All of Arkansas is evolving politically and neither major party has a lock on any large area any more, said state Attorney General Dustin McDaniel at the annual Little Rock Picnic.
The picnic is a major fundraiser for the Democratic Party in Benton County, which is the state Republican Party’s strongest county. It is not as secure for the GOP as was perceived before, said McDaniel, who has begun organizing a campaign for governor in 2014.
“In 2010, the worst year for Democrats, Democratic Gov. Mike Beebe won in all 75 counties including Benton County,” McDaniel said. He carried counties (former governor and president) Bill Clinton never carried. At the same time, we have Republicans running in the Delta and having a good chance there.” The Delta is eastern Arkansas’ Mississippi River Delta, a traditional Democratic stronghold.
“As Northwest Arkansas continues to grow, it continues to evolve,” McDaniel said. Neither party can take the region for granted, he said. Saturday’s picnic was held in the Little Flock city park from 4 to 7 p.m. At least 300 tickets to the event were sold, organizers said.
Thurman Metcalf of Rogers, a picnic organizer and delegate to this year’s Democratic National Convention, agreed with McDaniel’s assessment. Benton County not only helped elect Beebe, but the numbers who turned out for him there give the county greater standing and clout in the Democratic Party statewide, Metcalf said.
“Democrats in Benton County are a party to be reckoned with,” Metcalf said.
Democrats would have had some state lawmaker candidates and a worthwhile local primary if they were the growing force McDaniel described, said Mike Sevak, Benton County Republican Party chairman.
While Beebe has gained acceptance as governor, the party’s ticket is led by President Barack Obama, whose policies have driven many Democrats away, Sevak said. The Republican nominee for president is former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney. “We have Democrats showing up at our headquarters asking for Romney signs, saying they voted for Obama last time but he’s messed up ever since,” Sevak said.
Also Saturday, attorney and former state representative David Matthews of Lowell was honored with the Jim and Rita Walters Award as Benton County’s Outstanding Democrat. Metcalf said Matthews received the award for outstanding work for both the party and the community.