Deitchler (D) resigns from election commission, signals bid for state office
FAYETTEVILLE — Longtime Washington County Election Commissioner Max Deitchler has resigned from his post, clearing the way for what appears to be a campaign for state office.
In a letter submitted Thursday, Deitchler announced his departure from the commission after more than 11 years of service. The move comes just weeks after he told the Flyer he was seriously considering a run for the Arkansas House of Representatives to succeed Rep. Denise Garner, D-Fayetteville, who is leaving her seat to campaign for the state Senate.
“I am resigning because it is time for a new chapter, and because there is more work to do—at the state level—to protect and strengthen our democracy,” Deitchler wrote. “I look forward to sharing more details soon.”
Deitchler, a Fayetteville-based attorney, has served on the county’s three-member bipartisan election commission since 2014 as the lone Democrat. In his letter, he recounted several major initiatives carried out during his tenure, including the expansion of early voting from just two locations to 21 sites across the county, the implementation of a vote center model, and the successful push to allow high school students to work at the polls.
“These successes—every vote center, every added early vote site, every expanded opportunity for civic participation—was accomplished collectively, through cooperation with my Republican colleagues,” he said.
https://fayettevilleflyer.com/2025/05/15/deitchler-resigns-from-election-commission-signals-bid-for-state-office/