LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — A Republican congressman in central Arkansas won re-election Tuesday night, fending off a challenge from a cancer survivor who had criticized his vote for repealing the federal health care law as the GOP maintained control of the state's four House districts.
Republican U.S. Rep. French Hill defeated Democratic challenger Clarke Tucker in the 2nd Congressional District race covering Little Rock and seven central Arkansas counties. Hill was first elected to the seat in 2014. The race also featured Libertarian nominee Joe Swafford.
Democrats believed the 2nd District's urban section gave the party a better chance than Arkansas' three other congressional seats, where the GOP incumbents easily won re-election Tuesday night against long-shot Democratic rivals. In 2016, Trump won 52 percent of the 2nd district's vote.
Tucker talked often in the race about his bout with bladder cancer last year, and criticized Hill over his vote to repeal the federal health care law last year. Tucker underwent surgery and chemotherapy last year and is now cancer-free. Tucker said the experience and House Republicans' vote to repeal the health care law motivated him to challenge Hill. The repeal effort failed in the Senate.
Jeff Walker, who owns a fitness center in Little Rock, has supported Hill in the past and backed Trump two years ago but voted for Tucker in Tuesday's election. Walker, 52, said he recently purchased coverage through the insurance exchange set up under the health care law and worried he wouldn't be able to afford a policy if the overhaul is repealed.
"I voted for Clarke Tucker just in fear of that going away," Walker said after voting at a west Little Rock church.
Hill easily won his second term in 2016 by more than 20 percentage points, but has been on defense in the race. He has run a series of ads trying to link Tucker with national Democrats such as Nancy Pelosi and Hillary Clinton. He also has criticized Tucker as soft on immigration and for the times he voted "present" or didn't cast a vote on controversial bills in the state House.
Bernica Tackett, a retired teacher from Bryant, said Tuesday she voted for Hill and said she believed the incumbent lawmaker has helped enact Trump's agenda.
"I think he really does follow the lead that the president promised," Tackett said.
Hill's campaign fund dwarfed Tucker's, and the race drew the interest of national groups on both sides. Republican U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton's PAC has run online ads and sent out mailers targeting Tucker, while the Democrats' congressional campaign arm has run TV spots attacking Hill over health care. Both candidates last month condemned a political action committee's radio ad in favor of Hill that suggested white Democrats would lynch black Americans if they won the midterm election.
Republican Rep. Steve Womack, who chairs the House Budget Committee, defeated Democrat Josh Mahony in northwest Arkansas' 3rd District. In east Arkansas' 1st Congressional District, Republican Rep. Rick Crawford defeated Democratic challenger Chintan Desai. Republican Rep. Bruce Westerman won over Democratic nominee Hayden Shamel in the 4th District in south Arkansas.
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For AP's complete coverage of the U.S. midterm elections: http://apne.ws/APPolitics
NW News on 11/07/2018