The Tolbert Report

Filing  just closed on Monday and the Republican Primary for State Representative District 64 is already heating up, where City Director Gary Campbell is taking on incumbent Rep. Stephanie Malone. The City Wire reported yesterday on the endorsement Malone received from Congressman John Boozman, who is her uncle. Boozman’s office had previously said they would not make an endorsement in a primary but Patrick Creamer, Spokesman for Boozman’s Senate Campaign said this endorsement was based on Malone’s record.

Campbell took issue with this telling The City Wire, “In today’s world, family ties do not guarantee performance as evidenced by my opponent’s mediocre record.”

I followed up with Campbell this morning to see what it was about Malone’s record he felt was mediocre. I reached him as he had just gotten stuck in a bog while putting up campaign signs.

“I don’t feel that Rep. Malone has done enough for the city of Fort Smith,” said Campbell. He could not point to any votes she cast specifically that he disagreed with but said in general he felt she did not do enough to bring projects home for the district. “When Congressman Boozman brings a project home for his district, everyone knows about it. I have not seen this with Rep. Malone.”

Malone strongly disagreed with this assessment. “I am proud of my conservative voting record,” she said this morning. “I am confused when my opponent says I have not done enough for the district but cannot offer any specifics.”

She said that she voted for lowering taxes on groceries and taxes on manufactures both of which have benefited her constituents. She also said that she has worked with federal and state officials to help bring highway funding for the area.

Malone was quick to point out that last term she was a freshman representative and knows she will be in a stronger position if re-elected for a second term while Campbell would not have this experience if voters elect him.

With no Democrat filing for this race, the Republican Primary will decide the election on May 18.

Watch the two videos below.  Can you tell which one was made by the Lincoln for Senate Campaign and which one was from Arkansas Business?

In the days following Rep. Marion Berry’s announcement that he would not seek re-election, the Washington insider publication CQPolitics moved their rating for the First Congressional District to Toss-up. At the time, I said this was pre-mature and today it seems they agreed moving the rating again back to the leans Democrat field.

There explanation is that “state Sen. Davy Carter” did not get in the race. News flash – Carter is a state representative and although he did consider it, I don’t think his consideration ever reached the point to warrant a ratings change on the race. They also point to state Sen. Johnny Key who did consider getting in a bit more seriously than Carter.

I am not trying to beat up on CQPolitics rating here. They do as best they can while sitting 900 miles away from the district. But it would be nice to have a local ratings group with more of a feel for the situation on the ground than could be found in D.C.

Last Thursday Little Rock businessman D.C. Morrison surprised everyone by filing for U.S. Senate as a Democrat to join Sen. Blanche Lincoln and Lieutenant Governor Bill Halter in the Democratic Primary. I caught up with Morrison today at the state capital and found out a little bit more about this unknown candidate.

Morrison described himself as a conservative Democrat and “a citizen who is very dissatisfied with the direction of our country.”

“I think we need more people who are just everyday ordinary citizens to stand up for what they believe in and what are country was founded on which is freedom and individual responsibility,” said Morrison. He pointed to the bailouts as an example of one of the things he was dissatisfied with that lead him to make the decision to run.

“I am conservative. I don’t believe that we should leave trillions and trillions of dollars in debt for our children to pay off,” explained Morrison. “May 18 I am asking conservatives to come out and vote for me and stop two big government liberals in one day.”

“I have never held public office in my life,” emphasized Morrison. “Most conservatives want to take care of their family, take care of their job, go to church, and mind their own business. And as long as we do that and we leave it to the political class and the liberals to run the country that is exactly what we are going to get – a country that is not working for everyday working Americans. So that is why I am running for office to give them a voice.”

He said he was not concerned about the amount of money his two Democratic primary opponents have raised as he thinks they will spend most of that beating each up with it and make his job easy. He has put some of his personal funds into his campaign although he declined to say how much.

When I asked if he had always been a Democrat, he said he supported Republican Ron Paul in the last Presidential election and that President Ronald Reagan was a hero of his. As for state politics, he voted for Republican Asa Hutchinson for Governor but thinks Gov. Mike Beebe is “doing an excellent job.”

I caught up with Jim Holt today as he was filing for U.S. Senator at the state capitol, becoming the eighth Republican to do so. I asked him about a statement he made to KTHV a couple weeks ago where he said on the U.S. foreign policy, “To this point, I have not seen a clearly defined objective and if we do not have a clearly defined objective we need to get out, point blank.”

“I am a veteran and I don’t like politicians playing with our soldiers lives,” explained Holt. “Someone asked for 60,000 troops…and we give them 30,000 and then we say that no matter what happens we are going to pull out within a certain time frame. So what is that telling the enemy? That is telling the enemy that we are going to stay here, they are going to hunker down and they will pick us off.”

“It is just not logical to go in without an exit strategy, without a clearly defined objective,” continued Holt. “And that is what we have to have, if not, then we don’t need to be there. We don’t need to nation build. We don’t need a police state.”

When asked if he feels we should pull our troops out of Iraq and Afghanistan, he said, “If don’t have a clearly defined objective, Yes. If we are going to win the war of terror, let’s win it, and then let’s get back home. Let’s don’t keep them over there as sitting ducks telling the enemy how long we are going to be there.”

