Cook: Mark Darr’s Problems Have Significant Political Implications

On Tuesday, embattled Lt. Governor Mark Darr told selected reporters he would not resign and plans to complete his term which ends in early January of next year.

The purpose of my story today is to examine the political implications of Mark Darr’s refusal to step down. These implications can best be described with the following statement:

Mark Darr is an Arkansas Democrat’s best ally.

If Darr resigned today, the story would soon be forgotten come November. But since Darr refuses to step down, he’s causing major headaches for the Republic Party of Arkansas. And he’s helping Arkansas Democrats build a case against Asa Hutchinson and other Republicans.

It seemed briefly last year that Arkansas Republicans might have gotten traction by tying Democrats to the misdeeds of Martha Shoffner and Paul Bookout, but Mark Darr’s unethical actions screwed up those plans. Two words explain why that is: glass houses.

With Darr’s refusal to go quietly, I’m detecting a pattern of Mark Darr messing up things for his own party.

What happens next? Mark Darr is likely be impeached by the House of Representatives. In fact, House Republican leader Bruce Westerman said Tuesday he believed impeachment was “inevitable.”

It’s not inconceivable that Mark Darr could be impeached by the Republican-controlled House, but not removed from office by the Republican-controlled State Senate.

That’s a nightmare scenario for Arkansas Republicans. Politically, they need Darr gone as quickly and as quietly as possible because he’s very slowly, like a winter flu, starting to infect Arkansas Republicans.

The first person to catch a bit of the Darr flu is Asa Hutchinson.

Unlike every Republican member of Arkansas’s federal delegation, Hutchinson refused to call for Darr’s resignation. He believes Darr should only resign if criminal charges are filed. That’s a very low bar when it comes to accountability. Hutchinson failed a key leadership test, proving he doesn’t believe in accountability even when members of his own party admit to breaking the law.

Now that Republican legislators are moving forward with impeachment, Hutchinson must either stick with his current position, which is politically problematic, or he must agree with Republican legislators that Darr should be impeached. Sticking with his current position puts him at odds with Republicans who demand accountability and agreeing to impeachment makes him seem like a follower or flip-flopper and not a leader. Another failure in the leadership department for Hutchinson.

The Darr flu has also infected the Lt. Governor’s race. Likely Democratic nominee John Burkhalter can use Darr’s misdeeds against his eventual Republic nominee by adding a theme of “restoring integrity” to the office Lt. Governor to his message while painting his opponent as a politician and running on his record as a businessman.

There’s an ongoing discussion on if/when a special election would occur and how it could all play out. Personally, I don’t believe it’s worth the cost of having a special election this close to the term ending for an office that has no authority. When Win Rockefeller passed away in July of 2005, the office was vacant for six months and state government ran just fine. In general, I believe Arkansans should have an elected Lt. Governor, but not by spending taxpayer funds to complete this short of a term.

Either schedule a special election to coincide with the regular elections this year, or leave the office vacant.

State Senator Michael Lamoureux is next in line for succession in case, heaven forbid, Governor Mike Beebe vacated the Governor’s office. Lamoreux is deservedly well-regarded and would do just fine completing the term of the current Governor in the unlikely event Beebe was no longer in office.

However, if a special election, separate from the the regular elections, is to be called it’s only a marginal benefit to John Burkhalter at this late date. His current Republican opponents, State Reps Andy Mayberry and Charlie Collins, couldn’t legally run for the office in a special due to a quirk in the state constitution.

But based on timing, even if Darr resigned today a special election would likely happen after filing closes in the first week of March, meaning if Burkhalter did win the special election he would not have “Lt. Governor” before his name on the ballot. He could still run as the incumbent, but not on the actual ballot.

Finally, Darr is a major problem for Republicans as a whole in the upcoming election. I’ve visited with Republicans this week about Mark Darr and all believe he is causing significant distractions for their party and it’s only going to get worse. One Republican insider believes it’s a combination of narcissism and the need for the income provided by the Lt. Governor’s paycheck that’s causing Darr’s refusal to resign.

Republicans admit privately he still has a group of supporters who want him to stay on and feel he is being unfairly persecuted, but that is a small minority that is shrinking quickly. In the Republican insiders’ ideal world, Darr resigns today so that the matter will be forgotten by November and just leave the Lt. Governor office vacant until the election.

Finally, if Darr stays in office and impeachment proceedings begin, then it definitely has an effect in the mid-term elections. Mark Darr is the highest-ranking state Republican office-holder and he’s admitted to breaking numerous laws and using taxpayer money for personal use. Moreover, it appears this Republican will be the first state office-holder to ever be impeached in Arkansas. Those are black eyes for Republicans and the swelling will still be evident by November.

Democrats can make an overall case to voters that Darr is indicative of a party that can talk a good game, but can’t actually govern. The case is easier to make since Asa Hutchinson refuses to demand accountability and won’t call for Darr’s resignation. Darr can be tied to Hutchinson to create the sense that Asa lacks the leadership ability to make the tough decisions, especially if it might hurt the good old boys club.

Moreover, the major Democratic nominees this year: Ross, Pryor, Hays and Witt are all seen as very competent managers of government. That’s a stark contrast between Mark Darr and Asa Hutchinson.

As an Arkansan, I hope Mark Darr resigns immediately. But as a Democrat, I hope he stays.

Mark Darr is the gift that keeps on giving for Arkansas Democrats.