Yesterday (Saturday 5/19), in Little Rock, delegates and officers of the Arkansas Republican Party elected Dennis Milligan (R-Bryant), Saline County Republican Chair, to lead the Arkansas Republican Party as its new chairman. Milligan, a 49-year-old businessman, was the only candidate nominated as the successor to State Sen. Gilbert Baker (R-Conway), who announced his resignation last month. Milligan was elected with an unanimous voice vote.Speaking to about 150 delegates to the special RPA session, Milligan said,
"For many of you that just think I will be a caretaker, someone who will warm the seat until someone better can come along, I'd like to assure you very much that won't be the case. Right now we need to realize that as a party we are in a unique position. After 10 years with a Republican governor, we have hundreds of people who have and are serving on state boards and commissions. These people are the farm team for us to have for these entry-level positions. . . . A wise man once said, 'When you lose, don't lose the lesson.' That lesson is that we need to return to our core values, and that's what I'm going to do as your new chairman. It's time for a rediscovery of our values and our common sense."
Milligan identified that he will call together Republican legislators and other leaders to develop "THE (Taxes, Highways and Education) Plan." The goals of the plan will be stopping any new tax increases, finding ways to improve roads without raising taxes and finding ways to spend education dollars wisely, he said. Milligan said Republican losses in November occurred because "we lost our way and focused on power instead of our values - less government, more freedom and a belief that there is a right and wrong. We departed from the things that make the Republican party great."
Milligan prior to his election as chairman was the party's treasurer. Larry Tate, assistant treasurer, will serve as acting treasurer until a new treasurer is elected.
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