FAYETTEVILLE -- Former President Bill Clinton will highlight Arkansas Democratic Party rallies planned at the University of Arkansas and in Rogers on Oct. 7, the state party chairman said Saturday.
"Northwest Arkansas always appreciates a native son," said Candy Clark of Fayetteville, Democratic nominee for District 84 of the state House of Representatives. Clinton and his wife, former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, are former residents of Fayetteville. Democratic state chairman Vince Insalaco announced plans for the rallies at a fundraiser for Clark's campaign against incumbent Charlie Collins, R-Fayetteville, and at a long-running Democratic fundraiser in Benton County soon after.
Insalaco, Democratic governor's nominee Mike Ross and other state party leaders were in the region for the Little Flock Picnic, a regular election year Democratic event in Benton County that dates back at least 50 years, organizers said. The picnic is held in the city park of Little Flock, near Rogers.
Saturday's picnic had about twice as many attendees and sponsors as usual, said Thurman Metcalf, spokesman. Benton County Democrats had 400 tickets printed up before the event in anticipation of a better-than-usual crowd. By the time the event was under way, organizers had to issue another 100 handwritten tickets, they said. The event also had 78 sponsors, about twice what it has had in recent years, Metcalf said. "Benton County is changing," he said. "We're moving in a progressive direction."
Details of the former president's appearance are still being worked out, Insalaco said in an interview after the announcement. Tentatively, Clinton will speak outdoors at the university about 11:30 a.m. and go to a rally at the John Q. Hammons Center in Rogers two hours later, he said. This would be a day after he makes appearances in Conway and Jonesboro, Insalaco said. Further appearances by the former president are planned for southern and eastern Arkansas closer to the election, Insalaco said.
"It is always good to see President Clinton engaged in the political process," said J.R. Davis, spokesman for Republican governor's nominee Asa Hutchinson. "However, this will not impact our campaign or distract us from talking about Asa's plan for the future of job creation and lowering our high income tax rate. Arkansans should ask Congressman Ross if he will be bringing President Obama to Arkansas since Mr. Ross supported him for president."
David Ray, spokesman for the U.S. Senate campaign of Republican nominee Rep. Tom Cotton, agreed. Cotton is running against Democratic incumbent Sen. Mark Pryor, who did not attend the Northwest Arkansas events. "Bill Clinton's support of Sen. Pryor doesn't bother us," Ray said. "What bothers us, and should bother every Arkansan, is Senator Pryor's support for President Barack Obama."
Benton County has the largest Republican turnout of any Arkansas county, but it also has the second-largest turnout of Democrats, Insalaco said. Turning out more voters this year, a mid-term election in which turnouts are historically low, is vital for Democrats, he said.
"Mike Beebe carried Benton County," Insalaco said, referring to the Democratic governor's last election. "If we can get one thousand more people to turn out for this election, tell me how that doesn't help Grimsley Graham and our other candidates here." Graham is running for the District 94 state House seat in Rogers.
"If only 768,000 turn out to vote, we're going to lose," Insalaco said, referring to figures from the 2010, election, the last non-presidential election. Low turnouts in non-presidential elections are a problem for Democrats nationwide, election figures show. They do better with the higher turnouts of presidential election years. "We just need another four or five percentage points," he said.
Clinton will definitely boost the turnout in Northwest Arkansas, said Tyler Clark, chairman of the Washington County Democratic Party. "He connects with the base voters," Clark said of Clinton. "This will give huge momentum for us."
Northwest Arkansas is vital to any candidate in a statewide race, Republican or Democrat, said Karen Sealy Garcia, Democratic nominee for state treasurer. Republican treasurer candidate Dennis Milligan of Benton won the primary but trailed state Rep. Duncan Baird, R-Lowell, in Benton County. Garcia will actively seek Republicans who voted for Baird, she said.
NW News on 09/14/2014