GOP incumbents sweep Arkansas congressional races; now face Democratic-led Congress

Republican incumbents swept all four of Arkansas’ congressional races, but will be headed back to the U.S. House in January in the minority and facing concerns from some American voters that all is not well in Washington, D.C.

Of all the races, U.S. Rep. French Hill’s contest against Democratic challenger Clarke Tucker was not only the tightest congressional race Tuesday, but also garnered millions of dollars in a local and out-of-state advertising bounty that littered local mailboxes, inboxes and airwaves with last-minute appeals in the waning days of the campaign.

After his hard-fought battle against Tucker, a Democratic state representative, Hill said he will go into the new year looking for bipartisan solutions for tough issues facing America.

“The people of Arkansas have spoken. We are better off than we were two years ago,” Hill, R-Little Rock, said in a television interview after he was declared the winner.

The other GOP representatives seeking to return to Congress, Bruce Westerman, Steve Womack, and Rick Crawford, each won their re-election bids by healthy margins, confirming recent Talk Business & Politics-Hendrix College surveys that all four congressional seats will remain red and safely stay in GOP hands.

However, the four congressmen from Arkansas will return to the nation’s capital with the U.S. House in the hands of the Democratic Party and the U.S. Senate firmly under Republican control. That scenario means the Republican Party will lose control of the lower chamber and key committee assignments that go to the new House Speaker.

Rep. Rick Crawford, R-Jonesboro, easily defeated his Democratic opponent Chintan Desai of Helena by a healthy margin, based on late returns from the Secretary of State office. Crawford will represent the First District in his fifth term since he was first elected in 2010.

“I’m honored to be entrusted with another two years as your congressman from AR-1,” Crawford said after his re-election victory was confirmed. “It’s an honor to serve and I do all I can to reflect your values, your wishes, in my votes and my work. Thank you for your votes and support.”

In South Arkansas’ District 4, U.S. Rep. Bruce Westerman, R-Hot Springs, was well out in front of Democratic opponent Hayden Catherine Shamel of Hot Springs when that race was called early on election night. The former majority leader of the Arkansas House of Representatives will return to Congress for his third term.

Womack also easily defeated his Democratic challenger, Josh Mahony of Fayetteville. The former mayor of Rogers, who now chairs the influential House Budget Committee, will also return to Congress for his fifth term. After he was declared the winner Tuesday evening, Womack thanked Third District voters for sending him back to Washington, D.C.

“I am proud to represent you and will continue to work to uphold the principles of the Constitution and support conservative policies,” Womack said in a statement on Twitter.

The one consolation for the Democratic Party in Arkansas, besides taking by Congress and installing a new House Speaker in early 2019, was all four GOP favorites for the congressional seats had opposition. Two years ago, three of the four GOP incumbents did not have opposition from the other major party and spent very little of their campaign bounties to retain their seats.