The week in state and local politics

Following are some of the key political stories posted in the past week on The City Wire and Talk Business.

• Millage rejection
More than 58% of those who voted in the Greenwood special election Tuesday (Mar. 9) voted against a millage increase to fund a new elementary.

According to the unofficial (not yet certified) tally, the vote was:
FOR: 959
AGAINST: 1,360

Officials with the Greenwood Public School District were hoping to gain voter approval of a 2.8 mill increase that would pay to build a third elementary facility for the district. A new 80,000-square-foot building was expected to cost $14.2 million and would house up to 750 students. The money would come from $12 million in “Qualified School Construction Bonds” and $2.2 million from a state grant. The low-interest qualified bonds are part of the federal stimulus package and their availability will expire at the end of March.

• Boozman clarifies endorsement policy
A campaign staffer of U.S. Rep. John Boozman, R-Rogers, clarified Boozman’s policy of endorsing candidates in GOP primaries, saying Boozman will not endorse candidates in open-seat primaries but will endorse Republican incumbents with proven records.

The clarification was necessary following the announcement by Rep. Stephanie Malone, R-Fort Smith, that she received Boozman’s endorsement in her primary race against Fort Smith City Director Gary Campbell. Malone is Boozman’s niece.

• Sheriff shift
Sebastian County Sheriff Frank Atkinson announced Mar. 8 he would not seek a seventh term as the county’s top law officer. Atkinson, 63, said the stress of the job and campaign were beginning to be too much. Atkinson said he made his decision Sunday evening.

Atkinson was being challenged in the Democratic primary by Bill Hollenbeck, a captain within the Sebastian County Sheriff’s Department and 19-year veteran of the department. The race has, understandably, created some tension within the ranks.

Tommy Young, 55, the chief deputy and No. 2 person for Atkinson for the past 11 years, filed Monday as a Republican. Young has worked 21 years in the department, and was an officer six years with the Fort Smith Police Department prior to that.

• Running unopposed
In the state legislative districts included in the Fort Smith metro area, only Reps. Tracy Pennartz, D-Fort Smith, and Terry Rice, R-Waldron, are running unopposed.

Also running unopposed are Crawford County Judge John Hall and Sebastian County Judge David Hudson.

Running unopposed at the state level are Attorney General Dustin McDaniel (D), State Treasurer Martha Shoffner (D), and Secretary of State Charlie Daniels who is running for State Auditor.

• Filing period statistics
The total number of candidates filing for office this year is not a record. In 2010, there were 338 candidates running for office — 196 were Democrats, 108 were Republicans, and 34 were non-partisan. 1998 was the record year for filings in modern times, according to the Secretary of State’s office which has researched filings back to 1988.  In 1998, there were 429 candidates that filed. That was a record year for Republican filings with 114 office-seekers.  For Democrats, the record year for filings was 338 in 1990.

• Filing period notes
The State Representative seat currently held by House Majority Leader Steve Harrelson (D-Texarkana) will apparently fall into Republican hands this year. The only candidate who filed for the post is Republican Prissy Hickerson, former Gov. Mike Huckabee’s first Highway Commission appointee.

Remember that supermajority vote for a tobacco tax increase in the last legislative session?  It passed with no votes to spare in the House — right at the 75-vote margin needed for approval. At the time, Republicans, conservatives and anti-tax crusaders cried loudly that they would find challengers to several of those swing votes because of that tax hike vote.  You may recall that two candidates in particular were singled out: Rep. Garry Smith (D-Camden) and Rep. Tim Summers (R-Bentonville). Both men escaped without a Democratic or Republican challenger.

• Halter, Lincoln punch and jab
Lt. Gov. Bill Halter, who is challenging U.S. Sen. Blanche Lincoln in the Democratic primary, outlined four provisions he claims will make him more accountable to constituents if he’s elected to the U.S. Senate. The agenda includes: opposing automatic Congressional pay raises; holding town hall meetings in all 75 counties every year; refusing to become a lobbyist; and making his office schedule available to the public
 
Lincoln’s campaign fired back with this response: “Today Bill Halter held a press conference while Senator Lincoln worked toward Senate passage of an amendment that will hold bailed out Wall Street institutions and their executives more accountable to American taxpayers by taxing excessive bonuses. In addition, she has successfully inserted two tax relief amendments in the Senate jobs bill with direct benefits for Arkansas workers, businesses, seniors and the disabled."

• Finding D.C.
While attention is focused on the two heavyweights in the Democratic U.S. Senate primary, a third unknown Democratic candidate slipped in the race last week.

D.C. Morrison — Daniel Cochran Morrison — describes himself as a conservative Democrat and claims he’s in the Senate race to “stop two big government liberals in one day” on the May 18th primary. Morrison, a Little Rock-based farm loan originator, is worried about the national debt and deficit spending. He cited Ronald Reagan as his hero. He voted for Ron Paul in the last Presidential election. And, Asa Hutchinson earned his vote for Governor in 2006 although Morrison insists that Mike Beebe is “doing an excellent job.”

• Political filing surprises
In the first Congressional District, Democratic State Sen. Steve Bryles filed for office. There are 6 Democrats and two Republicans vying for their respective nominations.

Former state legislator and failed 2006 Lt. Governor candidate Doug Matayo of Springdale entered the already-crowded 3rd District race for Congress. There are 8 Republicans and one Democrat in the field.

Mark Darr, the GOP’s only announced candidate for Lt. Governor drew a primary opponent, Donnie Copeland. State Sen. Shane Broadway is unopposed in the Democratic primary.

The Land Commissioner’s race doubled in size on the final day of filing, too. John Thurston filed as a Republican for the constitutional office and L.J. Bryant filed for the post on the Democratic side. State Rep. Monty Davenport and Mike Berg filed for the position as Democrats last week.