‘Push poll’ pans House hopeful Tucker

Call begins as survey, shifts to tying Democratic candidate to Pelosi, Clinton

Automated political phone calls targeting one of the Democratic contenders for Arkansas’ 2nd Congressional District seat made their way into the state this week.

The calls are disguised as political polls, but they push a negative narrative about state Rep. Clarke Tucker of Little Rock, a Democratic candidate for the U.S. House seat, based on the call recipients’ answers to questions. A recording of one of the calls was obtained by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

The so-called “push poll” is the second poll to be reported in Arkansas in the past week. Last weekend, residents said they received similar calls targeting two of the three Arkansas Supreme Court candidates.

The calls, Tucker said, are “baseless soundbites” and the type of political tactics Arkansans are tired of.

“It is regrettable that we are already seeing smear tactics used here in our community from insiders in Washington D.C.,” Tucker said in a statement. “It’s also telling. It indicates they recognize that voters of the 2nd District are responding to our positive message of strong leadership centered around courage, heart, and decency — all things that run counter to these deceptive phone calls.”

Tucker is one of four Democrats in a primary that will determine who will challenge incumbent U.S. Rep. French Hill, R-Little Rock, and Maumelle Libertarian Joe Swafford in November’s general election.

The other three Democrats — Paul Spencer, Gwen Combs and Jonathan Dunkley — weren’t mentioned in the recording obtained by the newspaper.

The call begins by asking the recipient’s political party affiliation and voting preferences before attacking Tucker.

“Clarke Tucker is a Hillary Clinton-supporting Democrat, who voted for more welfare, higher taxes and bigger government,” the recorded voice said. “If Clarke Tucker won’t stand against liberals in Arkansas, he’ll never stand against [U.S. House Minority Leader] Nancy Pelosi and liberals in Washington.

“Knowing this, are you more likely or less likely to vote for Clarke Tucker?”

Those who received the calls said it wasn’t stated who paid for them.

Several Little Rock residents reported receiving the calls on landlines Tuesday night and Wednesday morning.

Carol Roddy said she received a call on Tuesday evening. She said her call didn’t mention Pelosi or attack Tucker as blatantly as the recording obtained by the Democrat-Gazette, but she still felt that Tucker was being targeted.

A Hill campaign spokesman didn’t return a phone call and email requesting comment on Thursday or Friday.

On the day Tucker announced that he would run for Hill’s seat, Hill invoked Pelosi.

“The Democrats have a spirited primary ahead of them and I look forward to contrasting my record of lower taxes, smaller government and a stronger economy against Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats’ record of higher taxes, bigger government, and a weaker economy,” Hill said in a February statement.

Tucker has said he’s frustrated with legislative leaders of both parties and that he wouldn’t back Pelosi to lead House Democrats if elected.

The call also attacked Tucker for opposing tax-cutting legislation passed by Congress last year.

In a broadcast debate with his primary opponents last week, Tucker said he supported part of the Republican-led legislation referenced in the phone calls, particularly tax cuts for middle-class families. However, he took issue with corporate tax cuts in the same bill, calling them “by and large handouts to America’s largest corporations.”