State Sen. Jimmy Hickey, R-Texarkana, on Friday became the second senator to declare his plans to seek to be designated as the Senate's leader from 2021-23.

Senate Republican leader Bart Hester of Cave Springs said two months ago that he intends to ask the Senate to elect him at the end of the fiscal legislative session, which starts in April, to be the successor to Senate President Pro Tempore Jim Hendren, R-Sulphur Springs.

Hickey and Hester have served in the Senate since 2013. In 2018, Hickey lost his bid to be the Republican nominee for president pro tempore to Hendren. Hendren has been the Senate's leader since January 2019 and is to serve in that role until the regular legislative session begins in January 2021.

Hickey said he is running to be president pro tempore in part because, "I want to make sure all of our Senate members are successful while serving in the legislature.

"I [also] would like to see the Arkansas Senate go back to being a more deliberative and detailed body," Hickey said in a written statement. "Communications must be improved to accomplish this. I would also like to see and make sure that the Senate is totally operating as a separate and distinct branch of government. We must work with the Executive branch. However, the Executive branch must work with the Senate as a whole as well."

Asked about Hickey's decision, Hester said Friday in a text message to this newspaper that "Senator Hickey is a strong leader and would do a great job should the Senate choose him to be the next Pro Tempore."

During the past several years, the Senate Republican caucus has elected its nominee for the next president pro tempore, who is then elected by the Senate.

The Senate includes 26 Republicans and nine Democrats.

Metro on 02/23/2020