LITTLE ROCK — Charlie Daniels has been working at the state Capitol since the beginning of Ronald Reagan’s second term as president, serving as land commissioner for 18 years and, most recently, a twoterm secretary of state.
The Democrat from Bryant is now aiming for a third constitutional office: state auditor.
“I’ve enjoyed public service. That’s what I do,” said Daniels, 70.
Auditor Jim Wood, a Democrat, is barred from re-election because of term limits. Daniels will face Green Party candidate Mary Hughes-Willis of Hot Springs in the Nov. 2 election.
Daniels said he would evaluate the auditor’s office before making major changes, but thinks more could be done on the Internet to help people redeem unclaimed property.
The state auditor is in charge of distributing state checks and unclaimed property. The annual salary is $54,305.
Hughes-Willis first became active in Mississippi’sGreen Party in 2000, working to get ballot access for Ralph Nader, the party’s presidential candidate. She moved to Hot Springs about two years ago and says it’s “time to start giving back to the community,” now that her two children are grown.
She said she’ll have to wait and see what changes to make in the auditor’s office. So far, learning about what the office does has been difficult, she said.
“I went to the office and they gave me two brochures and told me to go to thewebsite,” said the 51-year-old self-employed marketing merchandiser.
Hughes-Willis said she is certain about one thing: No state vehicle is needed.
“It’s my responsibility to get myself from home to work every day,” Hughes-Willis said. She said she would only accept mileage reimbursement if she drove somewhere on state business - not for her commute.
Daniels and the other six constitutional officers came under scrutiny this summer for their use of state vehicles. Daniels now pays taxes on his vehicle and says he’ll wait for the courts to decide the appropriate use of constitutional officers’ state vehicles.
“If the courts say ‘yes’, then I will [keep a state vehicle],” Daniels said.
Daniels pointed to his accomplishments as secretary of state, including overseeing renovation of the Capitol building and grounds and upgrading technology for voters to find their registrations online. He said he is familiar, as a past land commissioner, with locating people who own tax-delinquent property and would use those skills to help Arkansans find unclaimed property during the office’s annual Great ArkansasTreasure Hunt - which seeks to reunite state residents with lost or unclaimed property.
Hughes-Willis said she wants to offer voters a choice.
“Government was not intended to become a way of life for people,” she said, adding that Daniels’ long tenure in elected office fit that description. “To paraphrase Thomas Jefferson, I think every 20 years we need to throw them all out and start over.”
Daniels said his service has earned the public trust and he hopes his name, familiar on statewide ballots for three decades, will be a political advantage.
“I hope it’s good [name] recognition,” he said.
Northwest Arkansas, Pages 7 on 10/25/2010