State-filings list heavy on GOP

Nearly twice as many Arkansas Republicans as Democrats filed for state and federal offices, and officials for the parties disagree about what that means for the 2016 election.

It's the second consecutive election in which Republican candidates outnumbered Democrats filing for those offices.

One hundred thirty-two Republicans and 67 Democrats filed for 126 state and federal offices in the week-long filing period, which ended Monday, according to the secretary of state's office, headed by Republican Mark Martin.

In addition, 17 Libertarian candidates, three write-in candidates and two independent candidates filed, Martin's office reported. (One hundred fifty candidates also filed for nonpartisan judicial races.)

State Republican Party Chairman Doyle Webb of Benton said the number of candidates filing from each party shows that the state has a strong two-party system and that "the Republican Party has become the dominant party."

Vincent Insalaco, Democratic Party of Arkansas chairman, said his party "set conservative recruiting goals as part of our overall effort to rebuild the party," and it exceeded its goals.

"The Democratic Party of Arkansas is united. I cannot say the same for the Republicans who seem to have set the stage for many divisive primaries," he said.

The Democrats are fielding candidates for two of the state's five congressional offices on the ballot. Both have Republican incumbents. Libertarians have candidates for all five of those offices.

The lack of Democratic candidates for Arkansas' 1st, 3rd and 4th congressional districts led a spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee to declare last week that "House Democrats are delusional if they really think Hillary Clinton will help the Democratic ticket next November."

"The fact that Democrats failed so miserably to find candidates in Hillary Clinton's home state where they spent millions of dollars last cycle shows just how lost at sea the Democrats truly are," the committee's spokesman Zach Hunter said in a written statement.

Democratic presidential candidate Clinton is a former U.S. secretary of state, a former U.S. senator from New York and the wife of former President and Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton.

Insalaco, of North Little Rock, countered that "the national Republicans are trying to interfere in Arkansas politics once again.

"They have spent tens of millions of dollars and untold sums of dark money to mislead Arkansas voters. They have divided voters and their own party so much so that state Republicans are challenging their own sitting senior U.S. Senator John Boozman, a Republican member of the U.S. House, and 17 primaries among Republicans for seats in the Arkansas House and Senate," he said in a written statement.

Insalaco said "our focus was the Senate seat. ... Democrats are going to fight to take back control of the U.S. Senate. Control of the U.S. House is still out of reach for the party, so we focused on state House seats right here in Arkansas."

Former U.S. Attorney Conner Eldridge of Fayetteville, a Democrat, is seeking the U.S. Senate seat held by Boozman. Boozman, of Rogers, will face a primary challenge from Republican Curtis Coleman of Little Rock. Libertarian Frank Gilbert of Tull also filed for the seat.

Former Little Rock School Board member Dianne Curry, a Democrat, is vying for the 2nd Congressional District seat held by Republican U.S. Rep. French Hill of Little Rock. Searcy Republican Brock Olree is challenging Hill in the GOP primary. Libertarian Chris Hayes of Mabelvale also is in the race.

PAST NUMBERS

In the 2014 election, 132 Republicans and 88 Democrats filed for 130 state and federal offices. Nineteen Libertarian candidates, two Green Party candidates and one independent candidate also filed for office in that election.

The 2012 election was the last in which more Democrats than Republicans filed for state and federal offices -- 136 Democrats versus 124 Republicans. The gap was wider in 2010 -- 196 Democrats compared with 108 Republicans.

During the 2010, 2012 and 2014 elections, Republicans in Arkansas made historic gains, generally by linking Democratic candidates to President Barack Obama. Meanwhile, Democrats in Arkansas linked themselves to then-Democratic Gov. Mike Beebe and stressed their independence from Obama.

Neither Obama nor Beebe are on the ballot in 2016.

PRIVATE OPTION

In the state Legislature, some Republican candidates are challenging GOP incumbents in the March 1 primary election. The challengers say they will use the incumbents' votes authorizing the use of federal funds for the private-option insurance program as fodder in their campaigns.

Through the private option, the state uses federal Medicaid dollars to buy private health insurance for some low-income Arkansans.

The program has divided Republicans since the 2013 Legislature authorized it.

Continued funding for the program requires a three-fourths vote in the 100-member House and 35-member Senate. That proved to be a difficult threshold to meet in 2013 and 2014.

Former state Rep. Debra Hobbs, R-Rogers, who is challenging freshman state Rep. Rebecca Petty, R-Rogers, said she'll use Petty's vote earlier this year to authorize funding for the private option this fiscal year in her campaign against Petty.

Hobbs said she endorsed Petty in the 2014 election "because I thought she would stay strong, and she said she was against the private option and then she ended up voting for it."

