This weeken
d, I made a little venture down to Hotsprings and sat down with Jerry Rephan, the Democratic nominee for the special election there. I had heard plenty of good things about Jerry before the meeting and I am happy to say not only was everything I had heard true, but there was plenty more to be impressed with.
For starters, Jerry’s planning on working his butt off. Not just on the campaign but in the state legislature as well. Unlike his opponent, he has a clear picture of what needs to be done in his district and what he can do for it. His focus is on bringing in jobs, supporting local business, and investing in education. While Arkansas Republicans are more concerned about huge tax give aways to the wealthy who don’t need any extra help, risking the future of Medicaid, ARKids, public education, and a host of other programs in the process, Jerry’s approach is different. He wants to invest in working families and in helping Arkansans lift themselves up. It’s a true blue Democratic message, and Jerry’s not shying away from standing up for the people of his community.
Of course we shouldn’t be surprised considering the man’s background. Jerry’s lived in the community since he was a kid, and he’s got a deep love for Hot Springs. On top of that, he has a long track record in working to help children, even giving up his own time where he could be making money to work as a child advocate in Juvenile Court for over a decade. Remember, these are the values of a man that Garland County Republicans are trying to smear as being some kind of radical. That should speak volumes about what this race is really about. Jerry Rephan’s values are Arkansas values, pure and simple.
This is an important race. It’s all hands on deck. Those of you upset about how Democrats handled themselves in the last election, it’s time to put your money with your mouths are and help out some way, even if it is just something simple like giving ten bucks. Garland County Democrats delivered with an excellent candidate, and now that they’ve stepped up it’s time for the rest of us to stand with them. Democrats that are alarmed by the Republican agenda still in its infancy? Help out with this race. And future would be candidates for office ANYWHERE in the state of Arkansas…you better find some way to help Jerry Rephan out, because Democrats are going to be taking notes on who was there for the party in our darkest hour with their sleeves rolled up and dirt under their nails working to get us back on top. Jerry is a great candidate that the whole party should be happy to have, and we have nothing to lose in this race and everything to gain.
