Primary runoff preview: Arkansas attorney general election, 2014

June 9, 2014

By Maresa Strano

Little Rock, Arkansas: Two Little Rock lawyers will battle for the Republican nomination for Arkansas Attorney General in tomorrow's primary runoff election. The seat is open this cycle because current Democratic incumbent Attorney General Dustin McDaniel (D) is barred by term limits from seeking re-election. Leslie Rutledge and David Sterling, who received approximately 47 and 39 percent of the May 20 primary vote, respectively, will take part in a primary runoff on June 10. The runoff will settle what has turned into a bitter rivalry between the two candidates, each of whom campaigned heavily on their qualifications for the role of Arkansas' chief law enforcement officer.

Including attorney general, seven state executive positions are up for election in 2014 in the state of Arkansas. Among the seven, a mere two incumbents, Secretary of State Mark Martin (R) and State Lands Commissioner John Thurston (R), are running for re-election to their current posts this year.

On May 20, 2014, Arkansas voters nominated candidates from six contested primary fields - five Republican and one Democratic - to earn a slot on the November 4 general election ballot. Both Republican and Democratic primaries were held for the governor's race, plus Republican primaries for lieutenant governor, attorney general, treasurer and auditor. After the votes were counted, only the GOP nominee for attorney general remained in question. Of the three candidates, one, Patricia Nation, was eliminated immediately, but neither of the remaining pair managed to garner enough votes to automatically advance to the general election.

The winner of tomorrow's primary runoff will face unopposed Democratic nominee Nate Steel and Libertarian Aaron Cash in November for the chance to replace McDaniel.

A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. Arkansas utilizes an open primary system. Registered voters do not have to be members of a party to vote in that party's primary.

For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.

In Arkansas, all polling places will be open from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Election Day. When the polls close, if you are in line, you will be permitted to vote.

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Arkansas Attorney General

See also: Arkansas attorney general election, 2014

The general election ballot is still up in the air thanks to last month's tight Republican attorney general primary. Leslie Rutledge and David Sterling will compete in a runoff on June 10 for the nomination to face unopposed Democratic nominee Nate Steel and Libertarian Aaron Cash in November.

General election

Leslie Rutledge
Nate Steel
Aaron Cash

Did not file for office

Dustin McDaniel - Incumbent

Lost in the runoff

David Sterling

Lost in the primary

Patricia Nation

May 20 Primary Election Results

• Republican primary

Arkansas Attorney General, Republican Primary, 2014
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Leslie Rutledge	47.2%	79,347
David Sterling	39.1%	65,733
Patricia Nation	13.7%	22,986
Total Votes		168,066
Election results via Arkansas Secretary of State.

Race background

In December 2013, the attorney general race was given its second consecutive "toss-up" rating by Governing. In March 2013, the open seat—held by term-limited Democrat Dustin McDaniel—was first rated vulnerable to partisan switch in the 2014 elections. Shortly before the March rating came out, McDaniel admitted to an extramarital affair in his attorney general tenure. As a result, McDaniel ended his campaign for the governor's office, which was open in 2014 due to incumbent Gov. Mike Beebe hitting term limits.

Ballot access for political parties

See also: Requirements to establish a political party in Arkansas

In Arkansas, the process to establish a political party is tied to the votes cast in a presidential or gubernatorial election. In order to initially put candidates on the ballot, political parties must submit a petition with 10,000 signatures. Then, in order to maintain that status beyond the election year in which they submit such a petition, their candidate for governor or president must receive at least three percent of the votes cast for that office.

In 2012, both the Libertarian and Green parties of Arkansas qualified to put candidates on the ballot, but then their candidates did not receive enough votes for the parties to maintain their ballot status. In the fall of 2013, both parties submitted new petitions and were qualified to put candidates on the 2014 ballot. In order to maintain their status as political parties without needing to petition for the 2016 elections, their candidates for governor needed to receive at least 3 percent of the vote. Frank Gilbert (L) received 1.9 percent of the gubernatorial vote, and Josh Drake (G) earned 1.1 percent of the vote.

Primary election

Five candidates—three Republican, one Democratic and one Libertarian—filed for the election to replace McDaniel. A primary was held on May 20 to decide which of the three Republicans would move on to the general election with the party's nomination. Neither Leslie Rutledge nor David Sterling, both lawyers from Little Rock, received a sufficient share of the vote to avoid a primary runoff election on June 10.

Rutledge and Sterling both focused on their legal resumes and past efforts to support conservative causes. Rutledge said she was “the only one with experience fighting crime, the only one with experience fighting the overreaching federal government.” Sterling, meanwhile, said his federal court experience made him the better candidate. “The AG’s office is essentially Arkansas’ largest law firm, and I think that the voters want a serious and responsible and experienced attorney leading that law firm,” Sterling said.

Rutledge ultimately defeated Sterling in the Republican primary runoff, earning over 58 percent of the vote. She faced unopposed Democratic nominee Nate Steel and Libertarian Aaron Cash in the general election on November 4.

Questions over Rutledge's voter registration

In late September, Pulaski County Clerk Larry Crane (D) revoked Rutledge's voter registration because she was also registered in Washington, D.C., and Virginia. Rutledge criticized Crane's decision as a political maneuver and said in an interview with the Arkansas News Bureau, "There are consequences related to gender when it comes to women in politics, particularly, we know, when they run for traditionally quote-unquote masculine offices, and the attorney general's office is one of those."

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See also

• Arkansas elections, 2014
• Arkansas Gubernatorial election, 2014
• Arkansas Lieutenant Gubernatorial election, 2014
• Arkansas attorney general election, 2014
• Arkansas secretary of state election, 2014
• Arkansas down ballot state executive elections, 2014

Footnotes

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