Asa Hutchinson - Political Career

Political Career

In 1986, Hutchinson challenged popular Democratic U.S. Senator (and former governor) Dale Bumpers. It was a nationally Democratic year, and he fared worse than had Bumpers' previous challenger, Little Rock investment banker William P. "Bill" Clark, in 1980. In 1990, Hutchinson's race against Winston Bryant for attorney general of Arkansas also ended in defeat in another nationally Democratic year, but the race was very tight up to the end. After losing that race, Hutchinson became the co-chairman, with Sheffield Nelson of Little Rock, of the state Republican Party, a position he would hold for five years. During that period, Hutchinson was credited with helping build the GOP organization in Arkansas dramatically by leading the effort to require the state to finance polling stations throughout the state, allowing more Republican voters to get to the polls and vote. Hutchinson considered a rematch with Bumpers in 1992 before he deferred to Mike Huckabee, who also lost to Bumpers. That same year, Hutchinson's brother, Tim Hutchinson, was elected to represent the northwest quadrant of Arkansas in Congress on the retirement of veteran Republican U.S. Representative John Paul Hammerschmidt of Harrison.