Keet Plans Debt Retirement Fundraiser With Big Names

Last year’s main challenger to Gov. Mike Beebe (D), Republican gubernatorial candidate Jim Keet, still has a hefty campaign debt, but he’s doing something about it.

Keet will have an "apolitical, bipartisan debt buster" party next Tuesday night (Oct. 25) at the Junior League Club in downtown Little Rock.

Former Entergy Arkansas chief Jerry Maulden, Madison Murphy, John Steuri, Hank Kelley, Drew Kumpuris, Frank Fletcher, and former PSC Chair Sandy Byrd are some of the names on the Keet event sponsor list.

Keet still has about $170,000 in campaign debt to pay off. We’re told that the event has already received commitments of more than $60,000 from participants. Johnny "The Rocket" Roberts and his band will provide entertainment. You can view a copy of the invitation here.

It was about this time last year that the final throes of the 2010 campaign season were playing out. Keet was polling behind Beebe, who enjoyed a hefty 20-to-1 fundraising advantage over the GOP gubernatorial nominee. Ultimately, Beebe defeated Keet 65% to 33%.

Keet tells Talk Business that his main concerns these days are running his business (he’ll be opening a new Taziki’s restaurant in west Little Rock soon) and paying down the campaign debt, but he says he’s received plenty of encouragement to stay active in Arkansas politics and to consider another run for Governor or possibly another race in 2014.