LITTLE ROCK — A Republican state Senate candidate who is unopposed in the general election said Wednesday that he returned a $1,000 contribution from Democratic Attorney General Dustin McDaniel’s political action committee because it would have been inappropriate to keep it.
“I didn’t feel right about taking funds from him and campaigning against him [for governor in 2014],” said Bart Hester of Cave Springs, who defeated state Rep. Tim Summers of Bentonville in the May 22 Republican primary in Senate District 1 with help from the conservative group Americans for Prosperity.
Hester said McDaniel called him and told him that he planned to contribute to his campaign, but he decided to return the contribution after “I got calls with concerns to keep it and [calls with] concerns to return it.”
He said his political consultant, Diamond State Consulting of Conway, advised him to return the contribution. The firm is led by former state Rep. Ted Thomas, R-Little Rock, and Keith Emis of Little Rock.
In campaign-finance reports filed earlier this month, Hester reported taking a $1,000 contribution from the McDaniel Leadership PAC on May 31, and the McDaniel Leadership PAC reported receiving the money back from Hester on June 30.
On June 13, McDaniel filed papers with the secretary of state’s office to incorporate Dustin McDaniel for Governor Inc., officially starting what many had said he has been up to for a few years - running for governor in 2014.
McDaniel said Wednesday that “hyper partisanship is not working in Washington, and it is not going to work in Arkansas.
“My decision to help an unopposed GOP nominee for the Arkansas Senate retire his campaign debt was made with this view in mind,” he said.
Hester reported a campaign debt of $21,283 as ofJune 30, down from a campaign debt of $26,244 on May 22.
McDaniel said the only other Republican candidate his PAC contributed to is state Rep. Davy Carter of Cabot, who is unopposed in the general election. The McDaniel Leadership PAC reported contributing $250 to Carter on May 31.
Carter, who is the House Revenue and Taxation Committee’s chairman, said he doesn’t intend to return his contribution from the Mc-Daniel Leadership PAC because “I don’t think there is any need to.”
He said he welcomes support from Republicans, Democrats, independents and others.
“I just don’t see what the big deal is about it,” Carter said. “I have known Dustin for quite a while, and he knows I’ll be supporting the Republican candidate [for governor in 2014],” Carter said.
McDaniel said his PAC, created in 2007, has raised and donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to Arkansas Democrats, including giving or planning donations to every Democratic House and Senate candidate on the ballot this fall.
From Jan. 1, 2010-June 30, the McDaniel Leadership PAC reported receiving $361,709.95 in donations, making contributions totaling $72,550 to committees and candidates, and having administrative expenses of $214,124.45, leaving a balance of $74,820.50.
Former Lt. Gov. Bill Halter, a Democrat from North Little Rock who is considering running for governor in 2014, declined to comment through a spokesman about whether he plans to form a PAC and contribute to Republican legislative candidates this year.
A spokesman for Lt. Gov. Mark Darr, the Springdale Republican who is considering running for governor in2014, said Darr’s PAC doesn’t intend to give to Democratic legislative candidates.
Republican U.S. Rep. Tim Griffin of Little Rock, who has repeatedly declined to say whether he’s considering running for governor or U.S. Senate in 2014, said he doesn’t intend to contribute through his PAC to Democratic candidates for the Legislature.
“Why would I support candidates in a party controlled by liberals? I am a conservative and the Republican Party is the conservative party,” he said.
Asked whether he was referring to Democratic Gov.Mike Beebe, the titular head of the state Democratic Party, Griffin replied, “President [Barack] Obama is the head of the Democratic Party and his liberal policies are defended by many Arkansas Democrats. We have an abundance of liberal Democrats in Arkansas including Dustin Mc-Daniel, Bill Halter and [state Sen.] Joyce Elliott. They all support President Obama and are open about it.”
In response, McDaniel said, “I choose not to adopt that kind of Washington, D.C., attitude for my PAC. Like most Arkansans, I care more about getting things done and working together.”
Arkansas, Pages 11 on 07/26/2012