Republican Women Transforming Southeastern Arkansas

Southeastern Arkansas Counties

Bill Smith, Editor: The Forth District of Arkansas has been considered Democrat territory especially during the last ten years of US. Rep. Mike Ross. Prior to Ross, there was a Republican Jay Dickey who served for 8 years. However, after 10 year of Mike Ross, who won re-election in 2010, the memory of Rep. Dickey has been almost erased. The control of most counties and state elected positions in the 4th district has been controlled by democrats. However, a majority of the democrats are conservative democrats unhappy with the progressive agenda of Democrats in both Little Rock and Washington, D.C.

In recent years, the 4th District has faced the challenges of declining population, increased unemployment, and increased poverty. Also, Arkansas Democrat political leaders have refused to lead in helping to tap the natural resources of the district that would transform the district.

Recent redistricting efforts by the Democrat controlled Arkansas legislature, has created a potential for a political shift in the 4th District. The Democrats appear to have "overplayed their hand" in an effort to weaken the Republican growth in the 1st District by taking some poor counties from the 3rd District and moving them to the 1st District. Then without any real logic, they moved more conservative population areas into the 4th District. This effort alone raised the economic standing of the overall 4th district by a few points but did not affect the lives of the people already in the district.

It is also interesting that a majority of the people in the 4th District have relatives or friends across the state lines especially in Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas and Oklahoma. These states are now Republicans states politically supported by former conservative Democrats who have left the liberal progressive Democratic Party. Arkansas' 4th District is positioned to be transformed.

We have previously reported on the massive deposits of lignite coal that could transform the economy of the both the Southern and Eastern regions of Arkansas. Researchers have confirmed that Arkansas has at least four billion recoverable tons of lignite available and possibly as much as nine billion tons. Such a supply would last for generations into the future and help America reduce its dependence on foreign sources of energy. The following two articles about Arkansas lignite will detail the potential to bring economic benefits to the 4th and 1st Districts of Arkansas. Lignite, a Natural Opportunity for Arkansas - Also About Jobs for Arkansans and Reviving Arkansas’ Economy: Turning Brown Coal into Black Gold. With economic transformation comes ownership, wealth and political transformation.

The forth district has had several TEA Party efforts which have sent clear signals that they are tired of the democratic plantation politics controlling the counties in their district. For economic prosperity to be established for the citizens of the 4th District and for individuals to have more economic and political freedom, conservative values and free enterprise must be shared by all. Now another group of people have decided to partner to politically transform the southeastern region of the 4th district.

These people are the local Republican women in five counties in Southeast Arkansas. They have already been busy on the ground in their own counties leading and sharing conservative principles and Republican principles. There is an old saying among Republicans: wherever the conservative women are willing to go, the men will soon follow. These women decided to band together to form the Southeast Chapter of Republican Women and to affiliate with the Arkansas and National Federation of Republican Women. Also noted is that one of the counties is being relocated to the First Congressional District. And this partnership will also aid the Republicans in the 1st District.

Diana Harton is the Chair of the Drew County Republicans Committee. She shared the following details about the creation of the Southeast Arkansas Republican Women (SEARW):

"Julie Harris, President of the Arkansas Federation of Republican Women, came to Monticello on Tuesday May 3rd to help organize a chapter of Southeast Arkansas Republican Women. The Arkansas Federation was founded in 1948 and affiliated with the National Federation of Republican Woman in 1955. The Arkansas Federation has sponsored campaign management schools and training for poll watchers and workers. Community service projects have included donating money to the state’s World War II Memorial, sponsoring literacy programs and essay contests for school children, awarding two scholarships each year to high school seniors, and raising funds to support battered women and children and cancer research. The five Southeast Arkansas counties included in this chapter are Drew, Lincoln, Bradley, Desha and Ashley.

"Elections were held for the SEARW and Andrea Huskey was elected Chapter President; Jan McLemore, 1st Vice President; Jennifer Jenkins, 2nd Vice President; Susan McGlaughlin, Secretary and Brandi Williams, Treasurer. The new group invites everyone to join them on the first Tuesday of every month at 6 p.m. at the Drew County Republican Headquarters located at 304 North Main Street in Monticello. For more information e-mail searw@drewcountygop.org or call 870/723-7167 or 870/723-5701."

Many of our readers outside of Arkansas enjoy hearing about Arkansas. In fact, many people across America share an "Arkansas connection." As liberty loving conservatives, we wish the residents of Arkansas 4th district well.  We congratulate the Republican women of Drew, Lincoln, Bradley, Desha and Ashley and wish them the best in their new joint venture. We also look forward to future reports on the economic development of Arkansas 4th District and the election of a Republican to the US House in 2012.

---

Tags: Arkansas, 4th Congressional District, Republican Women, counties, Drew, Lincoln, Bradley, Desha, Ashley. To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!