ST. PAUL, Minn Arkansas' Republicans left their national convention here confident they can win the state for John McCain in the fall. Their chances in statewide races in 2010 hinge on it.
A McCain victory in a otherwise Democratic-dominated state may give Republicans the boost they need for statewide and congressional races. The only thing missing right now are the big-name candidates to field.
With no Republicans currently in statewide office and with the party in the minority at the Legislature, state GOP leaders have said their goal is to fill a bench that has been shallow if not nonexistent since they were drubbed by Democrats at the polls two years ago.
They say they're making progress, but the November election will be key.
"Part of that will be established after the election. That will shake out when we'll see our election success," state Republican Party Chairman Dennis Milligan said.
There are some names that delegates and party insiders say are already being floated for statewide and congressional races in 2010. They include Deena Burnett Bailey, whose husband Tom Burnett died on hijacked Flight 93 in the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, and state Sen. Gilbert Baker, the former chairman of the state Republican Party.
Both pose challenges for the GOP. Bailey, whom the party appointed to its spot on the state election commission, has some name recognition but no experience in politics. Baker's immediate political future depends on whether he survives a tough re-election battle for his Senate seat.
Baker said he's focused on keeping his seat, facing a challenge from Democrat Joe White in a race that's drawn the support from political heavyweights on both sides. He also isn't ruling anything out down the road.
"I love people. I love politics. But who knows what the future holds?" Baker said.
Some in the party have also said they need to look at candidates who can bring in dollars or draw on their own personal wealth to combat the fundraising advantage Democrats have had in the state. That could include someone like J. French Hill, chairman and chief executive officer of Delta Trust and Banking Corp. of Little Rock, who has served as the finance co-chairman for McCain's campaign in Arkansas.
Hill, a delegate at the convention, said he's not eyeing political office but praised Milligan's efforts to find fresh faces for the next election cycle.
And there's always Mike Huckabee. The former governor turned presidential hopeful turned political commentator still remains the favorite among Republicans in his home state who say they'd like to see him run against Sen. Blanche Lincoln in 2010.
But the former governor has repeatedly dismissed that idea, and his prime-time address at the convention shows he's still a draw on the national stage.
The resignation of University of Central Arkansas President Lu Hardin may have taken one name off the roster for the party in 2014, if not 2010. The former state senator, who resigned over a bonus he received after urging it be approved in secret, has said he's not interested in running for the Senate but hasn't ruled out an eventual run for governor.
The party could also turn to a familiar face like Asa Hutchinson, the former congressman who lost to Mike Beebe in the 2006 gubernatorial election. Hutchinson, a former undersecretary of the federal Department of Homeland Security, raised speculation that he was eyeing another run by chairing a Republican Party Committee preparing for the 2010 elections and researching the campaign finance reports of state Democratic officeholders.
Hutchinson, who was in St. Paul for the convention, said he won't completely rule out another run for office but says he's more focused on his private business interests including a new law firm he's opening with his son in Arkansas.
Hutchinson acknowledged the party faces an uphill battle in finding candidates to put on the ballot in 2010.
"You would always like to have people who have current offices, and that's always one level of bench strength. That's where we're weak right now," Hutchinson said. "You have to look beyond that to people who have worked as business leaders, community leaders, as well as in the political arena."
Another possibility is the party turning to candidates at the local level, like Rogers Mayor Steve Womack, who's made immigration enforcement one of his pet issues. Womack, who said some people have encouraged him to run against Lincoln, laughed off the idea but said he hasn't ruled anything out about his future.
"I didn't know my mother was up there," Womack said when told some Republicans in St. Paul had touted him as a candidate.
The greatest challenge may be finding someone to run against Beebe, a highly popular governor who's managed to avoid any high-profile fights with Republicans in the Legislature and seen his legislative goals win support among lawmakers from both parties.
The key to rebuilding the Republican Party, delegates here say, would be McCain not only winning the state but also winning the White House. Both would go a long way toward helping the party expand and recruit stronger statewide candidates.
"I think it can lay the groundwork for the future," said former state Rep. Doug Matayo, a delegate at last week's convention. "It may not have immediate impacts, but it does lay the groundwork for 2010 and 2012."
DeMillo covers Arkansas government and politics for The Associated Press.
