Democrat explores run for U.S. House seat

Paul Spencer of Scott has filed papers to create a committee to explore running next year as a Democrat for the 2nd District congressional seat now held by Little Rock Republican French Hill.

Spencer, 50, a pecan farmer and history and government teacher at Catholic High School for Boys, said Thursday that his campaign is in an exploratory phase, but “the intention is we plan to announce in July” for the congressional seat. Hill, a former banker, has held the office since 2015.

“The intended purpose of the House of Representatives is to represent the needs of the people,” Spencer said in a news release. “Currently, only the needs of special interests are being represented in the 2nd District.

“This is evidenced by contemptuous budget priorities, tax policy, and most recently in health care policy that demonstrates reckless disregard for the people of Arkansas. Also, in this current unpredictable political climate, Arkansans deserve representation that will vigorously defend and uphold the core values of our democracy and rule of law,” Spencer said in his written statement.

Spencer, a self-described social Democrat, said he opposes abortion except to save the life of the mother or in cases of rape or incest.

“I’m sure I’ll have some pushback from those people who disagree with my point of view, but I don’t think that will be a determining factor on whether I run,” Spencer said, adding that the issue wouldn’t be a defining part of his candidacy.

Little Rock attorney Bob Edwards and former University of Central Arkansas President Winfred Thompson of Conway said they’re also considering running for the 2nd District seat.

Edwards, 51, said that “it will be a while” before he decides whether to run. Thompson, 71, said he would make a decision soon but one of several factors is his wife’s unexpected illness.

State Democratic leader Michael John Gray of Augusta said party officials have talked with about a half-dozen potential 2nd District candidates. Of the three publicly expressing interest, Spencer is the only candidate to vote in a Republican primary since 2002, according to records in the secretary of state’s office.

The records show Spencer voted in the 2008 Republican presidential primary.

But Spencer said, “I am pretty doggone sure I wouldn’t have voted in the Republican primary. I don’t know why they would have had me in the Republican primary.”

He said he consistently voted Republican until he changed his mind during Republican President George W. Bush’s second term.

He said he voted for Democrat Barack Obama for president in 2008.

For the 2018 election, the filing period for state and federal offices will be from Feb. 22-March 1.

The primary election will be May 22 and the general election will be Nov. 6.

Spencer filed a registration form with the secretary of state’s office for the Paul Spencer for U.S. House-Arkansas 2nd District exploratory committee late Wednesday, according to the office’s records. The form lists the committee’s officers as Bethany Meadows of Little Rock, Andrew DeMay of Little Rock, Jeffrey Ruthven of Little Rock and Bailey Gambill of Little Rock.

“Mr. Spencer filed his paperwork with the wrong office. He should be filing with the [Federal Election Commission] and we have informed him of this,” said Chris Powell, a spokesman for Republican Secretary of State Mark Martin.

But people who explore a bid for a congressional seat don’t have to file a registration form for an exploratory committee and begin filing campaign-finance reports at the Federal Election Commission under federal law until they raise or spend more than $5,000 and decide to be a candidate, said Christian Hilland, a spokesman for the commission.

Spencer said he’ll register and file reports with the Federal Election Commission next month, if he decides to run.

Spencer said he plans to accept donations only from individuals and not from political action and party committees and special interest groups.

He said he wouldn’t have voted for U.S. House-approved legislation to repeal and replace the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act that Hill voted for in part because 23 million Americans could lose health insurance coverage under the measure. The federal law is often called Obamacare. Obama signed it into law in 2010, after the then-Democratic-controlled Congress approved it. Republicans now control Congress.

Spencer said a Medicarefor-all heath care plan proposed by U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, a self-described democratic socialist from Vermont, is “a good starting point” for discussions on changing the Affordable Care Act.

Hill’s office had no comment Thursday afternoon. According to Hill’s last campaign-finance report, Hill’s campaign had $730,624.77 cash on hand as of March 31.

“The intended purpose of the House of Representatives is to represent the needs of the people,” Spencer said in a news release. “Currently, only the needs of special interests are being represented in the 2nd District.