Ricky Dale Harrington Jr. said during a debate in October he began running for public office because of the "hyper-partisanship" in Washington.
A Libertarian, Harrington lost a Senate race to Republican incumbent Tom Cotton in 2020, but that hasn't stopped the east Texas native from wanting to make a difference for Arkansas on a high political level. He's now running against Democrat Chris Jones and Republican Sarah Huckabee Sanders for governor in the Nov. 8 general election.
Harrington moved to Pine Bluff to start a healthcare facility, but the Harding University graduate also has extensive experience in criminal justice, including a chaplaincy at the Cummins Unit. Harrington also served as treatment coordinator at Cummins, where according to his online bio he managed several inmate programs aimed at reducing recidivism.
All candidates were invited to meet face-to-face with a Commercial reporter to answer questions ahead of Election Day or, in lieu of an interview, fill out a questionnaire. Harrington chose the latter.
The questions, which highlight issues in Pine Bluff and southeast Arkansas, and Harrington's answers are below:
Commercial: Jefferson County is a much different educational landscape than in the last 20 years. For example, kids in Altheimer and Wabbaseka now attend school 14 to 18 miles away in the Pine Bluff School District, which last year took in the former Dollarway School District. The PBSD and Dollarway districts were taken over by the state Department of Education. What is your solution for strengthening school districts, making schools more accessible to kids in rural areas and keeping those from the threat of either closure or state takeover?
Harrington: "I would prefer for control to remain at the local level, since the community is well aware of their strengths and weaknesses. Schools closing in rural areas have a way of devastating rural communities. Our world is constantly changing and we have to adapt. Rural area schools may have to transform the entire way that education is delivered in order to keep the school and not close it."
Commercial: How important is providing K-12 teachers with a more competitive salary than they're receiving now?
Harrington: "The reasoning for increasing teacher pay is to attract, retain, and cultivate skilled educators for our children. If the legislature decided to put forth a law to increase teacher pay, I will not oppose it, though, we definitely need to see a correlation between pay increase and educational outcomes."
Commercial: You have a connection to Pine Bluff in some manner. It is the largest city in Southeast Arkansas, and the region tends to thrive economically as Pine Bluff does -- but it's been a while since that happened. How do you address making Pine Bluff a destination city, as we've seen cities in Northwest Arkansas lift up that region and Osceola and Blytheville start to lift up Northeast Arkansas?
Harrington: "It will take a community effort to raise the profile of our area. I, myself, moved to Pine Bluff to start a healthcare facility. There are hardly any short-term or long-term mental health facilities in the SEA area. We experienced a good bit of resistance in attempting this endeavor. There will need to be some changes in Pine Bluff at the leadership level to help streamline the process for businesses that will provide much needed services for our area."
Commercial: UAPB and Southeast Arkansas College offer programs to help students attain high-skilled, high-paying jobs, but what will you do to help lower the unemployment rate in Southeast Arkansas and help those who may have been restricted from low-paying jobs (example: those who have failed drug tests or been jailed for minor offenses) in the recent past attain them and improve their situations at the same time?
Harrington: "One of my main platform planks is occupational licensing reform. I believe that removing cumbersome barriers to entry will increase the number of small businesses that contribute to the local economy."
Commercial: Where do you stand on Arkansas Ballot Issue 4, the question of whether to legalize recreational marijuana in the state?
Harrington: "I am voting for it."
Commercial: The Southeast Arkansas District Fair has struggled financially since the covid-19 pandemic. Fairs do a lot to introduce children to agriculture, home economics and other ways of life. How will you help improve fairs and make them more profitable?
Harrington: "Everything starts with leadership and I am willing to work with the local stakeholders to help them be successful. Maybe these organizations could work to tackle the food desert issue, and raise extra funds by using the agricultural skills to provide food for the people in their communities."
Commercial: What else would you like to tell voters in Pine Bluff and Southeast Arkansas?
Harrington: "I would like to tell them that change only comes when you resolve in your mind to see it. We need to focus less on the culture war and more on creating a free and fair society. We must persevere and stay vigilant."