Halter quits bid to be governor

For sake of Democrats, he says; Ross now alone in party bid

Former Lt. Gov. Bill Halter dropped his bid for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination Monday, saying he wants to spare his party a divisive primary.

Halter of North Little Rock and his spokesman declined to say whether Halter is considering running for the 2nd Congressional District seat, held by Republican Tim Griffin of Little Rock.

Halter announced his decision two weeks after fellow Democrat and former U.S. Rep. Mike Ross reported raising nearly $2 million incontributions last quarter, compared with Halter’s $102,900.

Halter focused Monday on calling his supporters and thanking them fortheir backing, and he’s “not responding to rumors about any other office,” Halter spokesman Bud Jackson said Monday.

Halter entered the governor’s race on Jan. 25 - the same day that Democratic Attorney General Dustin McDaniel of Little Rock bowed out after admitting to an inappropriate relationship with a Hot Springs lawyer. Ross announced his plan to seek the Democratic nomination on April 17, about 11 months after he initially declined to enter the race.

Halter said Monday in an email to his supporters that “since we announced our gubernatorial campaign another strong candidate has entered the primary election, and in order to avoid a divisive primary and to help unite the Democratic Party, I am ending my campaign for governor.”

“I congratulate Mike Ross on a great start to his campaign, and I will be working hard to elect him and other Democratic nominees for office in the coming election,” Halter said in his email.

Halter’s departure from the governor’s race leaves Ross of Little Rock as the lone announced Democratic candidate. Three Republicans - former U.S. Rep. Asa Hutchinson of Rogers, state Rep. Debra Hobbs of Rogers and businessman Curtis Coleman of Little Rock - are vying for their party’s nomination.

Jackson declined to say when Halter started considering bowing out of the governor’s race or when Halter made the decision.

As to whether last quarter’s fundraising prompted Halter’s decision to drop out of the race, Jackson said Halter’s statement “addresses his decision.” Halter’s email made no mention of campaign finances.

Asked his reaction to Halter’s decision, Democratic Gov. Mike Beebe, whom Halter briefly challenged for the Democratic nomination in 2006 before deciding to run for lieutenant governor instead, replied, “That’s his business.”

As to whether Halter should consider running for the 2nd Congressional District or another office, Beebe said, “That’s his business.” Beebe said Halter didn’t give him advance notice that he was withdrawing from the 2014 race. Beebe, who has beengovernor since 2007, is barred from seeking re-election under the state’s term-limits amendment.

In 2006, Halter said his main reason for switching from running for governor to lieutenant governor was his concern that he would be forced to attack Beebe in order to win, and that was “unacceptable” to him.

Halter was elected lieutenant governor in 2006 and led the successful campaign in 2008 to persuade voters to approve a constitutional amendment to authorize the General Assembly to create a state lottery for college scholarships. Halter lost a challenge to then-Democratic Sen. Blanche Lincoln in 2010, narrowly losing a runoff.

Ross - the state’s former 4th District congressman who is a Prescott native and now lives in Little Rock - said Halter called Monday morning and told him he was leaving the race .

“I thanked him for his many years of service to the state of Arkansas and said that I hopehe continued to pursue public service,” Ross said in a written statement. “It’s clear Bill loves Arkansas and cares deeply for the people of this great state.”

A spokesman for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, David Bergstein, declined to say whether the committee is urging Halter to run in central Arkansas’ 2nd Congressional District.

Conway Mayor Tab Townsell and former state Rep. Linda Tyler of Conway said they’re still considering seeking the Democratic nomination for the 2nd Congressional seat, and they don’t know whether Halter will seek the seat.

“I am not sure what he’s thinking,” Townsell said of Halter. “But a lot of people are encouraging him to make the step into the 2nd District race.”

Halter “is getting a lot of encouragement to get in both inside and outside the state,” Tyler said.

If Halter decides to run for Congress, that would be “a game changer” because Halter would be a formidable opponent in a Democratic primary, Townsell said.

Townsell and Tyler each declined to rule out running for the seat if Halter enters the race.

Tyler said she’s also still considering the option of challenging state Sen. Jason Rapert, R-Bigelow, next year. Last November, Rapert defeated Tyler.

State Sen. Joyce Elliott, D-Little Rock, who lost her bid for the 2nd Congressional District seat to Griffin in 2010, said she hopes some Democrat runs for the seat in 2014.

Halter would be a good candidate for the congressional seat, but she doesn’t have any preferences on who seeks the post, Elliott said.

As to whether Griffin expects Halter to challenge him, Griffin said he’s working hard every day to represent “the mainstream, common-sense views of the people in the 2nd District.”

“I will run hard in next year’s campaign regardless of who else runs,” Griffin said in a written statement. “Bill Halter is a liberal who has run four different campaigns for three different offices in the last seven years, so it wouldn’t surprise me if he ran for another new office. He likes running for office.”

Jay Barth, a Hendrix College associate professor of political science and Democratic activist, said Halter clearly left the door open to running for another office.

Barth said he “would put some money” on Halter running for the 2nd Congressional seat in 2014, “but I don’t know how much.”

Republican gubernatorial candidates also responded to Halter’s announcement Monday.

Hutchinson said Halter’s withdrawal from the governor’s race “is just another interesting turn of events in the Democratic primary process.”

“In contrast to the Democrat candidate, I have consistently opposed Obamacare and the Democrat party agenda,” Hutchinson said, Ross being the remaining Democratic gubernatorial candidate.

Coleman said his agenda “stands in stark contrast to Mike Ross’ record in Washington of supporting Obamacare, bigger government and more spending.”

Ross voted in a House committee for one version of a federal legislation overhauling the health-care system but later voted against the Affordable Care Act, which was signed into law in 2010.

Hobbs said she’ll be interested to see whether another Democratic candidate joins Ross in the race for governor in 2014, but she doubted that would happen in light of Ross’ fundraising.

“It would be a pretty tough thing to compete against,” she said.

Front Section, Pages 1 on 07/30/2013

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