Cotton exit could upend Arkansas 2018 election

LITTLE ROCK—After a string of elections that underscored just how much Arkansas has shifted from a Democratic stronghold to solidly Republican territory, next year's races for the state's top offices and legislative seats appeared likely to be a relatively ho-hum, predictable affair. The possibility of the state's junior U.S. senator stepping down to lead intelligence for the Trump administration could upend the campaign.

The possibility that Sen. Tom Cotton could leave office next year to run the Central Intelligence Agency could open the door to a nationally watched race that would overshadow any other contest before voters next year. That race could include a brutal Republican primary that would highlight the divisions within the GOP just a few years after it became the majority party here. It could also test whether Arkansas Democrats have a bench and a message to overcome long odds in one of President Donald Trump's friendliest states.

Cotton's appointment as CIA director is reported to be part of a plan considered by Trump to replace Secretary of State Rex Tillerson with the agency's current director, Mike Pompeo. Cotton so far has brushed aside questions about the potential move, calling it idle speculation.

The biggest question if Cotton leaves is who would replace him, and for how long. It would be up to Gov. Asa Hutchinson to appoint a successor to Cotton. If Cotton's seat is vacated by July, that appointee would serve until a replacement is elected in the November 2018 election. If the vacancy occurs later, the appointee would serve the rest of Cotton's term through the end of 2020.

Read more: http://www.texarkanagazette.com/news/arkansas/story/2017/dec/10/cotton-exit-could-upend-arkansas-2018-election/703645/