

Hendren served three terms in the state House from 1994 to 2000, and was elected minority leader in his final term.

Hendren started in politics in 1992 as a member of the Gravette School Board. Following his House service and a failed run for Congress in 2001, he returned to the school board in 2002 and remains a member.

Known during his House terms for work on pro-life and tobacco settlement issues, Hendren is pushing job creation and energy independence as areas of focus this time around.

“My business in plastics is petroleum-based, so I’ve seen how volatile energy prices can be for foreign oil. It also seems like every time the economy starts to show improvement, gas prices get ratcheted up again,” Hendren said. “I see both economic and national security issues with energy dependence.”

The fact that three of his four children are out of the home makes time management less of an issue thanit was during his tenure in the House, Hendren said.

He will have to balance politics with military service. Hendren was anactive-duty Air Force pilot and joined the Missouri Air National Guard in 2003. His St. Louis-based unit provides management for aerial operations. He spent time in Qatar in 2003 supporting the Iraq war.

The boundaries of all state senate districts were re-drawn this year. The new District 2 includes most of the old Senate District 1, where Jim’s father Kim is the senator. Kim Hendren is term-limited and cannot run for the new District 2 seat.

A Gravette native, Hendren said he’s familiar with the whole area based on his House tenure, business contacts in Siloam Springs and several years coaching his daughter’s basketball team in many of the smaller towns in the district.

“I’m a Gravette guy, but I think I have a good understanding of the area,the people and the issues throughout the district,” Hendren said. Hendren is the only announced candidate for the seat.

News, Pages 11 on 09/07/2011