The Arkansas Project

Rumor Mongering: Next Arkansas Dem Chair?

By David Kinkade - November 25, 2008 7:58 am

Gov. Mike Beebe: Who's his pick?

I’ve talked with a couple of The Arkansas Project’s Democratic-leaning friends in the last week or so who resent all the attention given on this blog to the race for the next Arkansas Republican chair. So in the interest of fairness, let’s ramp up some speculation as to who might be in line to lead our Democratic brethren forward into this next election cycle.

Granted, the choice will be Gov. Mike Beebe’s, so we’re at a bit of a disadvantage here—it’s all just rampant speculation. However, I’ve collected a few names that are being floated in state Democratic circles, with varying degrees of reliability:

Mike Hathorn (former state rep and 2006 candidate for lieutenant governor)

Vince Insalaco (Democratic consultant and campaign guru, filmmaker)

Chris Massingill (former state director for Rep. Mike Ross and Beebe campaign manager, now state economic development honcho)

Steve Ronnel (Little Rock businessman and Democratic money guy)

Jason Willett (former staffer to Rep. Marion Berry, 2005-06 party chair and candidate for Jonesboro mayor in ‘08)

More than one of these names strike me as implausible or even absurd (not because the individual couldn’t do the job, but because it’s unlikely he’d want it). But hey, let’s throw ‘em out there and have some fun.

Another savvy watcher says to consider former legislators who may have served with Beebe in the Senate.

Others?

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