Whitaker: Womack, NRCC display ‘breathtaking arrogance’

What Rogers Mayor Steve Womack considers a “compliment,” David Whitaker classifies as “breathtaking arrogance.”

The Republican Womack faces Democrat Whitaker in the race for the next Arkansas 3rd District Congressman.

The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) recently recognized Womack as one of seven GOP candidates to enter the “Young Guns Vanguard Program.” GOP candidates likely to win in November are brought into the Vanguard group to prep them to work with the National Republican Party and Republican leaders in Congress.

The other six Vanguard candidates to enter with Womack are Jeff Denham (Calif.), Jeff Duncan (S.C.), Trey Gowdy (S.C.), Todd Rokita (Ind.), Tim Scott (S.C.), and Marlin Stutzman (Ind.).

“By entering the program, these candidates will play a vital role in the NRCC’s mission to retire Nancy Pelosi and work towards winning and building a lasting Republican majority for years to come,” noted the NRCC press release.

Womack’s statement said the program also was created “as a way to highlight candidates who the NRCC expects to trounce their Democratic opponents.”

“This is a real compliment," Womack said in a July 8 statement.

Womack won the 3rd District GOP primary after surviving an 8-person primary and a tight runoff against Sen. Cecile Bledsoe of Rogers. In the runoff, Womack captured 18,290 votes (52%) and Bledsoe received 17,048 votes.

Whitaker said the NRCC statement and Womack’s comments reflect “breathtaking arrogance” in that not a single vote has been cast and they are acting as if the election is over. Whitaker also said the same Womack who criticizes career politicians is acting like one by “already cozying up” to Washington politicos “who got us into this mess.”

Continuing, Whitaker noted that the NRCC appears to be pushing Womack to run against U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

“If he’s (Womack) going to do that, he needs to move to San Francisco because she’s not on the ballot here,” Whitaker said.

As to how he defeats Womack in a Congressional District long-dominated by the GOP, Whitaker said his plan is simple — meet as many people in the 3rd District as possible and get the vote out. Part of the visits include a Friday evening (July 9) meet and greet at the Fort Smith Pavilion in downtown Fort Smith, and a July 10 meeting with a Veteran’s group in Fort Smith.

Womack told The City Wire he is not discounting Whitaker, even though he frequently hears from people who say he has the election all but won.

“That’s nice for people to say and nice for people to think, but a candidate cannot be lured into a situation in this political climate that there is anything called a shoo-in,” Womack explained. “Politics is a crazy business and this is an atypical political climate we operate in right now.”

Not only is Womack “pushing hard” to convince people to vote for him in November, but he also is motivated to get people to the ballot box to support U.S. Rep. John Boozman in the U.S. Senate race with U.S. Sen. Blanche Lincoln. There is some concern among GOP circles that light voter turnout in the 3rd Congressional District could hurt Boozman against Lincoln.

“The get out the vote process is critical, not only for my campaign, but I consider John Boozman’s race for the United States Senate the most important and critical federal race involving Arkansas in my adult lifetime,” Womack said.

The Arkansas Election Line recently called the U.S. Senate race as “Safe Boozman.” The Arkansas Election Line noted: “All polling data from last summer to last month indicates general election dissatisfaction for Lincoln. Head-to-head match-ups show Boozman with a comfortable lead over Lincoln. Independent voters are largely dissatisfied with Lincoln and have indicated a propensity to side with Republicans in the current political climate.”