Democratic gubernatorial candidate Chris Jones on Saturday called on Arkansans to reject the politics of fear, lies and division in this year's election and pitched what he described as his "PB&J" agenda of preschool, broadband and jobs.
Speaking at a virtual campaign event in North Little Rock, he said Republican gubernatorial candidate Sarah Huckabee Sanders represents the politics of fear, lies and division. Sanders is a former White House press secretary for former President Donald Trump and the daughter of former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, a Republican.
Afterward, Sanders' campaign manager Chris Caldwell declined to respond to Jones' criticism of Sanders.
Jones, who is a former executive director of the Arkansas Regional Innovation Hub, acknowledged that his gubernatorial campaign faces an uphill battle.
"We are like David with a stone, and we can win, and when we win we can spread PB&J across the entire state and realize the promise of Arkansas," he said in a 20-minute speech on the fifth day of his 30-day, 75-county tour that he called The Promise of Arkansas Tour.
"We must keep our eye on the prize," Jones said. "We can win when we can engage the almost 1 million voters who could have turned out in the last cycle, but didn't. That's why voter registration is critical."
He said voter education, engagement, turnout and protection also are important throughout the state.
Jones is one of four announced Democratic candidates for governor this year. The others are businesswoman Supha Xayprasith-Mays, James Russell III and educator Anthony Bland Sr.
Through the end of last year, Jones reported raising more than $1.3 million in contributions -- the largest amount of the Democratic candidates -- and had a campaign balance of about $330,000. He announced his bid for governor in June of last year. In contrast, Sanders reported raising more than $12.8 million and had a campaign balance of $7.3 million through the end of last year.
Jones said "our politics and now our society tells us that we have to have an enemy."
He said Sanders plays "a kind of zero sum politics" that latches onto "big talking points" that are not focused on the real problems that Arkansans face, and "the kind of politics that fans the flames of an angry mob willing to mow down police officers in order to attack school kids at Little Rock Central High," and that sees darkness and calls it light.
On Jan. 6, 2021, five law enforcement officers were killed and 150 law enforcement officers were injured at the U.S. Capitol, Jones said.
"There was a complete breakdown of law and order, but this kind of politics refuses to condemn the politically motivated violence and instead calls it legitimate political discourse," Jones said.
This brand of politics is attractive and easy, excludes those who might disagree and leaves most people on the sidelines exhausted, he said.
"It paves the way for destructive evil forces to destroy our fragile democracy from within," Jones said.
He said he is running for governor because Arkansans are ready to be a state where people can belong without having an enemy, and they are ready to reject fear and solve problems together.
Jones said there will be disagreements at times, and he will fight for what he believes in and not stand idly by.
But he said "that doesn't mean that we make our neighbors into our enemies just because we disagree."
"We have an opportunity to reject the politics of fear, lies and division," he said.
When Arkansans reject the politics of fear, "we can come together and spread PB&J all over the state," like the peanut butter and jelly sandwich, Jones said.
He said each family should have access to high-quality preschool in the state, and he wants to improve children's reading.
The state needs strong and affordable technical and trade schools, and strong adult education certification programs, Jones said
The state's educational systems are fragmented and inefficient, and don't yet fulfill the needs, but "we can and we must [do] this," he said.
Jones said each home should have access to affordable high-quality and high-speed broadband service.
He said the state needs driveable roads and bridges that don't crack, clean water systems so communities can avoid random boil orders, and agricultural and transportation technology accelerators to bolster the most innovative companies "just like we have done in the financial technology sector."
Each corner of the state and each community should be within reach of sustaining-wage jobs, and Main Street mom and pop stores should receive comprehensive support, Jones said.
He said the financial burdens on teachers, firefighters, police officers and emergency medical technicians should be eased.
"This campaign is about spreading PB&J across the state and that is how we can realize the promise of Arkansas," Jones said.
Asked about his campaign fundraising lagging Sanders' finances, he told reporters "at the end of the day, shoe leather and handshakes are what it is about because money doesn't vote.
"We certainly need money to get out and go around, but nothing beats showing up in every county like we are doing," he said.
Jones said his campaign plans to release a series of policy positions and statements at the end of his 75-county tour. He didn't specify whether he would have signed a bill that cleared the way for changes in the state's Medicaid expansion program and a bill that state officials project will provide nearly $500 million in state individual income and corporate income tax relief. Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson signed both bills last year.
In January last year, Sanders launched her campaign for governor by vowing to defend Arkansas from the "radical left now in control of Washington," and to promote law and order, cut income taxes, and champion good schools and teachers.
As part of what she called the 15-stop Freedom Tour in Benton in September, she said she would be a compassionate leader working to improve the state and a fighter pushing back against "the radical left" in Washington. At that time, she said she is running for governor in part "because I am tired of watching Arkansas compete at the bottom."
As a gubernatorial candidate, Sanders has largely avoided doing interviews with reporters in Arkansas.
“We have an opportunity to reject the politics of fear, lies and division,” Chris Jones, a Democratic candidate for governor of Arkansas, said Saturday in North Little Rock. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Staci Vandagriff)