ROGERS — Democratic governor’s candidate Mike Ross assured Benton County Democrats that he can carry a state that has followed a strong Republican trend in recent elections.
“My congressional district had the same ‘Republican’ ranking as Michele Bachmann’s,” said Ross, a former U.S. representative for south Arkansas’ 4th Congressional District. He cited a ranking by the Cook Political Report, an independent political analysis firm. Bachmann, R-Minn., is one of the most outspoken conservatives in Congress.
“I’m too conservative for some of you,” Ross told the crowd of more than 120 attending Monday’s meeting of the Benton County Democrats Club, held in the Metroplex Event Center in Rogers. “I get that, but that’s how you win in Arkansas: by running conservative to moderate Democrats.”
Doyle Webb, chairman of the state Republican Party, said that Ross was admitting how little he represented his district with the Bachmann comparison: “Michele Bachmann would never have provided the vote that let Obamacare pass the House Finance Committee.”
If elected, Ross said, he will support the so-called “private option” plan to expand health care coverage. He told the group: “I would have voted for it. I would have signed it, and as governor, I will protect the funding for it.”
Ross recently announced he would phase out state sales tax on parts for repairing or replacing equipment at manufacturing plants, a tax that raises about $40 million a year for the state. He would continue to phase out the state’s sales tax on groceries, though, if there is still a remainder when he assumes office, he said in an interview after the speech. Eliminating the sales tax on groceries would be his “first priority” if elected, he said. The grocery tax has been cut from 6 percent to 1.5 percent as state revenue allows.
“When a company makes the hard decision on which plant to close, they keep the one with the most modern equipment or the one that can be modernized,” Ross said in an interview. That makes the state sales tax on replacement or repair machinery particularly harmful, he said.
Ross has three announced opponents so far, Republicans Curtis Coleman of Little Rock, Rep. Debra Hobbs of Rogers and former U.S. Rep. Asa Hutchinson. Hutchinson has proposed a cut to the state income tax, with details pending until later in the campaign. Ross said a general income tax increase would not have the specific benefits of his proposed, targeted tax cut.
Ross also quipped during his speech that campaign finance in his race so far showed he was the true “fiscal conservative” in the race. “Fiscal conservatives don’t borrow money,” he said. “My opponents, all Republicans, have all given themselves loans.” Ross has raised campaign funds at a rate of 3 to 1 against Hutchinson, he said and campaign finance reports show.
Recent polls show Ross running about 2 points behind Hutchinson, Ross said in his speech. “When I started this race, I was 9 percentage points behind,” said Ross. “The only thing a poll tells you this early in a race is who has more name recognition.”