Witt: 4th District can improve economically

James Lee Witt, Democratic candidate for the 4th Congressional District, stressed at a fundraiser Saturday night at the Arlington Resort Hotel & Spa that the district can improve economically from where it now stands, including the Park Avenue area of Hot Springs.

“The other day when I was in Pine Bluff … Main Street Pine Bluff, bless their hearts, they are working hard and doing everything they can, but it looked like the city of Detroit (with) boarded up buildings and everything,” said Witt, who was joined at the fundraiser by former President Bill Clinton.

“We can do better than that,” Witt said.

In a phone interview Friday afternoon, Witt said that jobs, job training, economic development, education and “local issues” would be major aspects of his congressional campaign.

Witt said he had already met recently with state officials and Hot Springs officials regarding possible plans for the Park Avenue area where the Majestic Hotel fire occurred.

“That area it could be a focal point for the city of Hot Springs and Garland County and make a big difference in economic development,” Witt said. “It could be a good opportunity to help Hot Springs.”

The fundraiser was billed as a “Spring Kick Off” event for the Witt campaign, with a minimum ticket cost of $250. The total fundraising amount from the event Saturday night was not made available by presstime Saturday night.

Since Witt launched his campaign for Congress on Nov. 5, 2013, he raised $243,946.17 in the last quarter of 2013. Fundraising totals for the first quarter of 2014 will be released on April 15, but Witt declined to give a fundraising estimate for the first quarter because those numbers have not yet been totaled up.

The 4th District seat is currently held by U.S. Rep. Tom Cotton, a Republican who is challenging U.S. Sen. Mark Pryor, D-Ark., in 2014. Witt will face the winner of the Republican primary on May 20 between Tommy Moll and House Majority Leader Bruce Westerman, of Hot Springs. Janis Percefull, of Hot Springs, is running as a write-in candidate.

Witt said that he was familiar with both his possible Republican opponents and was just “waiting to see who it will be.”

“I think (the contested Republican primary) gives us more time to raise money and visit people so I’m excited about that,” Witt said in the phone interview.

Clinton said in his speech said that Witt “isn’t a cardboard cutout” or a “30-second ad.”

“We do not need two more years of the same sort of interaction we have had for too long in the Congress,” Clinton said. “(Witt) is a real live, flesh-and-blood human being who has made every cause he ever touched better.”

The Republican Party of Arkansas in a news release Friday said Clinton’s fundraisers for Witt and also Pat Hays, a Democratic candidate for the open 2nd District Congressional seat, was a continuance of Clinton’s role as “super-surrogate for Arkansas Democrats who won’t be seen with the unpopular President Obama.”

Republicans also repeated the same criticism they used when Witt announced regarding costs his private disaster recovery firm billed to the state of Louisiana during Hurricane Katrina, saying Witt “charged Louisiana double so he could turn a profit on Hurricane Katrina victims.”

When he announced in November, Witt said of the criticism that “all our rates in Louisiana, or anywhere we work, are approved by GSA (General Services Administration) regs, all approved by FEMA, all competitive in bid.”

Although Republicans will likely attempt to tie Witt to Obama as the campaign in 2014 progresses as they have with other Democratic candidates in Arkansas, Witt described himself as an “independent Democrat.”

“I think that should resonate well,” Witt said in a phone interview. “I think we have a shot and that’s why we’re running.”

According to Witt’s campaign website, in 1988, after five terms as Yell County judge, Witt was appointed to head Arkansas Emergency Services. In 1993, Clinton appointed Witt to become the director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. After eight years at FEMA, Witt founded a private firm specializing in disaster recovery operations for state and local governments. Witt lives in Dardanelle.

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