Every vote will be an important one in November’s election. That was the message that was delivered to members of the Political Animals Club in Jonesboro. This is especially true in Northeast Arkansas, which appears to be changing its political stance. For many years, northeast Arkansas joined the state in voting majority Democratic. Over the past several years, that is changing as the state has voted for more Republican candidates. Republican Strategist Clint Reed, Talk Business Editor Roby Brock, and Hendrix College Professor Jay Barth spoke about the important role northeast Arkansas could play in this November’s elections. The Sun newspaper states northeast Arkansas could decide the next governor of Arkansas, as well as who wins the very important US Senate seat, that current democratic senator Mark Pryor is trying to hold on to. The U-S Senate Race between Senator Mark Pryor and Republican U-S Representative Tom Cotton is expected to be one of the most expensive races in Arkansas. Democratic candidate for Governor Mike Ross faces Republican candidate Asa Hutchinson. Brock told the group yesterday that Cotton and Ross are relatively unknown in Northeast Arkansas and both trail their opponents, according to recent polls conducted in Northeast Arkansas. Barth stated depopulation in the Mississippi Delta Region has turned more residents to view social issues more conservatively and less economic strains have provided the conditions for a once-traditionally blue part of the state to become more purple, or even turn completely red.
Johnathan Reaves is the News Director for KASU Public Radio. As part of an Air Force Family, he moved to Arkansas from Minot, North Dakota in 1986. He was first bitten by the radio bug after he graduated from Gosnell High School in 1992. While working on his undergraduate degree, he worked at KOSE, a small 1,000 watt AM commercial station in Osceola, Arkansas. Upon graduation from Arkansas State University in 1996 with a degree in Radio-Television Broadcast News, he decided that he wanted to stay in radio news. He moved to Stuttgart, Arkansas and worked for East Arkansas Broadcasters as news director and was there for 16 years.