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Political filing period opens Tuesday, Mar 4, 2008 By John Lyon Arkansas News Bureau LITTLE ROCK - Echoes rang in the halls of the state Capitol at noon Monday as Arkansas Secretary of State Charlie Daniels struck a gong to signal the start of Arkansas' 2008 political filing period. Andrea Lea, a Republican political consultant from Russellville, was the first in line to file for the May 20 primary and nonpartisan judicial elections. Lea is running for the state House seat currently held by Rep. Michael Lamoureau, R-Russellville. Daniels signed and stamped Lea's filing forms in a ceremony in the Capitol rotunda. "I didn't realize I was going to be the first," Lea said. "It's pretty exciting to have Mr. Daniels be the one to fill everything out. That was pretty neat." Lea, a former member of the Pope County Quorum Court and the Russellville City Council, was able to take the first spot in line because she downloaded her forms from the Internet and filled them out in advance. The process was "totally smooth," she said. By 3:30 p.m. Monday, 100 people had filed for office on the opening day of the filing period. An additional 61 filed for nonpartisan judicial positions by submitting petitions in January. Among those who filed Monday were U.S. Reps. John Boozman, R-Rogers, Mike Ross, D-Prescott, and Marion Berry, D-Gillett, all of whom are seeking re-election. None had drawn opponents by mid-afternoon Monday. "We'll just do our best to represent the 3rd District with the conservative values that they've been used to having for the last several years," Boozman said. Ross said he wants to continue to be a voice for rural Arkansas. "I tell everyone that will listen that my district includes 150 towns that elect a mayor, and yet about half my constituents don't even live in those 150 towns," he said. "They live down this gravel road or that gravel road. I think it's important that those folks aren't forgotten." U.S. Rep. Vic Snyder, D-Little Rock, and U.S. Sen. Mark Pryor, D-Ark., also are up for re-election this year. Eighteen of the 35 state Senate seats and all 100 House seats, including 29 now held by term-limited representative, are up for election this year. Additionally, two state Supreme Court seats and three seats on the state Court of Appeals are up for election on the same day as the state primary. Karen Ray, executive director of the Republican Party of Arkansas, said the party is poised to make some gains in the Legislature. "I think we're going to be successful and pick up some seats this year. We're aiming to pick up five to six," she said. Ray would not say which seats she had in mind. State Democratic Party Chairman Bill Gwatney said Democrats could pick up one or two seats, but he added that "it would be hard do much more than we have." Democrats hold 75 of the 100 House seats and 27 of the 35 Senate seats. The party may be "pretty close" to peaking in terms of legislative seats held, Gwatney said. "Even if we kept the number we have, that's a good thing," he said. The filing period ends at noon at March 10. Act 1049 of 2007, part of Daniels' 2007 legislative package, shortened the filing period from two weeks to one to allow more time for election officials to get absentee ballots to military and overseas voters. |
