Second party switcher gives GOP supermajority in House, top Democrat says he’ll run for party chair

A second Democratic lawmaker has switched to the Republican Party since the Nov. 8 election, giving the GOP a 75% supermajority in the House of Representatives.

Rep. David Hillman, R-Almyra, announced the switch Tuesday. Hillman represents District 12, which includes portions of Arkansas, Lonoke, Prairie and White counties. He was elected without opposition to a third term Nov. 8.

Counting the election results and two party switchers, Republicans have added 13 seats to reach 75 in the House and gained two seats in the Senate to reach 26 – one short of a three-fourths majority in that body. The day after the election, third term Rep. Jeff Wardlaw, R-Hermitage, switched parties from Democrat to Republican. Two of the 13 House gains were in districts that had been represented by a Republican who had resigned to work in Gov. Asa Hutchinson’s administration.

In the 135-member Legislature, Republicans now occupy 101 seats while Democrats occupy 34. In 2008, Democrats controlled 102 of the 135 seats. Another Democratic legislator confirmed Tuesday that he is considering switching to the Republican Party.

The three-fourths majority means Republicans can pass all appropriation bills without support from Democrats.

In a press release, Hillman said, “After much prayer, thought, and consultation (and a few sleepless nights) in order to better represent the changing political views of the people in our district, I have decided to change my party affiliation to Republican. I am honored, humbled, and truly grateful for the trust the people of District 13 have in me by allowing me to serve them. I will continue to fight for the interests of our district, rural Arkansas and agriculture.”

House Minority Leader Michael John Gray, D-Augusta, reacted to the news by saying in a press release, “Representative Hillman is more than a colleague, he is a friend. This was a move that he felt like he had to make. Therefore, I wish my friend the best of luck. I look forward to assisting the people of Arkansas, Lonoke, Prairie and White counties in recruiting a Democratic candidate for the 2018 election.”

Hillman was first elected to the House in 2012 and is a past president of the Arkansas Farm Bureau. He is the vice chairman of the House Agriculture, Forestry, and Economic Development Committee, and is a member of the Legislative Joint Auditing and Public Transportation Committees.

Doyle Webb, chairman of the Republican Party of Arkansas, said Tuesday that he welcomed Hillman’s move to the Republican Party. He said the move was preceded by “discussions on both sides for some time.”

Meanwhile, Gray confirmed that he is running for Democratic Party of Arkansas chairman when the party elects its officers in March. Vince Insalaco currently holds the post, which is unpaid.

Insalaco is still considering if he should run for re-election, said H.L. Moody, the DPA’s chairman. He said other candidates could emerge.

“Vince is taking the holidays to talk to his family and decide what he wants to do, but … he is … inclined to run at this point because he thinks that the party has made a lot of progress, and he doesn’t want to abandon that progress, especially with regard to our county building projects,” he said.

Gray said the party needs a fresh point of view and a new approach and must focus on kitchen table issues versus more controversial and cultural “coffee shop issues.” He said Gov. Mike Beebe easily was re-elected six years ago, and Democrats must connect with voters at the community level.

“There was a whole era of Roosevelt Democrats that understood that at the end of the day, we might argue about X, Y or Z, but Democrats had the best interest of the man or woman that was working daylight to dark trying to give their kids a better future than they were living, and I think we’ve got to go back to inspiring that kind of hope within the party,” he said.

Gray said reversing the state’s sharp turn toward the Republican Party will not happen overnight.

“I don’t think it will take decades, but I don’t anybody expects it to happen next week, either,” he said.