LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) - The chief administrative law judge for the Arkansas Workers’ Compensation Commission and wife of the state Republican Party chairman was elected Tuesday to the Supreme Court after a race that focused on her deep ties to the GOP.
Barbara Webb defeated Pulaski County Circuit Judge Morgan “Chip” Welch in the race for the seat being vacated by retiring Justice Jo Hart, winning an eight-year term on the court.
The race was the only statewide election on Arkansas’ ballot other than the presidential primaries. Former Vice President Joe Biden won the state’s Democratic primary, while President Donald Trump won the state’s Republican contest.
Arkansas’ high court races are technically nonpartisan, but Webb faced scrutiny during her bid over her appeals to GOP voters. She had the backing of Sen. Tom Cotton and former White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders, and had spoken to Republican gatherings around the state. She also received donations from local GOP groups, including two that paid for a billboard promoting her candidacy. A campaign mailing of Webb’s prominently featured Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson.
“I think tonight I showed I had support from Democrats and Republicans,” Webb told The Associated Press Tuesday night. “I think my message was heard by all Arkansans that I was there to serve them in a fair and impartial way with an independent voice on the court, and that I had made no promises or pledges to any one particular group.”
Welch during the campaign criticized Webb over her ties, accusing her of talking to an “echo chamber of one political party.” Welch had once run for the Legislature as a Democrat and donated to Democratic candidates before he was elected judge. Conceding to Webb, he avoided any direct criticism of his former rival.
“The people of Arkansas have spoken. I offer my congratulations to Justice-Elect Webb,” Welch said in a statement. “I don’t think it productive to engage in postmortem evaluations of this race, except to say I remain dedicated to the ideal of a nonpartisan judiciary.”
Webb, who is also a former prosecutor and circuit judge, said during the race she would speak to any group that invites her to talk about her campaign. Webb has donated to the state and national Republican parties, and was a delegate to the Republican National Convention in 2016. She noted that her husband Doyle’s term as state GOP chairman ends at the end of this year. Webb said Tuesday night said she hoped to help the court expand the use of technology.
The race also drew the interest of an outside conservative group that has spent heavily to reshape the judiciary in several states in recent years. The Republican State Leadership Committee reported spending $225,000 on television, digital and radio ads supporting Webb’s candidacy. One 30-second ad by the group warned of an “out of control left” and showed an image of House Speaker Pelosi ripping up a copy of President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address.
The group on Tuesday night called Webb’s victory well-earned and highlighted its spending on the race.
“(Webb) is the experienced voice for the Arkansas court, and we were proud to support her through this successful Supreme Court election in Arkansas,” RSLC Austin Chambers said in a statement.
RSLC and the Judicial Crisis Network spent more than $2.8 million two years ago on an unsuccessful effor t to unseat an Arkansas Supreme Court justice.
Arkansas’ high court has drawn the ire of conservatives in recent years with rulings blocking part of the state’s plan to execute eight inmates in quick succession in 2017 and disqualifying a GOP-backed 2018 ballot measure that sought to cap the amount of damages that could be awarded in lawsuits.
Biden won Arkansas’ primary after winning the endorsement of some of the state’s top Democrats, but hadn’t campaigned in person in Arkansas. The solidly red state had drawn intense interest from Democratic presidential hopefuls, especially billionaire Mike Bloomberg, who had at least 20 staffers in the state and took the unusual step of appearing in person to file for Arkansas’ primary.
The election also featured several hotly contested Republican primaries for the majority-GOP Legislature. Republican Sen. John Cooper, who voted in committee against legislation loosening regulations for the use of deadly force in self-defense, was unseated by state Rep. Dan Sullivan in the primary for a northeast Arkansas Senate seat.
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