Gun range owner to study candidacy

Hot Springs Republican Jan Morgan will announce today that she’s forming a committee to explore the possibility of running for governor next year, a spokesman for her said Monday.

Morgan, 54, owns the Gun Cave shooting range in Hot Springs. In 2014, she drew national media attention by declaring her gun range a “Muslim Free Zone,” saying that she was concerned about the safety of other customers if Muslims patronized her business.

Ralph Wunder of Washington, D.C., a senior political adviser to Morgan, said Morgan plans to go on a listening tour of Arkansas and determine the level of campaign funding that would be available before deciding whether to challenge Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson. Wunder said Morgan believes “the governor talks like a conservative and governs like a liberal.”

Hutchinson’s chief political strategist, Jon Gilmore, said Monday, “We recognize that with 2018 being an election year there might be opposition and folks will consider and explore a run for political office. Explorations will happen. It is a normal part of the political process.”

In his latest campaign finance report filed in July, Hutchinson reported $1.19 million in the bank for his re-election campaign as of June 30, including $889,639.40 for the primary election and $295,550 for the general election.

For the 2018 election, the filing period for state and federal offices will be Feb. 22-March 1. The primary will be May 22, and the general election will be Nov. 6, 2018.

In 2014, Hutchinson beat businessman Curtis Coleman in the Republican primary before defeating former Democratic U.S. Rep. Mike Ross of Little Rock, Libertarian candidate Frank Gilbert of Tull and Green Party candidate Joshua Drake of Hot Springs in the general election. Hutchinson is a former federal homeland security undersecretary, Drug Enforcement Administration director, 3rd District congressman and U.S. attorney.