Ricky Dale Harrington's landslide loss to Republican U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton on Tuesday represents a high-water mark, thus far, for the Libertarian cause in Arkansas and across the nation.<\/p>\n
In unofficial returns, with 2,545 of 2,575 precincts reporting, it was:<\/p>\n
Cotton 787,542<\/p>\n
Harrington 393,110<\/p>\n
The former prison chaplain from Pine Bluff, thus far, had 33.3% of the vote. Two-thirds of the ballots were for Cotton, a first-term incumbent from Little Rock.<\/p>\n
\"It's a record for a Libertarian U.S. Senate candidate anywhere in the United States. Ever. So we're absolutely enthusiastic and appreciative of that showing,\" said Joe Bishop-Henchman, the national party chairman.<\/p>\n
Brian Colas, Cotton's political director, said 66.6% is also a high water mark for an Arkansas Republican in a major statewide race.<\/p>\n
[RELATED: Full coverage of elections in Arkansas arkansasonline.com\/elections\/]<\/p>\n
\"We wanted to break 60%. We broke 66%,\" he said. \"We're thrilled.\"<\/p>\n
Both sides fared well because they didn't have to split votes with a Democrat.<\/p>\n
Josh Mahony of Fayetteville, the party's only candidate, dropped out of the race hours after the filing deadline. Dan Whitfield, a Bella Vista independent, failed to collect enough signatures to qualify for the ballot.<\/p>\n
That left voters with just two options: Cotton or Harrington.<\/p>\n
Until now, Alaskan Joe Miller was the top-performing Libertarian Senate candidate; he captured 29.2% of the vote when he ran in 2016.<\/p>\n
Miller was well-known by voters -- he'd lost a Senate bid in 2010, despite winning the Republican Party nomination.<\/p>\n
Harrington, on the other hand, was a political newcomer.<\/p>\n
Despite having minimal name recognition and even less money, Harrington, 35, captured nearly as many votes in Arkansas as Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.<\/p>\n
He easily outpaced other Libertarians on the Arkansas ballot, including the party's presidential nominee, Jo Jorgensen of South Carolina, who finished with 13,024 votes.<\/p>\n
Cotton was leading in 72 of the state's 75 counties, but Harrington finished ahead in Pulaski, Jefferson and Phillips counties. All three are Democratic strongholds.<\/p>\n
Hal Bass, a political science professor emeritus at Ouachita Baptist University, portrayed Tuesday's vote as an aberration.<\/p>\n
\"It was just a protest vote by Democrats,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"That does not indicate that there is a Libertarian constituency of that magnitude in Arkansas. It does indicate that there's an anti-Cotton constituency of that magnitude in Arkansas,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Harrington, who could not be reached for comment Wednesday, fared relatively well despite being heavily outspent.<\/p>\n
His campaign had collected $68,191 as of Oct. 14; Cotton had collected more than $12.8 million.<\/p>\n
Harrington surpassed the most recent pollster's predictions.<\/p>\n
A Talk Business & Politics-Hendrix College survey Oct. 19 Monday showed Cotton winning, 62% to 27% with 10% undecided.<\/p>\n
The Arkansas Poll, released Oct. 28, had Cotton even further ahead, 75%-20%.<\/p>\n
Cotton's internal polling had pointed to a closer race. In the closing days, he made repeated trips to Arkansas, while also working elsewhere to push for continuing Republican control of the Senate.<\/p>\n
Rather than criticizing his opponent, Cotton talked about his own record and priorities.<\/p>\n
\"The campaign knew that the vast majority of Arkansans agreed with Sen. Cotton on the issues, so that's what our campaign prioritized,\" Colas said.<\/p>\n
In addition to campaigning in Arkansas, Cotton also campaigned for vulnerable Senate colleagues, making stops in Georgia, Montana, Colorado and elsewhere.<\/p>\n
Most of the candidates he backed ended up winning.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Read more here:<\/p>\n
Cotton win good news, say parties of 2 rivals - Arkansas Online<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Ricky Dale Harrington's landslide loss to Republican U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton on Tuesday represents a high-water mark, thus far, for the Libertarian cause in Arkansas and across the nation Continue reading