Lakeland Republican files to seek Florida House seat Melony Bell is vacating next year

Less than a week after Florida Rep. Melony Bell announced plans to run for a different office, a candidate has emerged seeking to succeed her in next year’s election.

Heather McArthur, a Lakeland Republican, has entered the race for Florida House District 49. Bell, a Republican from Fort Meade, will run next year for Polk County supervisor of elections rather than seek a fourth term in the Florida Legislature.

McArthur, 45, submitted her paperwork to the Florida Division of Elections on Monday. District 49 covers much of Polk County west of U.S. 27, extending north to the Combee Settlement area east of Lake Parker.

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An Idaho native, McArthur has a bachelor’s degree in history from Boise State University and earned a certificate in alternative dispute resolution. She said she has lived in Florida since 2007.

McArthur, a professional mediator in Florida since 2012, owns a mediation-services business. She is certified by the Florida Supreme Court as a mediator in family law, dependency, county court and circuit civil court. Mediators are hired as neutral parties to help resolve legal disputes after two sides reach an impasse.

McArthur is a married mother of five children ranging in age from 9 to 20. She is a vice president of the Republican Women’s Club of Lakeland and is president of the Collaborative Professional Association of Central Florida.

After living for years inside the current boundaries of District 49, McArthur said she now resides just outside the district after the sale of her family’s longtime home. She expects to move back into the district soon. Florida law requires legislators to reside in the districts they serve.

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McArthur, who has never run for office, said she had heard rumors that circulated for months about Bell’s possible run for supervisor of elections.

“She and I have talked, and this was something that honestly I vacillated with, but she encouraged me to be very prayerful about this,” McArthur said. “At the end of the day, I just felt like this was something — I went through much prayer, to be honest with you — I felt compelled to do.”

Asked about issues that concern her, McArthur mentioned homeowners’ insurance costs, the preservation of civil liberties, public education and the citrus industry. She said that all of her children attend or have graduated from public schools.

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Speaking of public education in Florida, McArthur said she hesitated to use the buzzword “indoctrination” but agrees with conservative leaders that it is happening in some schools.

“I want us to protect our children from indoctrination,” she said. “I really want us to focus on the quality of education, the things that will help them prepare for their next phase in life. That's my big concern.”

Four of the Florida House districts include parts of Polk County. Two incumbents — Rep. Jennifer Canady, R-Lakeland, and Rep. Josie Tomkow, R-Polk City — are seeking re-election next year. The other incumbent — Rep. Sam Killebrew, R-Winter Haven — faces term limits.

Gary White can be reached at gary.white@theledger.com or 863-802-7518. Follow on Twitter @garywhite13.

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Lakeland Republican files to run for Melony Bell's state House-49 seat