He led off his talk by introducing himself and defining his time as mayor and his candidacy in the context of his religious convictions: “I am a dedicated Christian. I reside here in Lewisville, and I am also an an Army veteran, but I currently serve as the mayor here in Lewisville. I'm a man of faith, and I am guided by divinely rooted call to pursue justice and equality while living as a faithful Christian, my goal to serve my community is an extension of my faith.”

He also said that with changes in the makeup of the population of the state, Arkansas voters should see candidates whose views respect these changes, “As our national and state demographic shifts, so too must our perspective. Perspectives to best coexist in the shared living space.”

The federal government, for Dunbar, needs more representatives who will be guided by the consensus of what their constituents think and focus on solving problems instead of taking part in day-to-day partisan bickering. “Democracy depends on how our elected leaders represent our shared interests and our shared experiences, respecting our differences while focusing on the common interest of all citizens. I'm calling for a timeout at this point. We need to take a time out, a time out from our political ideology, from our political affiliations, a time out to step back and examine not just what we're doing, but how we're doing it,” he said.

Dunbar arrived at this philosophy of identifying with constituents, he said, based on the examples of Jesus and the Apostle Paul.  They both “led by example, demonstrating what it means to recognize the humanity and the worth of all people. Their example helps me to feel and show a deep respect for others simply because they're human.”

Then Dunbar discussed the needs of farmers in the state.  “Here in Arkansas, where roughly 97 percent of our farms are family owned, we must protect our agricultural well-being. The economic impact of Arkansas farmers on our GDP [Gross Domestic Product] accounts for about eight and a half percent of the state's GDP, and it creates numerous jobs in these times of high inflation and wage instability,” he said.  

Dunbar also addressed the results of recent decisions from the White House and Congress that will cause large cuts in Medicaid, Medicare and subsidies for those who get insurance through  Affordable Care Act exchanges.

 “Arkansas must also be concerned with rising health care, rising inflation, and the fear and threats of removal from the health care safety net that affects our most vulnerable citizens,” he said. “We must stop allowing our personal outrage and politics to indiscriminately influence our actions toward the vulnerable and the hard-working citizens here in Arkansas. We're much, much better than this. The radical shift in the political discourse nationally directly affects policy and funding debates here in Arkansas. At the heart of these debates are our most vulnerable citizens and the ALICE [Asset Limited Income Constrained Employed] families that make up 43 percent of Arkansas households.”

The acronym ALICE has been applied to families whose incomes are below or slightly above the poverty rate and struggle to afford the essentials of food, clothing and housing.  Dunbar said the people he has spoken to prior to launching his campaign have made him aware of the need that exists for representation willing to address low wages and affordability.

“I've walked the back roads. I've listened to the quiet worries in small town cafes, and I've witnessed firsthand how our neighbors feel left behind, regardless of any political affiliation,” he said.

He turned to what he had learned from the prior career he retired from before coming to Lewisville.  “In my 34-year Army career, I led soldiers in the toughest conditions, where unity and trust were not optional but essential and instrumental in preserving life itself. My call to service rooted in faith and prayer is grounded in faith and prayer, seeking the Lord's wisdom in all of my decisions. I grew up here in Lewisville, and this is my home. My spiritual gift is leadership. I live here in Arkansas, and I face the challenges that we experience in Arkansas every day,” he said.

Dunbar mentioned that his wife Christie Dunbar is on the board of the Lafayette County School District.  He said they both know how the nature of a rural, agricultural-based economy, particularly a lack of resources affect the quality of life of so many who live in Arkansas.  

He also said his candidacy is a response to the current state of American politics. “I'm moved by the Spirit to act, to use my gift to fight this moral decay in our politics, the politics that we so often look inward instead of outward. We look for personal ambition over serving our constituents … I firmly believe that safeguarding our democracy will be a challenge for our nation. Going forward, it appears as though political power is being sought for the benefit of a particular group or an individual, more self-serving personal ambition,” Dunbar said.

