Forget for a minute about the ever-present, dominating race for U.S. Senate in Arkansas. Focus only on the races for state-level executive offices.
There are seven altogether. While the governor's seat is the big prize, the other six ought to be on voters' radar, too. Arkansas will elect a lieutenant governor, attorney general, secretary of state, treasurer, auditor and land commissioner.
Two, count 'em, two of the candidates for any of these offices are incumbents. Even they have only one term's experience.
A few of the candidates have held other offices of public trust, including state and federal legislative posts; but most can claim no executive experience in the Arkansas statehouse.
Call it a "rebuilding" year for Arkansas' executive branch.
Potentially, all seven of the statehouse offices could turn over, although the two incumbents -- Secretary of State Mark Martin, and Land Commissioner John Thurston, both Republicans who won office in 2010 -- could have an edge on their respective Democratic rivals.
The other five offices, including governor, will definitely change hands next term. That's a lot of new management in offices that affect the everyday lives of Arkansas' people. Don't wait until the ballot is in front of you to pick people to fill these offices.
A unique set of circumstances involving term limits for some sitting executives and bad behavior by others has left this state in this situation.
Term limits are turning out state government's highest-ranking Democrats, Gov. Mike Beebe and Attorney General Dustin McDaniel, neither of whom is seeking another office. McDaniel was once an announced candidate for governor but dropped out of the race after news broke of an affair he had.
Former Lt. Gov. Mark Darr, once the highest-ranking Republican in state government, turned himself out. He resigned in the face of legislative calls for his impeachment after he admitted multiple violations of state ethics laws and regulations. The office has remained vacant since his Feb. 1 resignation.
Scandal rocked the state treasurer's office even earlier, resulting in the resignation of former Treasurer Martha Shoffner, a Democrat who is facing criminal charges related to extortion. The office is currently held by Charles Robinson, who was appointed to complete her term and is ineligible to seek the office.
The other state-level office being emptied of experience is that of state auditor, now held by Charlie Daniels, the state's longest-serving executive. Daniels' service predates term limits. After term limits forced him out as land commissioner, he hopped from one executive office to another. The Democrat is in his first four-year term as auditor, but he spent eight years as secretary of state and 18 years as state land commissioner.
There are Democrats and Republicans seeking all seven of these statehouse offices but there are also Libertarians and Green Party candidates for some.
So, the assignment for voters is to check all of these people out, preferably from more sources than their political advertising and certainly not just from the ads posted against them.
Here's a quick note from the campaign-spending arena, for those who may not notice such things.
To date, the two leading candidates for governor have raised more than $9.1 million for that race. The office pays less than $90,000 a year.
Candidates for lieutenant governor, a part-time post that pays under $43,000 annually, are well on their way to gathering upwards of $2 million for their race.
Attorney general candidates have raised just under $1 million. The winner of that one will earn less than $73,000.
And candidates for the remaining four statehouse offices, none of which pay more than $55,000 a year, have collected more than $546,000 for their campaigns.
These are Arkansas races, although a lot of the money, at least for the governor's race, has come from out of state.
Collectively, the total amount of money raised for all these statehouse offices is approaching $13 million. The candidates will all raise still more and presumably spend most of it before the Nov. 4 vote.
The sum is ridiculous and the influence it could buy unimaginable to most of us.
Ignoring the messages all of that money buys is virtually impossible, but voters should try to get other, less-managed information on which to base voting decisions for these and other offices.
One rare opportunity will come this week, when gubernatorial candidates -- Republican Asa Hutchinson and Democrat Mike Ross -- will debate. The televised debate will air at 7 p.m. Friday on KARK in Little Rock, KNWA in Fayetteville and KTAL in Texarkana and will be replayed on stations in El Dorado, Memphis, Tenn., Monroe, La., and Springfield, Mo.
BRENDA BLAGG IS A FREELANCE COLUMNIST AND LONGTIME JOURNALIST IN NORTHWEST ARKANSAS.
Commentary on 09/17/2014