State Senate

DISTRICT 4

If anyone is looking for a recent demonstration of why casting an early ballot has its perils, consider the case of Greg Leding, Democratic candidate for the Arkansas Senate in District 4. Tuesday evening, Leding was videorecorded confronting his Republican opponent, Dawn Clemence, 56. It was clearly a heated moment, made appallingly worse when Leding, 40, leapt onstage and hovered uncomfortably close to the diminutive Clemence as the faceto-face clash intensified. The video, taken in a loud room, doesn’t include audio of their chat, but it’s clear Leding was mad and sought to use his physical presence in an intimidating fashion. In doing so, he opened the door for Clemence and her supporters to turn his behavior into a political tool. All’s fair in love and politics. Leding sort of apologized, then apparently became convinced of the inadequacy of his remorse and more directly apologized. He needed to, without equivocation.

So now voters are left to decide whether Leding’s behavior negates what they know of his representation during four terms in the House and whether that makes Clemence the right choice to represent them for the next four years in the state Senate.

In our view, the answer to both questions is “no.”

We made our endorsement decision for Leding in this race Monday and his appalling behavior Tuesday gave us pause to revisit our deliberations. As unacceptable as Leding’s tantrum was, we’re sure Clemence and her fellow Republicans agree that one momentary incident does not define a person. They’ve swallowed so many distasteful episodes from the president they must understand the concept of forgiveness.

If the whole Republican vs. Democrat thing is all that matters to you, our endorsement doesn’t matter one wit. If you’re more discerning in individual races, we suggest Leding’s representation of his House district has been strong. He’s vocal on issues, such as gun violence, but he’s also capable of working with GOP members on common ground. He wants to work toward better wages for worker, an intensified focus on higher education at the state Capitol, landlord-tenant reforms and support for public education.

Clemence has no public record. We think sending a lawmaker with experience into the Senate is a smarter move for District 4’s voters. We recommend those voters back Greg Leding.