Arkansas Times: Ellington Weighing First District Congressional Run
by February 25, 2012 11:55 am 103 views
Max Brantley with the Arkansas Times reports that first-term Prosecuting Attorney Scott Ellington of Jonesboro is weighing a First District Congressional run.
Ellington has been mentioned as a possibility in the past, but his comments to the Times suggests a more serious look at this year’s race.
He says his motivation is rooted in the Democratic heritage of the seat and his interest in being a consensus-builder.
From the Times:
“The 1st District has historically been held by a Democrat and we believe the right candidate can retake that seat. There’s enough hatred and venom going around right now. I’m willing to be somebody who’s willing to work and be a team player. I’m someone who understands the value of compromise and moving forward rather than trying to stall and risk our country’s situation as a world power out of spite or just to defeat the president.” He said Republicans in Arkansas finally came around on an extension of an unemployment tax reduction, but that decision would have been made months ago but for the opposition to President Obama.
Will the West Memphis Three case be a political issue?
“So far it hasn’t been a political issue in my judicial district and I don’t think it will be in the 1st Congressional District. It seems to be more of issue for people live on the East and West Coasts.”
Ellington was the prosecutor that brokered the “Alford guilty plea,” which allowed the West Memphis Three to agree to first degree murder charges, but allowed them to be released to time served in an deal with the state. An “Alford guilty plea” is a no contest plea where the accused claim their innocence, but plead guilty anyway to get the deal instead of risk trial.
When Talk Business surveyed the WM3 decision last September, it was a particularly divisive issue among voters in Arkansas. Two-thirds of the state was familiar with the case.
Of those familiar, 53% thought the Alford guilty plea was a bad decision, while 47% thought it was a good one. Interestingly, the First Congressional District was not the most intense region of the state for following the case. Read more here.