Arkansan tagged as Democrat to watch

The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee is listing an Arkansan as one of its “state Democrats to watch.”

Alan Hughes of Bismarck was the candidate the group singled out. He is running against Republican state Rep. Laurie Rushing of Hot Springs in District 26.

Hughes has been president of the Arkansas AFL-CIO for more than two decades. Rushing is a real estate broker.

The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee describes itself as “the only organization exclusively committed to electing Democrats to state legislatures all over the country and winning Democratic control of chambers.”

The Washington-based group highlighted 37 candidates from 16 states. The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee says Democrats in state legislatures have made gains since President Donald Trump’s inauguration, flipping 44 seats since Jan. 20, 2017.

Republicans continue to dominate, however, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Thirty-one legislatures are controlled by Republicans and 14 by Democrats as of July 11, the nonpartisan organization said. Four states are split, with Democrats controlling one chamber and Republicans controlling the other. (Nebraska’s Legislature is nonpartisan and unicameral.)