GOP Doesn?t Need Ugly Race

Marty Ryall, executive director for the Republican Party of Arkansas, recently galled many of his GOP brethren in Benton and Washington counties with derogatory comments about state Rep. Jim Bob Duggar, R-Springdale.

Ryall said Duggar is committing “political suicide” by running against U.S. Sen. Tim Hutchinson. The primary winner will face Democrat Mark Pryor, the state’s attorney general, in a 2002 election that could tilt a 50-50 party split in the U.S. Senate.

Ryall said an additional comment, that the party would hold forcing a primary against Duggar in the future, was “mischaracterized” by another newspaper. But Ryall stands by the first statement.

We’ve heard from local party members who were disgusted by Ryall’s remark. People in Northwest Arkansas, they say, don’t like that kind of politics.

While we think Ryall has of late demonstrated the political tact of Earl Long, we couldn’t find a prominent party member who would publicly endorse Duggar’s candidacy.

Duggar, a good business and family man, has served District 6 for 2.5 years in the state House of Representatives.

But he is seen by many as being too inexperienced and too conservative to win a heated statewide race, especially one that could shift control of the most powerful elected body on the planet.

Duggar is vehemently against abortion and will make it his rally cry. Hutchinson is “pro life” but more moderate than Duggar.

Speculation is that a moderate abortion stance will be needed to win.

Then there’s this: Hutchinson divorced his wife of nearly 30 years and married a former staffer this winter. Duggar, a devout Baptist, will make it an issue.

Although Duggar means well, the truth is his candidacy could do the party more harm than good. If he weakens the incumbent or loses to Pryor, who will be well funded, the Democrats could regain control of the Senate.

Duggar’s supporters probably don’t want that either.

Yo Quiero U.S. Senate

Ryall recently said Pryor would be a “busboy at Taco Bell” if longtime U.S. Sen. David Pryor wasn’t his father. But coattails didn’t help Mark in 1994 when he lost to Winston Bryant. We’re surprised Ryall turned the race ugly early, since Hutchinson is so vulnerable.