In terms of just policy and promises, there's not a whole lot of difference between the Democratic and Republican candidates in House District 35. They both come across as reasonable, moderate, practical, and polite candidates. They both speak smoothly, and have beautiful families. Not a fire-eater in sight.
It's just that one has lots of experience in political office, private business, and community service--and the other doesn't. We'd recommend that thoughtful voters go with experience in this race.
When you meet Stacy Hurst, you'd be forgiven for thinking: "To heck with politics. The world needs more citizens, business owners and moms like this lady."
But she chose to add a political career to her résumé years ago. Don't hold it against her. It's called being a good citizen.
Stacy Hurst sits on Little Rock's board of city directors, and has held her seat on it since 2002. For a couple of years there, she served as the vice mayor of the city. You may remember her name from news stories over the years because she's been deeply involved in one project after another. She helped lead the efforts that led to the renovation of War Memorial Park, and the redevelopment of midtown.
Perhaps most important, as a city director she's had to deal with people's problems and concerns on an up-close and personal level. One by one. And there's nothing like it to season a public servant. We don't know where our public officials get the patience, but Dealing With The Public can be an adventure a day. Just ask anybody who owns a store.
You might say Stacy Hurst was in politics even before she got into politics. Name a civic cause in Little Rock, and her name will probably come up in connection with it--in the background if not in the foreground. Back before she was a city director, she was helping out at Children's Hospital, the Arts Center, the Youth Home, the Zoo for-cryin'-out-loud . . . .
Then she decided to run for public office. Maybe she figured she didn't have enough troubles. But we for one are grateful that Little Rock and many another community in Arkansas are full of good people like that. 'Cause we can use every one of them.
If you have the time, you can visit stacyhurst.com for a list of other organizations, good causes and general activities she's helped over the years. (First Tee? Really? Can she straighten out even our slice?)
Stacy Hurst tells us she'll have three priorities if elected to represent House District 35 in the Ledge: (1) create jobs, (2) improve education, and (3) lower crime. Good, great, and good. Mrs. Hurst seems to have her priorities in order. (Education always comes first with us, because we're convinced it's the key to everything else.)
She told us she was ready to give the private option a chance, now that it's the law and has added so many of our previously uninsured citizens to the medicaid rolls. And it does seem that trying to untie that knot may be too late at this point; we may all have to live with the Private Option, watch it, and try to improve it any way we can.
She likes the idea of charter schools, too, and the competition they give regular schools. Which improves both. Competition usually does. And, oh yes, she would support moving school board elections to, gasp, Election Day! How revolutionary. Few things would so improve public education like giving everybody a say in it--instead of trying to keep school board elections separate from all the others, and so keep them the preserve of certain special interests--like insiders and teachers' unions.
So far, so reasonably good. But can Stacy Hurst get elected in District 35?
That district includes the Heights in West Little Rock, beautiful Pinnacle Mountain, and the northern shore of Lake Maumelle. It's been a safe Democratic seat for years.
Let it be noted that the Democrat in this race, Clarke Tucker, may have had the best answer to any question posed by the Democrat-Gazette's editorial writers this year: We asked if he'd like to give his side of the story in the little fooforaw that erupted when the Republican Party (with an assist from the Hurst campaign) FOI'd his little boy's school records. The op-researchers wanted to know if there was anything improper about his efforts to get the kid into a certain pre-K class that lots of folks had an interest in.
Mr. Tucker's reply, just about in toto: Nah.
Good for him. (Leave the candidates' kids out of all of this.) He said he'd said enough in the papers about all that, and he wanted to discuss the issues in the campaign. This young gentleman has a future, even if it's just being a gentleman. Lord knows that's challenge enough, and the world needs more of them.
The problem with young Mr. Tucker's record is that he doesn't have enough of one at his age, which is scarcely his fault. We're all young sometime. His campaign's website says he has been recognized as a Rising Star in Business Litigation, which sounds great--for a business litigator. (His specialty would seem to be defending companies large and small.) While that is good experience, it is still far less than the varied experiences Stacy Hurst must have had working with all her constituents all these years.
But in a few years, Clarke Tucker might could develop into a well-rounded candidate. It's not his fault he just doesn't have the experience that Stacy Hurst brings to the campaign. It's just a matter of age--and experience. And experience counts with us. If it's the good kind that reveals a good person at steady work.
Once again, thankfully, wonderfully, surprisingly, voters have a local race in which they can vote for a candidate, not just against the worst one. What a pleasure. But in this contest, we'd give Stacy Hurst the edge. Call it the experience factor.
Editorial on 10/13/2014