Blake's Think Tank

Arkansas Land Commissioner Mark Wilcox announced today that he’s running for Arkansas Secretary of State. The Think Tank got a few minutes with him on the phone about the campaign and why he’s running.

The Think Tank: After eight years as Arkansas Land Commissioner why are you interested in being Secretary of State?

Mr. Wilcox: I was the first county official in 22 years to enter the state capitol. No one had done that since Jimmie Lou Fisher was elected years ago. As a county tax collector I knew the issues at the county level and one of the things I work on is redeeming taxes and getting money returned the counties. I’ve been working at the capitol for eight years and I’ve developed good relationships with county clerks and I know that many of the issues I’ll be dealing with – - elections and re-districting, specifically.

The Think Tank: About those issues . . . what will you be talking about on the campaign trail?

Mr. Wilcox: I’ll be talking a lot about voting. We need to evaluate the entire voting system in Arkansas and look at what each county is currently doing and improve it. That means that we need to look at each county individually to determine what we need to change or improve. I’m not interested, however, in developing a one-size-fits-all model for voting in Arkansas. We need to work with what we’ve got.

The Think Tank: What’s the first thing you’re going to do about voting?

Mr. Wilcox: This is a huge deal. I’m going to sit down with [Secretary of State] Charlie Daniels and get a feel for what’s currently in place and what they’re working on now. I’ve had conversations with some of his staff so when we get a chance to talk I’ll know more. We’ll expand from there.

The Think Tank: How do you feel about the current state of the Arkansas capitol grounds? Is there nnything you would change or modify?

Mr. Wilcox: The capital looks as good as I’ve ever seen it. I want to retain all of the green area that I can and continue to make improvements when needed. As the chairman of the Arkansas Natural Resources Council I will continue to try and secure grant funds for many of the improvements to the grounds. Mr. Daniels has been successful in doing that and hopefully I can continue that.

The Think Tank: Thanks for taking the time. Keep it real.

Mr. Wilcox: Will do.

Pulaski County Circuit Clerk Pat O’Brien and Sebastian County Clerk Doris Tate have also announced for this race.