Outside election cash

I live in Centerton, and I seldom receive solicitations from Arkansas politicians at any level. However, I receive multiple solicitations from political campaigns in California, Arizona, Utah, Colorado, Texas, Iowa, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York and Maine (I probably missed some). None of those solicitations are for a national political campaign.

I read that in 2016 Beto O’Rourke in Texas had donations exceeding $20 million from the state of California. Sen. Lindsey Graham is seeking help for his current campaign from citizens from states other than South Carolina to combat an election opponent raising millions of dollars from California, New York, etc.

The reason I point this out is my concern that donations from outside our election boundaries could heavily influence who is elected, and that should not be allowed.

As a result, I suggest that Arkansas set a national example by banning outside money from our Arkansas elections. This means that donors must be a resident of an electoral area to donate to a candidate for elected office in Arkansas. We should also require PACs and political parties to restrict election spending to money raised directly within the election area. This should go all the way down to the city council level.

Let’s get big out-of-state money out of our Arkansas state politics.

GENE WAGNON Centerton