Two More Democrats Switch To GOP, Will Challenge For Legislature In NEA

Two men whose families have long-time ties to the state’s Democratic Party joined the Republican Party of Arkansas Saturday, setting up a primary race for a state house seat in Northeast Arkansas.

During the Mississippi County Lincoln Day dinner in Blytheville on Saturday night (Aug. 29), former Rep. Wes Wagner and Poinsett County Assessor Johnny Rye Jr., made the announcement in front of about 250 people.

Both Wagner and Rye said they will run for the District 54 seat, currently held by Rep. Dave Wallace, R-Leachville.

The district includes Blytheville, Leachville, Manila and parts of Osceola in Mississippi County, as well as Lepanto, Rivervale and Trumann in Poinsett County.

No Democrats have formally announced so far that they are seeking the seat.

Wallace announced earlier this month that he is running for the state Senate District 22 seat against Sen. David Burnett, D-Osceola, in the 2016 campaign.

Wagner served one term in the 100-member House as a Democrat before losing in 2014 to Wallace. Rye has served as assessor since January 1991.

DEMOCRATIC PAST, REPUBLICAN FUTURE
Both men have strong family ties to the Democratic Party.

Wagner, who played basketball at Arkansas State University, is an attorney.

His parents, Wayne and Charolette Wagner, served in the state House as Democrats, while his father currently serves as mayor in Manila.

Wagner said his decision to switch should not be seen as “anything negative on Democrats,” but was more of a personal decision.

Wagner said he believes it was the right decision for him. He also said there was an abundant amount of support that led to his decision.

For Rye, the situation is the same.

The Marked Tree High School graduate grew up in Poinsett County.

His father, Johnny Rye Sr., owned a grocery store in nearby Black Oak and was a longtime supporter of Democrats on the local and state level.

For many years, Rye’s father was considered “Mr. Democrat” in Poinsett County and was the go-to person to get political support in the county.

Rye said he has received a lot of support for the switch. The change from Democrat to Republican has happened for Rye in the past seven or eight years.

“The Democrats have run off and left the basics where I was in 1991,” Rye said.

As for his father, Rye said he believes his father, who passed away several years ago, would be a Republican today.

ISSUES

As for issues, Rye said he would like to work on the House Revenue and Taxation and City, County and Local Affairs Committees.

Rye said both committees face a large agenda in 2017.

“There are hard issues on healthcare and the funding won’t be there,” Rye said. “Also, I want to help the counties and cities with turnback and jail funding.

Wagner said he would like to work on tax, economic development and agriculture issues.

“We have to make as many tax cuts as we can,” Wagner said. “We need to work on economic development, which is big in this district. Also, agriculture is big in Mississippi and Poinsett counties.”

Both men said they plan to make a formal announcement on their candidacies in the future.

THIRD SWITCH IN A MONTH
The announcements Saturday were the second and third high-profile moves from Democrat to Republican in the last two weeks.

Rep. Mike Holcomb of Pine Bluff said August 20 that he was switching from Democrat to Republican, citing problems with his former party’s policies.

“I’ve chosen to join the Republican Party because I firmly believe that the conservative values they represent best align with my own personal beliefs and convictions,” Holcomb said.

Talk Business & Politics will update this story later tonight.