Election Causes Reflection (Jeff Hankins Commentary)

Here are some observations and thoughts on the Nov. 5 elections:

• The biggest surprise of the night was the resounding rejection of Amendment 3, which would have eliminated the sales tax on food and medicine. The 62-38 percent margin is nearly an absolute reversal of polls six months ago, which showed nearly 70 percent support for the measure. This was one of the most successful one-week campaigns in Arkansas political history.

• I was floored by Circuit Judge Collins Kilgore’s last-minute injunction to extend the voting hours to 9 p.m. How in the world do you give one county more voting time than the others just because of an incompetently run election? A reasonable ruling would have been to say anyone in line could stay and vote when additional ballots arrived at the precinct — that probably would not have even required a ruling, just leadership by election officials. The Arkansas Supreme Court was wise to convene so quickly and overturn the ruling.

• How soon can removal-from-office proceedings begin for Pulaski County Clerk Carolyn Staley? It was painful to see her unopposed on Tuesday’s ballot. I have received a dozen e-mails from people asking how to remove her from office.

• So much for the close U.S. Senate race. Attorney General Mark Pryor jumped to a solid lead over incumbent Tim Hutchinson early, and not even the 8,000-vote difference in Benton County could save Hutchinson.

• You have to give credit to Gov. Mike Huckabee and his ability to overcome months of harsh political advertising and criticism in the print media. He finished with a 53-47 percent margin, and it would have been better without his wife running for office. Democrat Jimmie Lou Fisher wasn’t a compelling candidate, just an anti-Huckabee alternative.

• Out of the nine major, contested races for federal and state offices, Republicans won two and the Democrats won seven. Democrats now hold 5 of 6 federal offices, which is back to tradition for Arkansas. You still have to wonder how Arkansas has not followed the South’s lead toward stronger GOP support. Considering President Bush carried the state in 2000 and Huckabee sits as governor, perhaps the state GOP is still hurting from the lack of depth of strong candidates.

• We can say so long to four longtime political figures in Arkansas: Jimmie Lou Fisher, Tommy Robinson, Jay Dickey and Tim Hutchinson. Election 2002 finished them off.

• Republican Jay Dickey failed to carry Garland County against U.S. Rep. Mike Ross in the Fourth District, and that previously was a hotbed of support for him because of conservative voters in Hot Springs Village. Amazing that this was a 51-49 race just two years ago, and this year Ross dominates at 60-40.

• Union County voted for Dickey and Huckabee but preferred Pryor over Hutchinson. The Pryor family’s Camden and south Arkansas roots had to have helped.

• The failure of all five tax proposals in Pulaski County and Little Rock is more reflective of the lack of confidence in government leaders to handle the money than it is opposition to all the causes.

• State House Speaker Shane Broadway, D-Bryant, moves to the state Senate with a convincing 60-40 percent margin over House Minority Leader Jim Magnus, R-Little Rock. Watch for Broadway to immediately renew old House leadership ties with state Sen. Bob Johnson as they team up to take leadership control of the state Senate.

• Obviously a recount could change the picture, but former State Rep. Sue Madison narrowly won her state Senate race against Republican Bootsie Ackerman in Washington County. University of Arkansas Chancellor John White would be smart to try and make amends with Madison quickly.

• First Lady Janet Huckabee made no reference to her opponent, Charlie Daniels, in her concession speech for secretary of state. She said she would “do the exact same thing” if presented with a similar decision to run again, but I doubt the Republican Party would. I predicted she would lose 60-40 percent, and it was a little worse at 62-38.

• Speaking of predictions, I’m pleased to report that I had a 7-of-8 record this season of correctly identifying the winners as detailed in last week’s column. Most of the percentages were in the ballpark except in the Senate race, which I expected to be much closer. I blew the Amendment 3 outcome, and I’m thankful.