Last-minute ballot observations; Is the governor race ‘tight’?

Can there be a ‘tightening’ of the Governor’s race in Arkansas?

Many since the official blockbuster announcement of Sarah Huckabee Sanders have called the race as “over,” “done” and “is hers to lose.”

Is she about to do so?

I doubt it, but there are many who see a “tightening” of that political race, while some real stinker match ups, on the down ballot races, such as Lieutenant Governor and Attorney General, seem to be “lengthening” the GOP footprint on the state level.

Some after the Huckabee Sanders announcement last spring predicted the former Little Rock Central High School Spirit Club member might approach the 65-70 percent range of victory at the ballot box this November.

That prediction did not wane when her former boss, former President Donald Trump, hosted gigantic and lucrative fundraisers for Sanders at his Florida enclave. With the GOP elite in attendance, staggering millions of dollars — usually only seen in Arkansas races late in the ballot cycle — were donated.

This was Sanders’ first time as a political candidate, and now she has a bulging bank account stuffed full of out of state donation dollars to become Arkansas’ next governor.

Chris Jones, the highly-educated and very articulate, challenger to Sanders has from day one, met with people, Arkansas people, warts and all in a hectic, old-style retail campaign of handshakes, speeches with impromptu questions from those in attendance and a quirky, but effective onemile walks all over Arkansas.

He has lagged, always, it seems $10 million dollars behind Sander’s campaign treasure chest, but he has been climbing in the polls.

Jones has been, as many say, very careful not to engage her personality, family or campaign directly.

Jones’ work has been more about Arkansans electing the next governor — than running against Sanders.

••• Another statewide-race getting little traction is the State Supreme Court race.

Incumbent Justice Robin Wynne, a Fordyce native, is seeking re-election to the high bench. He is being opposed by a central Arkansas’ jurist Chris Carnahan.

The latest polling shows Wynne with a double-digit lead over Carnahan but still a larger-thanusual undecided contingent of voters in this race.

One reason this race has been so quiet, for the first time in several State Supreme Court races, there has been an absence of “dark money” funding attack ad commercials against one or the other candidates.

Still the race between these two judges for a seat on the state’s highest court is a political race that needs to be examined before stepping into the voting booth.

•••

The issue taking up almost all the “air time” on the TV and radio stations these waning days before the election on Nov. 8 is the recreational marijuana initiative.

In early voting, it seems that the 18-to-24-year-olds in Arkansas are flocking to the polls, I would venture to guess in record numbers, this election cycle. This issue seems to resonate with this age group. Many have had friends arrested for possession and many have seen the medical marijuana side of this issue — first hand.

•••

A report out just this week may have many cities in Northwest Arkansas scratching their collective heads again as the November General Election flies by.

If the region is indeed to double in population in the next two decades, the election of city council members, mayors, county judges and those state Representatives and state Senators are almost more paramount to the region than who is governor.

One veteran of city hall in our area’s smaller towns, years ago, said it best:

“It is smarter for this city to focus on electing a good city council than who sits 250 miles away in the governor’s office. No governor is going to tell a town that is growing, developing and progressing in this state, what to do. The governor is going to ask that city’s leadership: ‘What can I do for you?’”