I don’t usually report on county races but this one is interesting. Former Chairman of the Republican Party of Arkansas Dennis Milligan surprised some people this morning by filling for Saline County Circuit Clerk. The office is currently held by former Democratic State Representative Doug Kidd who has held this office since 2001.

Kidd has come under fire for his hiring of former Saline County Prosecutor Dan Harmon, who was served eight years in prison for racketeering and drug-related offenses prior to Kidd hiring him to do part time work for his office. Harmon was arrested again last month for selling drug near a school in Sheridan.

“I’d say they need to get their Bible out and read about redemption, and I’d also tell them they need to realize what a bargain the county is getting for $9 an hour,”  (CORRECTION - The above quote was from Harmon not Kidd.)  “He’s doing a good job and we’re very fortunate that someone with his legal knowledge is there to help us. I almost feel a little guilty and that I’m taking advantage of someone with his knowledge and experience,” Kidd told the Benton Courier last year in defending his hiring of Harmon.

“I decided to run because the incumbent has become so arrogant that he has hired a man who betrayed a public trust and went to federal prison for it,” Milligan said in a press release. “I could not let such a slap in the face to Saline County voters go unchallenged.”

“There are so many people unemployed in Saline County right now because of the Recession. It is an outrage that our circuit clerk hired the epitome of a crooked politician to work in that office when so many good people need work,” Milligan added. “I want to return integrity to that office.”

Full Press Release on the jump.

Read the rest of this entry »

The Tolbert Report is teaming up with Rock City Outfitters to give away a free T-Shirt. Come on you fiscal conservatives, you know you love free stuff as much as me.

The contest is simple. Guess the number of total U.S. Senate candidate (by party) to file in Arkansas and the closest guess wins. The tie breaker question will be the total number of Congressional Candidates (by district and party.) If it is still tied (which I would doubt) the first one with the correct answer wins. Make sure you enter a real email when you register and comment so that I can contact you to tell you that you won.

1. How many candidates will end up filing for U.S. Senate? Please list this by party – Republican, Democrat, Third Party (you can exclude Independent as they file by petitions due in May.)
2.  How many candidates will end up filing for U.S. Congress? Please list this by party (same as above) and also by district.

The winner will be announced after filing closes. Good luck!

UPDATE – Filing closes at noon and so does the contest.  Since only one person guessed, you still have a good chance to win.  To make it simplier, guess the number of Senate candidates to file by party.  Closest one wins.  First one to guess it wins in the case of a tie.

Donnie Copeland, pastor of Apostolic Church in North Little Rock, confirmed this morning to the Tolbert Report that he plans to file for Lieutenant Governor this morning as a Republican. Copeland had previously considered running for Governor as recently as last week but backed out when Jim Keet announced his intentions to run.

“I believe more conservatives need to step up and run for office,” said Copeland this morning. “I think the Lieutenant Governor’s office is the place I can make the greatest impact.”

Copeland will face Republican Mark Darr from Rogers in the primary. Copeland said he liked Darr’s idea about using the office to focus on transparency and would be talking about this as well. State Sen. Shane Broadway is the only Democrat to file so far.

Doug Matayo of Springdale plans to file for Congress this morning in the Third Congressional District becoming the eighth Republican to do so. Mayato served as State Representative from Springdale from 2003 until 2006 when he ran for Lieutenant Governor, coming in third to Jim Holt and Chuck Banks in the Republican Primary.

Matayo also played an active role in Gov. Mike Huckabee’s Presidential election in the 2008, seen in this video traveling to Iowa to speak on his behalf. It is likely Huckabee will throw his support to Matayo in this crowded Congressional Primary.

Matayo plans to file around 10:30 this morning.

“Our nation is at a true crossroads,” said Matayo on his website. ”More is at stake than ever before.  America needs an army of citizens that will fight for our values.”

UPDATE - Matayo gets in front of the famous flip cam…

Only four hours to go on Monday morning before the filing closes and several questions remain. Look out for several surprises both in who files and who doesn’t file. 

In the race for the U.S. Senate, only four of the eight announced Republican candidates have filed. State Sen. Gilbert Baker, Retired Col. Conrad E. Reynolds, Tea party leader Randy Alexander, and former State Sen. Jim Holt have all confirmed they will file in the morning. One time rumored candidate attorney Chris Bequette confirmed Sunday that he will not be filing for office.

Also remaining is Republican Scott Wallace in the Second Congressional District who confirmed Sunday that he will file in the morning. In addition, another candidate is expected to file in the Republican race for the Third District and the Democrat race for the First.

Numerous rumors floated this weekend about various other constitutional offices that may pick up some additional candidates so we will be watching those to see if any of them pan out.

Here is a list so far from the Secretary of State of those who filed.

And here is what I know about who is filing when. If you see your favorite candidate on the list, come on down to cheer them on. If you are a candidate (any party) and want on the list, let me know and I will add you.

Monday, March 8 - 8:30 - State Representative - District 48 – Rep. Davy Carter (GOP)

Monday, March 8 - 9:00 – U.S. Senate – Randy Alexander (GOP)

Monday, March 8 - 10:00 – U.S. Senate – Sen. Gilbert Baker (GOP)

Monday, March 8 - 10:30 – U.S. Representative – District 2 – Scott Wallace (GOP) – U.S. Representative – District 3 - Doug Matayo (GOP)

Monday, March 8 - 11:00 – U.S. Senate – Conrad Reynolds (GOP) – Jim Holt (GOP)

And yes there will be more….