Arkansas Orders Special Primary; Dunlap Challenges Golden

The Arkansas Democratic Party executive committee unanimously voted to hold a primary for the special election in House District 70 after Rep. Carlton Wing resigned to lead Arkansas PBS, meaning both parties must hold primaries if Gov. Sarah Sanders sets the election dates; Democrats have two declared candidates, Alex Holladay and Cordelia Smith-Johnson, while Republican Bo Renshaw is the lone GOP candidate. DPA chair Marcus Jones urged scheduling the general election within 150 days and said Democrats are confident they can flip the seat given special-election trends. In Maine, State Auditor Matt Dunlap formally launched a Democratic primary challenge to four-term Rep. Jared Golden in the Trump-leaning 2nd District, accusing Golden of repeatedly siding with Republicans — most recently as the only House Democrat to back a GOP stopgap spending bill that preceded the current government shutdown. Dunlap is running on a 'People's Agenda' that includes Medicare for All, universal childcare, affordable health care, higher wages and greater accessibility to constituents; Golden and national Democrats, including the DCCC, have rallied behind the incumbent, who defends his bipartisan approach. The primary is being watched nationally because the district's roughly 9-point Trump tilt and Republicans' narrow House majority make replacing Golden a potential risk to Democratic control, and former GOP Gov. Paul LePage is the likely Republican nominee.