Arkansas’ presidential candidate list for ballot to grow by at least two

The Secretary of State’s office has validated two additional candidates to run for president in Arkansas, while a political group has enough signatures but must find a candidate.

The verified candidates, independents Dr. Lynn Kahn and Tom Hoefling, and the group, Better for America, were notified in letters from the secretary of state’s office dated Aug. 8 that they had qualified for the ballot by submitting at least 1,000 valid signatures.

Better for America was started by John Kingston, a conservative donor and Mitt Romney ally. It must certify a president and vice president by Aug. 25 and then select electors who would support that candidate in the Electoral College by Sept. 15. Efforts by Talk Business to contact Better for America have been unsuccessful. The organization sent messages by Facebook and Twitter August 6 saying, “We are looking for someone who will bring us together and lead this already great nation into the future. Together, we can make a better America. Stay tuned!”

It has not sent messages since then. Evan McMullin, 40, a former chief policy director for Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives and a former CIA operative, has announced he is running as an independent. On Aug. 8, the New York Times reported that McMullin “is said to be backed by the group Better for America.”

The new candidates join the Republicans, Democrats and Libertarians whose candidates already have been selected by the primary process and party conventions. The Green and Constitution Parties previously had qualified for the ballot but have yet to submit candidates.

Hoefling, 55, of Iowa is the national chairman of the American Party and ran as a Republican in the Iowa governor’s race, losing in the primary to the incumbent, Gov. Terry Branstad. He is described on his website as a “long-time conservative political activist, writer, publisher, organizer, and consultant.” He is pro-life, pro-gun rights, and opposed to gay marriage. His running mate is Steve Schulin of South Carolina.

Kahn is running as an independent and is pledging to cut $1 trillion in government waste and to reinvent government agencies. Her website says she is an organizational psychologist who worked in federal agencies for 32 years, including more than six years with the White House Partnership to Reinvent Government. She has written two books about government reform.