Your Community Wants Fair Maps, But Asa Doesn’t Care.
If Asa is the fair-minded governor he says he is, why is his redistricting point person one of the most partisan political consultants in the state? We deserve a governor who prioritizes fair maps and puts Arkansans above politicians.
In asking for public input on the redistricting process, Asa acts like he wants to do right by Arkansans.
But away from the public eye, his redistricting aide is a partisan hack who represents special interest groups and extremist candidates.
Arkansans are paying for Asa to pretend he cares about them when he really doesn’t. The winners: Hatcher’s candidates. The losers: the people of Arkansas.
Governor Hutchison wants to be seen as an even-handed, fair-minded leader. But in reality, the governor is more concerned with appeasing special interest groups and extremist politicians instead of Arkansans. In January, Asa’s office announced the hiring of Rett Hatcher as a special point person in the redistricting process. The Governor’s office said Hatcher would “provide feedback to the governor from stakeholder groups.” Which stakeholder groups? Hatcher’s lobbying and political candidate clients who have a vested interest in maps that benefit them.
Politicians Over People; Candidates Over Fair Maps
Regrettably for Arkansas, Rett Hatcher is a hyper-partisan extremist lackey. And here’s the proof: Before starting his own consulting firm in November of 2020, Hatchet-Man-Hatcher worked for The Gilmore Davis Strategy Group, formerly the Gilmore Strategy Group. The Gilmore Group was responsible for a series of mailers in 2020 that attacked moderate democratic legislators for supporting a republican bill. Unsurprisingly, the mailers were Hatcher’s brainchild, which included scores of distasteful pieces against democratic candidates across the state.
Moreover, the nasty mailers got the attention of Asa’s nephew, Sen Jim Hendren. Hendren, a republican-turned-independent and former senate pro temp, called the mailers dishonest and dirty. He lamented that if voters reward mud-slinging, they shouldn’t “be surprised when our government is full of dishonest, lying politicians.” 
So the governor is paying Rett Hatcher, who is also being paid by candidates and special interests groups, to help redraw our lines. What happens if Hatcher’s candidates come out on top? Reasonable leaders like Hutchinson should employ skilled map makers and census experts to draw our district lines– not candidate consultants and lobbyists.
This doesn’t make sense, Arkansas.
Hold Asa Accountable: Demand Fair Maps and Non-partisan Consultants
Unfortunately our governor hired one of the sleaziest campaign consultants around to be part of redistricting. But there’s still time to hold Asa’s feet to the fire.
1. Demand better from Asa: Tell him to put fair, community maps above partisan political hacks; Ask him to ditch Hatcher and hire reasonable experts instead.
2. Hold our redistricting leaders accountable: Go to redistricting public input sessions and make your stance for fair maps heard. Your voice in the redistricting process matters.
Simply put, slimy political consultants– those who get paid big bucks to elect candidates–should not be the ones drawing maps. We’ll be watching to see if Hatcher’s candidates get an unfair advantage. And if they do, we know who is to blame.
