GHS alum Torres elected to Arkansas House seat

Gonzales High School alumnus Randy Torres recently was elected the new District 17 representative in the Arkansas House of Representatives.

Torres, who won the Republican primary, does not have a Democratic opponent in the November general election. He succeeds Delia Haak, who did not see re-election after serving two terms as the District 17 representative.

In the March 5 primary, Torres received 1,242 of the 1,849 votes cast, or 67.2 percent, while his opponent, Jeremey Criner, received 607 votes, or 32.8 percent.

Torres is a 1989 graduate of Gonzales High School and he is a 1993 graduate of Texas A&M University. He also earned a master’s degree in ministry in 2003 followed by a master’s degree in business administration in 2012, both from John Brown University in Siloam Springs, Ark.

His parents are Robert and Mary Torres of Gonzales, who are retired from Illusions Studio, and he has three brothers: Kenny, Donny and Ronny. Randy Torres was the first of the four sons to obtain his college degree and chose to run for politics out of a passion to serve.

He is the market president for Generations Bank in Siloam Springs and has experience in commercial lending, treasury management and private banking. Prior to being a banker, his experience includes owning and operating businesses in the service, manufacturing, ranching, and real estate industries. He has also worked in the areas of hospitality, teaching, higher education, ministry, and human resources.

Randy has devoted many years in community leadership and currently serves the Siloam Springs Public School Foundation, the Illinois River Watershed Partnership, Hope Cancer Resources, Western Benton County Partnership, and is the 2024 Board Chair for the Siloam Springs Chamber of Commerce. He was the recipient of the 2017 Outstanding Civic Leadership Award by the Siloam Springs Chamber of Commerce.

Randy and Molly have been married 30 years and have two children, daughter Allison Torres Gooderl (wife of Robert and mother of Graham) and son Christian Torres.