Different philosophies define two candidates for state Senate seat

Justice of the Peace Matt Mckee, R-district 9, says state Sen. Bill Sample, R-district 14, has a voting record that runs counter to the Republican Party platform, while a spokesman for Sample says lawmakers have to be responsive to the concerns of all of their constituents, not just the ones they identify with politically.

The two philosophies have played out during the campaign for the District 6 Senate Republican nomination that will be decided in the May 24 preferential primaries. Early voting starts Monday.

Sample is running for a fifth term in the Legislature’s upper chamber. Mckee is looking to jump to the Senate from the Garland County Quorum Court, where he’s chaired the Finance Committee for seven years. Their newly drawn district includes most of Garland County and north Saline County.

“I’m running because I see people trying to destroy our country,” Mckee said at the candidate forum the Republican Party of Garland County held last month at the library. “We see taxes and regulations out of control. We see Biden inflation, and the taxes and regulations

in Arkansas just contribute to that and make that even worse. We see no transparency in government at the federal level, and we’ve got things we can work on at the state level.”

Sample was slated to speak at Thursday’s RPGC forum but had a scheduling conflict. He sent former state Rep. Roger Smith in his stead. Smith said Sample’s institutional knowledge of the Senate has made him the county’s most effective advocate and appropriator.

“That puts him in the unique position to bring the money home,” Smith said, noting Sample has secured more than $300 million in highway projects for the county. “He’s been more successful at bringing money to this county than any other legislator we’ve ever had. That’s a fact. The numbers prove that.

“State government isn’t simple. It’s more complex than you realize. It’s one thing to file a bill. It’s entirely another thing to be able to carry it through and have it made into state law.”

Sample has reported more than $20,000 in contributions from political action committees representing a range of industries and professions, proof, Smith said, that Sample has been responsive to their concerns.

“Why does he have the support of the business community, teachers, farmers, medical professionals, hospitals, law enforcement, firefighters?” Smith said. “He’s always been able to deliver to those groups of people. He’s always been there. His door has always been open to listen to their needs, and he has successfully passed the legislation that has addressed those needs over and over again.”

Republicans have dominated state politics for more than a decade, but Mckee said the party hasn’t fully leveraged its majorities in the House or Senate.

“I’m sick and tired of having a Republican majority and not being able to get quality, solid Republican party platform legislative things done,” he said. “We’ve got some Republicans up there who can’t seem to bring themselves to vote for common sense Republican Party platform legislation. My opponent is a nice guy, but we’ve got to be able to have legislators who will vote consistently conservative.”

Mckee pointed to more than a dozen items in Sample’s voting record he said are inconsistent with the party’s platform on tax and business policies and social and cultural issues.

“When he’s there at the Capitol, he’s not speaking for the people of this district,” Mckee said. “I want to be the voice of District 6. I’ll be a conservative voice, a voice that represents the Republican Party platforms that we hold dear. Not just because they’re good ideas, but because we know that they improve people’s lives and make them better.”

Smith said lawmakers have to consider more than just their ideological preferences when casting votes, regardless of how it plays with their base.

“The decisions they have to make aren’t easy ones,” he said. “He has to represent everyone in the district. It makes no difference what their politics are, which party they favor. Everybody gets represented. Sometimes the decisions don’t make everyone happy.”

The winner will face Democrat Cortney Warwick Mckee, no relation to Matt Mckee, in the Nov. 8 general election.