2 hopefuls tout qualities for state No. 2 job

ROGERS — Two competing Republican lieutenant governor candidates each claimed Tuesday that he was best qualified to step up as governor, while citing different qualifications for the job.

Sen. Jason Rapert, R-Conway, cited his success at getting conservative measures through the Legislature.

Washington County’s County Judge Joseph Wood noted his experience as the chief executive of one of the state’s largest counties, which is also one of the fastest-growing in the nation.

Both spoke Tuesday to a meeting of the Republican Women of Benton County. Both are in a five-way race in their party’s primary. The winner will face general election opposition. Candidate filing for party primaries will start at noon Feb. 22 and end at noon March 1.

Other announced candidates for the office in the Republican primary are Little Rock businessman Chris Bequette, Arkansas Surgeon General Greg Bledsoe of Little Rock, and former Republican Party Chairman and former state Sen. Doyle Webb of Benton.

Democrat Kelly Krout of Lowell announced earlier this month.

Bledsoe and Webb spoke to the same group Aug. 17. Bequette entered the race Sept. 7 and has been invited to address the group, a spokeswoman for the group said.

Both candidates in Tuesday’s meeting promised to reduce the state income tax. Rapert said a bill to cut the income tax is in the works, and the “patchwork” of exemptions in the state tax code is under review. Eliminating specific exemptions would help pay for an income tax cut that would help everyone, he said.

Wood cited his record in controlling Washington County’s budget and building a surplus.

Both candidates expressed opposition to government mandates such as President Joe Biden’s vaccine mandate. Wood said he learned about the mandate while at a campaign event in Clark County and issued an order immediately saying county employees would not be forced to take vaccinations against covid.

“I’m not their mommy, their daddy or their doctor,” he said.

Rapert called the mandate a severe government overreach, saying he opposed mandates despite his own hospitalization with covid last year, his father’s hospitalization and his grandfather’s death from it.

“Nurses treating our covid patients are getting fired for not taking the vaccine,” Rapert said. “So are doctors, policemen and firemen. The last people we need to fire are the good guys.”

The lieutenant governor takes over if the governor is incapacitated or can no longer serve. The lieutenant governor also has the power to cast a tie-breaking vote in any action by the 35-member Senate. The position is considered part time. The salary is $45,344 annually.