We’re going to take this as the closest thing to a campaign announcement we’ve seen in the New Year. Current Commissioner of State Lands John Thurston appears to be mounting a campaign for the office of Arkansas Secretary of State in 2018.
While there has been no press release issued as of Monday night, Thurston changed the cover photo on his personal Facebook page to a campaign sign that points toward the run in just over a year.
According to his bio on the state website, the two-term Republican was born in Little Rock, Arkansas and was raised in Saline County, attending and graduating from Sheridan High School in 1991. He attended Henderson State University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas (Clark County) before graduating from Agape College in Little Rock with a diploma in Biblical Studies. John was a licensed minister and was a Certified Religious Assistant in the Arkansas state prison system. John served 13 years on the staff of the Agape Church in West Little Rock, where he also attends services, prior to his tenure as land commissioner.
Thurston will be vying to replace Mark Martin, who has served in the office since 2010. Martin has not given an indication as to his future plans as of yet.