Reality show father of ’19 Kids and Counting’ running for Arkansas Senate

Jim Bob Duggar, the father from reality TV show “19 Kids and Counting,” has announced that he is running for a seat in the Arkansas Senate.

The Duggar family announced in a Facebook post on Friday that its patriarch will be a candidate in Arkansas State Senate District 7, which includes Springdale, Johnson, Goshen and Elkins in eastern Washington County.

“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. Our family has been blessed by God in so many ways,” Duggar said in the statement. 

“We’ve found His love and goodness to be our source of strength in both our most joyous occasions and our darkest moments. It’s important to us to give back and to help others in every way we can,” he added.

Duggar’s announcement comes after longtime state Sen. Lance Eads (R) resigned from his seat last week to take a position at a private sector company, according to The Associated Press.

Duggar, who previously served in the Arkansas House, ran for a state senate seat in 2016 but lost in the GOP primary, the AP reported. 

His son, Josh Duggar, is set to go on trial in federal court this month on two counts of downloading and possessing child pornography. He faces up to 20 years in prison and fines up to $250,000 if convicted on all charges.