By ANDREW DeMILLO | Arkansas Advocate
He cast doubts on the security of election machines and questioned the legitimacy of Joe Biden’s 2020 victory. He showed little restraint on social media, with posts sprinkled with profanity that at times were aimed at fellow Republicans.
When Donald Trump displayed these traits, Arkansas Republicans and party leaders warmly embraced him. But for Bryan Norris, it was an entirely different story.
Sen. Kim Hammer’s whisker-close victory over Norris in the Republican runoff for secretary of state highlighted the fissures within a state GOP that’s become so dominant. It also may be a preview of the types of primary fights that could become the norm in the state.
That includes the close finish, with Hammer winning by fewer than 1,000 votes and Norris seeking recounts in multiple counties.
Unlike many GOP nomination fights, the race for secretary of state wasn’t a battle over how far right the candidates could go. Neither Hammer nor Norris could be viewed as a moderate or “Republican in Name Only.”
Hammer has sponsored several voting and initiative restrictions, and sponsored the law requiring an anti-abortion monument on state Capitol grounds. Norris, an Army veteran, has echoed Trump’s rhetoric on elections and promised to ban foreign-made parts in voting machines.
The race instead was a battle over styles, and who could best position themselves as the one to carry out President Donald Trump’s agenda on voting and elections. Hammer enjoyed the support of Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton and other Republican leaders. Norris had the support of Trump allies such as former national security adviser Michael Flynn and MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell.
The race was close despite Hammer having the support of top Republicans and an outside group linked to Sanders’ senior political adviser spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to support him. Norris had the help of another outside group, though it spent less.
The runoff fight became heated as Norris faced criticism over his social media posts that included one where he called Cotton a vulgar term.
The criticism, including calls by current Secretary of State Cole Jester for Norris to drop out, seemed incongruent with a party that looked the other way at Trump’s offensive social media posts and usage of profanity.
It’s dangerous to read too much into a runoff where only about 5% of voters turned out. But the race could be a warning sign to Republicans in future years about how successful anti-establishment messages are playing within the party.
Republican officeholders in Arkansas have been successful at repelling those messages in statewide races in recent years.
Despite pushback she’s received from fellow Republicans over school vouchers and her controversial prison project, Sanders didn’t face an opponent, and Cotton easily dispatched two GOP challengers in last month’s primary.
Two years ago, U.S. Rep. Steve Womack fended off a challenge in the Republican primary from a state lawmaker who tried to portray the incumbent as not conservative enough. Sen. John Boozman likewise in 2022 defeated two challengers on the right with the help of Trump’s endorsement, Republican colleagues and outside conservative groups.
But the close race for the state’s top election official followed a primary that was marked by Sanders’ unsuccessful efforts to oust two fellow Republicans. At the same time, the Senate’s majority leader who was backed by Sanders lost his reelection bid.
Those results and Hammer’s narrow victory may provide the road map for Republican candidates hoping for success without establishment support.
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