Tolbert: On Being A Democrat, Ross Says ‘Gotta Run As Something’ (UPDATED)

The Arkansas Farm Bureau held their annual “Measure the Candidates” event in North Little Rock on Tuesday.  This is sort of a must-attend event for statewide candidates in an agricultural state.  Yet mysteriously, Sen. Mark Pryor was unable to make it and sent a video message instead.  You would expect this to be a friendly crowd for the incumbent Senator, so the absence is puzzling.

I found another comment made by Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Mike Ross stranger than Pryor’s no-show.  According to a twitter report by Arkansas Democrat-Gazette columnist John Brummett, Ross was asked why he was running as a Democrat.  Why not run as an independent instead?

It is a fair question considering his campaign ads so far have emphasized his independence saying he is a “leader who stands up to his own party” and “will be an independent governor.”

Ross’s answer to the question?  According to Brummett, he said he was a conservative Democrat and you “gotta run as something.” To be complete (since I was not there), Brummett tweeted…

why not independent? ross was asked at farm bureau. always been conservative democrat and “gotta run as something,” he answered. #arpx

WOW!  That’s the reason.  It’s factually true you do have to choose between Democrat, Republican, third party, or independent.  But that is hardly a testament to being a proud Democrat.

It is also a change from past statements and actions.

For example, in 2004, he was praised as being a “team player” for the Democrats.  Running unopposed, he gave $200,000 to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and spread around another $89,000 to other Democratic candidates.

Again, in 2006, he boasted that he helped raise over $1 million to help Democrats take control of the House.  He even chipped in and donated for President Obama’s Inauguration back in 2009.  The FEC website shows he personally has given $4,500 directly to the Democratic Party of Arkansas and that does not even include what he may have contributed indirectly through campaign contributions.

When he ended his congressional campaign just back in 2012, he spent about $50,000 in surplus funds to Democratic Party organizations and Democratic candidates. His own Advance Arkansas PAC has spent over $620,000 helping to elect Democrats over the last decade.

There is so much support for Democratic candidates that it is hard to track it all down, but I think you get the point.  But now – when the state has the appearance of trending toward the Republican column – he suddenly is running as a Democrat because you “gotta run as something.”

Convenient.

I’ve reached out to the Ross campaign for further clarification and will update if they respond.

UPDATE – Claudia Lauder, reporter with the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, followed up on the comments with a more detailed report.  Writes Lauder…

An audience member later asked if Ross ever considered running as an independent.

Ross said he has been a conservative Democrat “all my life and the national party has left me.

“My goal is to rebuild the Democratic Party of Arkansas based on our values, the kind of values that my grandpa Avery taught his children and helped teach me when I was young,” he said, adding his plans to improve education, create jobs, and grant lower and fairer taxes reflect “common sense Arkansas values.

“Look, you gotta run as something and I have always been a Democrat and I am proud to be a conservative Democrat, but … the last thing we need is for our state government to look like our national government,” he said.