Hobbs said Petty indicated that she was not comfortable voting against funding the private option until the Legislature passed Petty's bill to enable a murder victim's family to observe the killer's execution. The measure is called "Andi's Law," named after Petty's daughter, who was killed by an uncle.

"I have no idea what [Hobbs] is talking about," Petty said of Hobbs' connection of Petty's private-option vote to her murder victim's measure.

"I am completely stunned. I would never ever do something like that. I wouldn't play politics with my murdered daughter. That is plain awful," Petty said Wednesday. "She had talked to me a little bit about the private option. She never said to me that she would only endorse me if I was completely against the private option. I told her that I was against Obamacare."

The federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is often called Obamacare. Federal Medicaid funding available under the Affordable Care Act finances Arkansas' private option.

The private option pays for coverage on the state's health insurance exchange for about 180,000 low-income Arkansans who became eligible for assistance under the expansion of the state's Medicaid program. The expansion extended coverage to adults with incomes of up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level: $16,242 for an individual, for instance, or $33,465 for a family of four.

An Arkansas legislative task force is expected to issue its recommendations next month for a program to replace the private option. Starting in 2017, the state will be forced to cover 5 percent of the cost of the private-option program. The state's share will gradually increase to 10 percent by 2020.

Senate Democratic leader Keith Ingram of West Memphis said Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson has "a lot riding on this election.

"In my opinion, nobody is going to remember what legislator voted for or against the continuation of whatever the private option [is called in the future]," but "they are going to remember who the governor is if the private option is not continued," Ingram said.

Hutchinson has called for continuing the program with various changes.

As far as his involvement in the 2016 election, Hutchinson said he will "express my preference in a limited number of primary races, and the principal focus will be the fall elections.

"It's not just one issue, but an entire set of initiatives that determine my support, including reducing the income tax rate in Arkansas, job creation and economic growth, a smaller and more limited government, computer coding in schools, highway improvement and Medicaid reform," he said in a written statement.

"These issues are important to my administration, and I will work to continue to build momentum and support for each one," Hutchinson said.

LEGISLATIVE SEATS

Republicans control 64 of the state House of Representatives' 100 seats. Democrats hold 35, and an independent, state Rep. Nate Bell of Mena, has the other.

All 100 House seats are up for grabs in the 2016 election.

Republican candidates are running unopposed for 39 House seats, while Democratic candidates are running unopposed for 18 House seats.

Only Republican candidates are competing for seven House seats, and only Republican and Libertarian candidates are vying for six House seats. Only Democratic candidates are challenging for two House seats, and only Democratic and Libertarian candidates are seeking two other House seats.

Democratic and Republican candidates are facing off for 24 House seats. Candidates from all three parties are seeking two House seats.

The GOP controls 24 of the Senate's 35 seats. Democrats hold the other 11.

Seventeen seats are up for grabs, and they are held by 11 Republicans and six Democrats.

Eight Republican candidates are running unopposed, while two Democratic candidates are unopposed.

Only Republican candidates are vying in the primary for two Senate seats, and only Democratic and Libertarian candidates are seeking two Senate seats.

Democratic and Republican candidates are jockeying for three Senate seats.

Insalaco and Webb said they hope their party picks up legislative seats in the 2016 election, but they declined to specify which ones.

Democrats and Republicans point to legislative races in which incumbents narrowly won in the previous election as among those that could change parties in 2016.

Those incumbents include Sen. Bobby Pierce, D-Sheridan, who won a four-year term by 299 votes in 2012; Rep. James Ratliff, D-Imboden, who won by 50 votes in 2014; Rep. Camille Bennett, D-Lonoke, who won by 86 votes in 2014; and Rep. Mary Bentley, R-Perryville, who won by 196 votes in 2014.

FILING FEES

Earlier this year, the Legislature and Hutchinson changed next year's primary election date from May 24 to March 1 in a bid to increase Arkansas' influence in determining the parties' presidential nominees.

Arkansas is one of several Southern states that will hold their presidential primaries on March 1. Thirteen Republican candidates paid the state party's $25,000 presidential filing fee. Six Democratic candidates paid their party's $2,500 filing fee, which party officials said was set by the Democratic National Committee.

The state Republican Party collected a total $848,000 in filing fees from all candidates, while the state Democratic Party collected about $250,000 in filing fees, according to their party chairmen.

Webb said the GOP's filing fees will be used in the fall to contact voters and in a get-out-the-vote effort.

Insalaco said the Democrats' filing fees will be spent on training and electing candidates in 2016, and on efforts to rebuild the state Democratic Party.

The primary runoff, if necessary, will be March 22. The general election is Nov. 8.

SundayMonday on 11/15/2015