Republican congressional candidate French Hill on Monday challenged Democratic candidate Patrick Henry Hays about his commitment to protecting Second Amendment rights after Hays started airing a television commercial saying he's a proud member of the National Rifle Association.
Hill's campaign manager Jack Sisson said Hays is the only candidate running for office in Arkansas with an F rating from the NRA and noted that the group has promised to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to defeat the former North Little Rock mayor.
Hill, a Little Rock banker, said he's proud of his NRA endorsement and A rating from the group.
"While my opponent supports more government mandates and President [Barack] Obama's liberal gun agenda, I will hold President Obama accountable and fight for common sense, Arkansas values," Hill said in a written statement.
In response to what Hays' campaign called "the latest misleading and desperate attack from French Hill," Hays' campaign released a copy of a letter dated Sept. 19 from NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre praising Hays' proven commitment to the Second Amendment and nominating Hays for the NRA's prestigious National Patriot's medal.
"A lot of nonsense gets thrown around seven days before an election," Hays' campaign manager David Furr said in a written statement.
Furr said LaPierre wrote in his letter that "Mr. Hays: You've stood by me in some of the toughest battles ever fought by the NRA" and "America's gun owners owe you a tremendous amount debt of gratitude."
Furr said that "the truth is Mayor Hays is a strong supporter of the Second Amendment and has made it clear he will do nothing to jeopardize the rights of Arkansans to keep and bear arms."
Furr's statement led Fairfax, Va.-based NRA spokesman Andrew Arulanandam to declare that "Patrick Henry Hays is a liar."
Hays is "knowingly misrepresenting" a mass-mailing from the NRA "as a personal endorsement," Arulanandam said in a telephone interview. That's why he said the NRA is pleased to announce that the group will be making a "seven-figure expenditure" in television, online and mail advertising and phone calls to defeat Hays.
The NRA's television and online advertising campaign in the 2nd Congressional District will be roughly $500,000, and the television ads will start today, while the online ads started Oct. 14., said NRA spokesman Catherine Mortensen.
Mortensen said Hays "is trying to have it both ways. He's promoting [former New York City Mayor Michael] Bloomberg's draconian gun control schemes with one hand. And on the other, he's promoting his membership in the NRA. He can't have it both ways."
Furr said the NRA "wrote in their own letter to Mayor Hays that he was being nominated for an award given out to 'only a very small handful of NRA members' for their diligent protection of the Second Amendment, and that this medal is 'awarded neither casually nor widely. But it is an honor you truly deserve and I am proud to present.'
"Mayor Hays is a longtime member of the NRA, has a concealed carry permit, owns a variety of firearms, cherishes the shotgun his daddy gave him, and will be a strong protector of the right to keep and bear arms," Furr said.
Speaking before about 250 people in downtown Conway, former Republican Gov. Mike Huckabee early Monday evening joined fellow Republicans U.S. Sen. John Boozman of Rogers, U.S. Senate candidate and U.S. Rep. Tom Cotton of Dardenelle, U.S. Rep. Tim Griffin of Little Rock, and attorney general candidate Leslie Rutledge of Little Rock in urging them to vote for Hill for the 2nd District seat in the Nov. 4 general election.
Huckabee said that "any attack on the character or integrity of French Hill is clearly being made by people who do not know this man like I know him and like many of you know him.
"Today, there are places of worship in central Arkansas that would not have existed, that would not be there except for he believes in people and wasn't just saying how much money are we going to make off it," he said. "There are people sitting in church on Sunday because this man believed in the integrity of others. You can believe in his integrity."
Hays has aired a television ad about Hill contributing to former Democratic state Treasurer Martha Shoffner's campaign. It notes that Shoffner increased the amount of bonds purchased through Shoffner's bank before she resigned and was convicted of bribery and extortion in an unrelated case. Hill has denounced the ad.
Also, Hill said he'll decide before the Nov. 4 general election on how he'll vote on a proposed ballot measure to raise the state's minimum wage from $6.25 to $8.50 per hour by Jan. 1, 2017.
"I have been talking to businesses and employees about it to see what impact it will have on jobs and that's what I am doing now," he said. "I'll be in every county the rest of this week visiting with businesses."
Hays signed the petition to place the measure on the ballot and has said he'll vote for the ballot measure raising the minimum wage.
Metro on 10/28/2014