Most Legislative Seats Uncontested In Tuesday Primary
Last updated Thursday, May 15, 2008 7:37 PM CDT in News
By Rob Moritz
The Morning News
LITTLE ROCK - Lack of any opponents assured Democrats a House majority in the state Legislature before the first early vote was cast.
Democrats will claim 51 unopposed seats in the House. Republicans stand to garner 12 House seats the easy way, about halfway to at least maintaining the 25 seats they currently hold.
Thirteen of 18 Senate seats up for election this year will go to candidates unopposed in either a primary or the November general election, unless a write-in candidate is successful. Democrats will get eight of those seats and Republicans five.
Overall, 76 of the 118 seats up for election are uncontested - about 65 percent.
Reflecting on his long legislative career, term-limited state Sen. Jim Argue recently mused that the most surprising change he's seen during his 16 years at the Capitol is how many people get a free ride to the Senate.
"My successor is going into this open seat uncontested," Argue said. "I'm jealous."
After two House terms, Democrat David Johnson will ascend to Argue's seat when the General Assembly convenes in January.
On top of that, no one in Arkansas' congressional delegation drew a major party opponent this year. Sen. Mark Pryor, D-Ark., and 4th District Rep. Mike Ross, D-Prescott, each has a Green Party challenger in the fall, as does 3rd District Rep. John Boozman, R-Rogers.
Republican Party Chairman Dennis Milligan said the decision not to oppose Pryor or any of the state's three Democratic congressmen on the primary ballot was part of an overall rebuilding strategy.
"When I took over as chairman coming off the '06 election cycle, we had taken some pretty big hits," Milligan said.
The state GOP has fallen from its peak in 2000, when it claimed governor and lieutenant governor's offices, two congressional seats, a U.S. Senate seat and 30 state House seats. In 2006, Republicans were swept in statewide races, lost three state House seats and lost a seat each in the U.S. House and Senate.
"We were top heavy and really failed to take advantage of what we had," Milligan said, adding the Republican momentum appeared to end with the death of popular Lt. Gov. Win Rockefeller and the inability of Gov. Mike Huckabee to seek re-election because of term limits.
Sponsored Links
Reader Comments (No comments posted.)
The following comments are provided by readers and are the sole responsibility of their authors. The Morning News does not review comments before their publication, nor do we guarantee their accuracy. By publishing a comment here you agree to abide by our comment policy. If you see a comment that violates our policy, please notify the web editor.
Not already registered?
