LITTLE ROCK (AP) The former Arkansas Republican Party chairman's fight to keep his state Senate seat and possibly gain a key legislative post has become the most high-profile and high-stakes battle among the state's legislative races.
In a year when none of the state's incumbent congressional members face a major-party opponent and the state has been mostly a bit player in the presidential contest, the race between Sen. Gilbert Baker, R-Conway, and Democratic challenger Joe White of Conway has been drawing the big dollars and big names in the state.
The two men combined have already raised more than $791,000 to run for the state Senate seat the only contested race for that chamber on Tuesday's ballot in what is widely thought to be the most expensive legislative race in state history.
The race may decide who becomes the Senate co-chairman of the Joint Budget Committee for the 2009 regular session. The current chairman, Sen. Shawn Womack, R-Mountain Home, is running for a circuit judge post in the general election, and Baker has said he would like to succeed him. The Senate members of the panel elect their chairman.
Baker, who chaired the Republican Party during the 2006 gubernatorial election, has painted his race as a question of whether voters want a strong two-party system in a state where Democrats hold a majority in both chambers of the Legislature.
"We should not go back to a situation where you decide legislative races with a few thousand people in May," Baker said.
White has said he's running against Baker because he believes the former party chairman has been distracted and hasn't done enough for his Faulkner County district.
"I don't necessarily have a problem with him personally, but I'll always put Faulkner County first," White said.
Both Baker and White have been relying on the state's political heavyweights to help them in the campaign. Former Gov. Mike Huckabee has hosted a fundraiser for Baker, while Gov. Mike Beebe has appeared in campaign ads for White and former President Bill Clinton has given money to the Democrat's campaign.
The Baker race headlines a slate of legislative races where Republicans say they hope to gain inroads in a Democratic-dominated statehouse.
In 2006, Democrats swept all constitutional offices and picked up additional seats in the Legislature. Democrats now hold a 27-8 advantage in the Senate and a 75-25 advantage in the House.
Democrats will already lose at least one seat in the House in the race for former Rep. Dwayne Dobbins' seat in the state House, representing North Little Rock. Dobbins, who gave up the seat to avoid a felony sexual assault conviction, was blocked by the party and House members from returning to the seat. Two write-in candidates and a Green Party nominee are running for the seat.
Only 28 seats in the 100 member-house are contested in Tuesday's election. Democrats are already guaranteed 56 seats that are unopposed, while Republicans are guaranteed 16 seats.
Republican Party Chairman Dennis Milligan said he thinks the GOP could gain between five and seven seats in this week's election.
"It helps a tremendous amount in party building and recruiting," Milligan said.
Democratic Party officials say they believe they will maintain their strong majority in both the House and the Senate, if not gain additional seats.
"We've got some great candidates across the state and we're seeing a great amount of excitement," Democratic Party of Arkansas spokeswoman Darinda Sharp said.
The hard-fought House races include House District 29, being vacated by term limited Rep. Janet Johnson, D-Bryant. Republican Ann Clemmer of Benton, a political science professor at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, faces Democrat Scott Smith, a Bryant lawyer, for the seat.
Former Republican state Sen. Bill Walters surprised Republicans by filing to run as a Democrat for the District 62 seat being vacated by his wife, Rep. Shirley Walters, R-Greenwood. Bill Walters faces Republican Terry Rice of Waldron for the seat, which represents Scott County and part of Sebastian County.
Rep. Steve Breedlove, D-Greenwood, faces a challenge from Republican John Van Gorder of Greenwood in the race for District 67, which includes parts of Franklin and Sebastian counties.
In Little Rock, Democrat John Edwards faces Republican Kelly Eichler in the race for the District 38 seat now held by Rep. David Johnson, a Democrat. Johnson is running unopposed for the state senate.