He hearkened to one of America’s founding documents, particularly the section citing reasons for America’s breaking off from rule by those who seek power out of self-interest: “Our Declaration of Independence was specifically designed to avoid this and to oppose this, we must uphold these founding documents of this country to ensure that the rights guaranteed to every citizen are protected, as our founders envisioned, every citizen. To achieve this, we must elect leaders who genuinely respect the opinions and views of those they serve. We need to select selfless leaders who understand that their role is about protecting and serving a citizen, not about personal gain or personal ambition.”

Alluding to politics today as being in “a dark time,” Dunbar said the remedy is to work together in “large groups” and for leaders to “represent the will and needs of all Arkansans.”  He called for those also running for office to “reflect the voices of their communities” and make sure “every Arkansan must believe that we are fighting for them.”  

Dunbar’s speech ended with an eye cast on how the moment will be viewed later and a restatement of his vision of politics as a call to service.  “Let's make sure history will remember this moment. Let's make sure that we're on the right side of it, that we fight for the people that elect us to serve them, and let's not forget that we're elected to serve them, not to be self-serving and seek our own personal goals and ambitions. My name is Ethan Dunbar, and I'm seeking election to the United States Senate.”

The talk was delivered to about a dozen attendees, including his wife Christie (with whom he has five children, three adults and two still in school), his brother Eric and his cousin as well as to three city employees and a campaign staffer.  Dunbar also posed for pictures, including one with Chris Covington Minister of McKamie Road Church of Christ in Stamps, Arkansas and Covington’s wife Mercedes.  The City of Lewisville Public Works director David Malone told those gathered that he wholeheartedly endorses Dunbar.

After the photography, Dunbar was asked what the process was that led to his deciding to run for U.S. Senate.  He answered by looking back at his decision after retiring from the Army to return to his native Lewisville.  

“I didn't know where to go when I was going to retire, and I was a little nervous. I'd done that my entire adult life, but I prayed about it, and it just came to me one night, and it's probably three in the morning, ‘Go home.’ I came home, and you learn very quickly what right looks like. And you come home and you see decay, and that's not right, sure.  At the meetings, the city council, quorum court meetings I would go to, they were not focused on the needs.

“So at some point, you put your money where your mouth is and get involved. And I got involved. And even being mayor, you deal with a lot of stuff, and you realize that the help we need comes from our government. We don't have the tax base here to do a lot of stuff, so when the government's not even willing--you go into this pool with the 500 other cities, and you compete for this small amount that only seven of you will get--I just thought we could do better. 

“As I mentioned earlier,  the national discourse affects decision and funding decisions and policy choices here in Arkansas, and we can see that our current administration is not focused on humanity, civility or empathy. They're focused on how we can gain more power and money.”

Dunbar said that while he had constructive conversations with Senator John Boozman about the needs of rural communities like Lafayette, he found Senator Tom Cotton unreceptive, if he could find him at all.

“He doesn't even live in Arkansas, and he doesn't understand the needs of Arkansas,” Dunbar said. “He's more focused on his political aspirations, so that just pushed me.  In 2020 when he was up for his first Senate re-election, he ran unopposed … So I didn't want that to happen again. And why not me? So that's a long way to answer your question on how I got here, but that's kind of how I did.”

Before his announcement, Dunbar led a prayer in which he said, “Father, we ask that you be in the midst here. We invite you in and ask you that whatever said and done here today is pleasing in your sight and father, that your word reaches its heart, the hearts of your people.” After his speech, he told the audience of his excitement in seeing his website, ethanforarkansas.org go live.

Dunbar is a Past District Governor for the 7L District of the Lions Club and regularly attends Hope Lions Club meetings, most of the time in his Lewisville City Employee uniform.  

Three Democratic candidates have announced their candidacies thus far, Hallie Shoffner of Newport, James Russell III of Little Rock and Dunbar. The Democratic primary is scheduled for March 31, 2026.

Above photo: At left is McKamie Road Church of Christ Minister Chris Covington with Mayor Dunbar (right).