State Treasurer Dennis Milligan reduced his 2014 campaign debt to himself by $5,700 in the quarter that ended June 30, he reported.
His debt now totals $43,549.98, according to his campaign finance report filed with the secretary of state's office.
Milligan, a Benton Republican, said the second-quarter contributions included a total of $5,100 from six officials at Conway-based Home BancShares.
Five of those officials gave $1,000 apiece; BancShares Board Chairman John W. Allison of Conway; President and Chief Executive Officer C. Randall Sims of Conway; Bunny Adcock of Conway; Bob Birch of North Little Rock; and Gordon J. Silaski of Little Rock, according to Milligan's report.
Other contributions to Milligan include $500 from businessman Charles Cabe of Gurdon and $100 each from fish farmer Thomas M. Freeze of Keo and Home BancShares official Curtis M. Griffith of Little Rock.
In total, Milligan has raised $8,700 to pay off his 2014 campaign debt, according to his report.
When asked what deadline he has for raising enough to pay himself back, Milligan said Monday in a written statement, "The only timeline is to attempt to retire the campaign debt as quickly as possible."
"There's no time line on an announcement," he said about his re-election bid.
"We have a critical election in November and I'm committed to working to ensure another Clinton does not end up in the White House," Milligan said, referring to presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, a former U.S. secretary of state and former first lady to Arkansas and the country.
"Also, I'll do all I can to help the party keep its majority in the State Legislature," Milligan added in his written statement.
Asked whether the treasurer's office is doing more business with Home BancShares than it formerly did, Milligan spokesman Grant Wallace said, "The office is not doing increased business with Home BancShares, and they were an existing bank the office used before we came into office.
"They agreed to open an insured cash sweep account when Bank of Ozarks decided to no longer offer one," Wallace said, adding that the account was opened Jan. 14.
"We renegotiated our terms with them and currently get 70 basis points [0.70 percent interest] on our demand account there," he said. "Our largest demand account is with Bank of Ozarks and they offer 75 basis points [0.75 percent interest]."
A spokesman for Home BancShares could not be reached by telephone or email on Monday afternoon.
Lt. Gov. Tim Griffin of Little Rock -- who last week announced his bid to seek re-election in 2018 -- was the only state constitutional officer to report raising funds for the 2018 campaign in the last quarter.
Griffin, a Little Rock Republican, reported raising $5,400 in contributions and spending $81.75 last quarter on his 2018 primary election campaign and raising $2,700 in contributions and spending nothing on his 2018 general election campaign.
Griffin's political action committee -- The Jobs and Growth PAC -- reported raising $5,000, contributing $1,350 to committees and candidates and spending $500 in administrative expenses last quarter. The report didn't list the PAC's total contributions or total expenses, but reported $4,514.50 in the bank on June 30.
Gov. Asa Hutchinson's political action committee -- the ASA PAC -- reported raising $13,450 and contributing $21,600 to committees and candidates, including $13,000 to the Republican Party of Arkansas; $2,700 apiece to Republican state House candidates Jack Fortner of Yellville, Jimmy Gazaway of Paragould and Carlton Wing of North Little Rock; and $500 to GOP Saline County Justice of the Peace Everette Hatcher of Alexander.
In total, the ASA PAC reported raising $497,075.25 in contributions, contributing $135,900 to candidates and committees and $157,130.43 in administrative expenses, leaving $204.044.82 in the bank as of June 30.
Hutchinson, a Rogers Republican, is widely expected to run for re-election in 2018, but has yet to formally announce his re-election bid.
Metro on 07/19/2016