Leslie Rutledge, one of three candidates in the Republican primary for Arkansas attorney general, told local Republicans Friday afternoon that one of her primary opponents, David Sterling, is "probably the most unqualified candidate" in the race.
Sterling later issued a statement in response, saying, "Ms. Rutledge has virtually no actual courtroom experience nor any private practice experience at all."
Rutledge, who was in town as part of a statewide tour with Janet Huckabee, the wife of former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, said "not only do I have experience as a lawyer, but I have the right experience to be attorney general."
"My main opponent in this race, David Sterling, is probably the most unqualified candidate that we have for attorney general," Rutledge said.
"He has never tried a criminal case on either side. He has never fought the federal government. His suggestion for fixing our criminal problem is pulling out the electric chair out of the old Statehouse Museum (and) blowing the dust off 'Ol' Sparky' and plugging it in. Well, it's just not that simple and you need a lawyer as the chief legal officer of this state who understands it."
Rutledge also described herself as a "Christian, conservative, 'gun carryin' woman."
"It is past time that Arkansas had an attorney general who will get off the sidelines and be on the front lines of these important cases, such as 'Obamacare' and Hobby Lobby," Rutledge said.
According to her LinkedIn page, Rutledge has been employed by the Arkansas Court of Appeals for two years and seven months, the Lonoke County prosecutor's office as a deputy prosecuting attorney for one year, Huckabee's office and Arkansas Department of Human Services for two years and two months, and a counsel to the Republican National Committee for three years and one month.
Sterling said in an interview Friday that "I don't think her 12 months as a deputy in the Lonoke prosecuting attorney's office over eight years ago qualifies her to be attorney general for the state of Arkansas."
"Local prosecutors handle criminal trials, not the attorney general. The (attorney general's) office handles the appeals. I have handled many appeals in my career. The attorney general's office has a staff of career service attorneys who handle criminal appeals. Almost all of them have more experience than Ms. Rutledge in those matters. It's the attorney general's job to set priorities for this office. As attorney general, my priorities are protecting our liberty from an overreaching federal government, protecting our children from violent crime, and protecting our tax dollars from fraud," Sterling said.
"My opponent is desperate, and that's why she is talking about irrelevant things," Sterling said. "The real difference between my opponent and me is that, while she wants to talk about something that doesn't matter, I'm the only candidate with a concrete plan to fight an overreaching federal government, protect the Second Amendment, and repair our state's broken death penalty system."
An early May Talk Business-Hendrix College poll of 1,516 likely Republican primary voters said Sterling was polling at 21 percent, Patricia Nation at 10 percent and Rutledge at 9 percent. An attempt to reach Nation for an interview was unsuccessful. Sixty percent of the voters polled were still undecided for the race.
According to his LinkedIn page, Sterling has been in private law practice in Arkansas for approximately 15 years and was an assistant city manager in Hope for one year.
Local on 05/17/2014