Notes from the Campaign Trail: Film commissioner to seek county clerk seat held by father

Like father, like son.

Arkansas film commissioner Christopher Crane announced Thursday (Sept. 28) that he will seek the Pulaski Circuit and County Clerk seat now held by his father, Larry Crane, who is retiring.

Christopher Crane, who has been in the state’s film commissioner post for a decade, will run as a Democrat for the seat. His additional background includes teaching at Parkview High School and serving as an aide to the late former Sen. Dale Bumpers.

“I believe my professional experience combined with my government management service has uniquely qualified me for the position of Pulaski Circuit and County Clerk,” Christopher Crane said. “I make a commitment to use my knowledge and expertise to help the Circuit Clerk’s office operate more responsively and efficiently for the citizens and businesses of Pulaski County who rely on the accuracy of the records, the voter registration system, and other important functions of the office. I am also committed to implement policies and practices that would better serve the legal profession and our court system. This office has set a high standard for quiet, efficient, and effective government and I will fight to retain those standards.”

GOP HQ OPENING SOON
If you’ve been around the Republican Party of Arkansas state headquarters in downtown Little Rock near the state capitol, you’ve seen months worth of construction as part of a major expansion of the GOP building. As the state’s majority party has made major gains this decade, the completion date for the expanded headquarters is soon.

RPA Chairman Doyle Webb tells Talk Business & Politics that a dedication of the new building is planned for Sunday, October 15 at 2pm. The street address is 1201 W. 6th Street in Little Rock and you do need to RSVP through the party’s web site.

The new wing of the headquarters will be called the Rockefeller Republican Center. In 2014, the state GOP became the majority party in Arkansas gaining all of the constitutional offices, federal offices and a large majorities in the Arkansas Legislature.

SPEAKER’S RACE NARROWS
And then there were two. The race to replace Arkansas Speaker of the House Jeremy Gillam, R-Judsonia, is in a pretty good groove. The vote for a new speaker won’t take place until the end of the next fiscal legislative session in 2018, but developments continue.

Rep. Michelle Gray, R-Melbourne, was angling for a run, but she threw her support to Rep. Andy Davis, R-Little Rock, last week. That effectively makes the race a two-way competition between Davis and El Dorado Republican Rep. Matthew Shepard.

Davis told Talk Business & Politics said he is grateful for her support.

“Representative Gray made a personal decision to withdraw from the race, I think, because she recognized that she and I were working toward the same goals in terms of House leadership and how we would like to see the chamber work in the future. We are both hoping to see significant reform in several areas such as taxes, and she recognized that we have been more effective when we work together.

“I think Representative Gray’s support demonstrates that what I have been saying is accurate, and that is this is a close race and it isn’t over. No one works harder than Representative Gray when she gets behind an issue and her efforts will go a long way in helping myself and our other supporters be successful in this race.”

TB&P TEASER
Talk Business & Politics will unveil something special for the 2018 elections on this Sunday’s TV program. Look for a new face and a familiar face to spearhead a political project that will be fun, addictive and conversation-worthy for political animals.

Talk Business & Politics airs Sundays at 9:30 am on KATV Ch. 7 in central Arkansas; 10 am on KAIT’s NBC affiliate in Northeast Arkansas; and 10:30 am on KFSM Ch. 5 in Fort Smith/Northwest Arkansas.

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Editor’s note: ‘Notes from the Campaign Trail’ is a compilation of various political insider tidbits.