The '19 Kids and Counting' patriarch, who served in the Arkansas House of Representatives from 1999 to 2003, announces his run for Senate one month after Josh failed to dismiss his legal case.
- October 31, 2021
AceShowbiz - Jim Bob Duggar won't let son Josh Duggar's child porn case stop him from getting back into politics. On Friday, October 29, the "19 Kids and Counting" patriarch announced that he's running for Arkansas State Senate District 7.
The 56-year-old shared the announcement on Facebook. "I am honored to announce my candidacy for Arkansas State Senate District 7. Northwest Arkansas is my lifelong home. It's where my wife Michelle and I have raised our 20 children. It's where we've grown our small businesses. It's where we've built a life centered around our faith, family, and friends," he first penned.
"I'm running for State Senate because these are unprecedented times in our nation," the TLC personality added. "Out-of-control bureaucrats have put politics over common-sense policy with government mandates that force people to choose between earning a paycheck and violating their personal rights and beliefs. The foundational principles that have made our nation great are under threat like never before."
"Now more than ever, we need a bold voice that is pro-family, pro-business, pro-gun and pro-life," Jim, who served in the Arkansas House of Representatives from 1999 to 2003, concluded his message. "It's time for conservatives to demand courageous leadership that puts Arkansas families, jobs, and our constitutional liberties first. I look forward to being your voice in the Arkansas State Senate."
Jim shared the announcement just one month after a judge denied four out of five of Josh's attorney's motions to suppress evidence and get his child pornography case dismissed. The requests included a motion to suppress statements that Josh allegedly made to federal agents during the course of their investigation.
The 33-year-old TV personality was taken into federal custody in late April, but he got released on bond in the following month. In June, his legal team requested that the original trial date of July be pushed back to February 2022, but a judge only granted an extension of four months. The trial is now scheduled to begin on November 30.
