Dustin McDaniel

Candidate for: Attorney General of Arkansas
Election Date: November 7, 2006

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The Candidate

Dustin McDaniel, 34, is running for Attorney General of Arkansas. A superb Democratic slate is poised to sweep the state’s top offices, and Dustin McDaniel is a crucial part of achieving this goal. Currently representing District 75 (Jonesboro) in the Arkansas House of Representatives, McDaniel was named as one of the “10 Best Legislators” in 2005 by the Arkansas Democrat Gazette, and an “Outstanding State Legislator by the Arkansas Municipal League. He is also a partner at the law firm McDaniel and Wells.

Known for his youthful vigor and ability to create consensus, McDaniel is Chairman of the Joint Committee on Health Insurance and Prescription Drugs, where he has zealously fought to make health care affordable for all Arkansans. Against improbable odds, he introduced and passed a bill to create “Arkansas Rx”, which, when fully funded, will help over 400,000 working Arkansans gain access to affordable prescription drugs. Arkansas Rx also saves taxpayers money by negotiating discounts with drug manufacturers.

With deep Arkansas roots and a commitment to contributing directly to his community, McDaniel declined law school admission after graduating from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. Instead, he joined the Jonesboro Police Department as a uniformed patrol officer. As an officer, McDaniel learned firsthand the importance of protecting communities through thoughtful policy and aggressive enforcement. In his campaign for Attorney General, McDaniel has been endorsed by 68 out of Arkansas’ 75 sheriffs and the Fraternal Order of Police.

After leaving the police force, McDaniel attended the University of Arkansas’s School of Law to further his commitment to promoting the public interest. As an attorney, he was appointed by federal judges of Arkansas’ Eastern District to serve on the Federal Practice Committee and served as Chairman of the Arkansas Bar Association Civil Litigation Section. He also received the Arkansas Bar Association’s “Distinguished Service”—for having the Consumer Law Handbook translated into Spanish, as well as their “Golden Gavel” award—for serving as Chair of the Consumer Law Handbook Committee. McDaniel previously served as legal counsel to the Craighead County Democratic Central Committee and a member of the Democratic Party of Arkansas State Committee. McDaniel and his wife Amanda have one daughter, Emma Grace.

• Gun Safety: A gun owner himself, McDaniel respects the 2nd Amendment and vows to uphold its integrity. That is why he supports including trigger locks with gun purchases and not mandating them with the manufacturers, so that individual gun owners can decide for themselves how to ensure proper gun safety for their families.



• Health Care and Fuel Affordability: McDaniel’s impressive success in pushing through Arkansas Rx is merely the beginning in his continued battle to extend affordable health care coverage to working families in Arkansas. McDaniel has already proposed a plan to hold big oil companies more accountable, invest in alternative fuels and strictly enforce price gouging laws.



• Identity Theft: McDaniel’s plan to fight identity theft would add security measures and consumer tools to protect state ID’s and drivers’ licenses from being counterfeited, and also increase criminal penalties for identity theft.

McDaniel’s right-wing opponent Gunner DeLay has relentlessly and disingenuously attacked McDaniel’s positions on the issues. DeLay is a former State Senator who also ran unsuccessfully for the GOP nomination for an Arkansas Congressional district in 2001. A distant cousin of Tom Delay, Gunner highlighted his ties to Tom in his earlier congressional bid, but now claims that he has only met Tom once.

DeLay has attacked McDaniel’s centrist positions on abortion and guns. In particular, DeLay has persistently attacked McDaniel because his father’s law firm sued Remington Arms in response to the 1998 Jonesboro school shootings. In response, McDaniel publicly invited DeLay to go hunting with him; DeLay declined. DeLay’s campaign once issued a press release claiming that they had ‘undisputed evidence’ that McDaniel wanted to require manufacturers to ‘install child safety locks’ protection devices in the gun, although McDaniel has made clear that the locks should not be installed, but rather included with guns. DeLay is squarely outside of the mainstream and distrusted even by those within his own party.

While McDaniel came out on top in the May 23 primary, he was unable to avoid a runoff. The June 13 runoff, which McDaniel won by one percentage point, was financially exhausting. Now, McDaniel is looking to raise enough money to effectively campaign leading up to the general election. McDaniel will be joined by President Clinton at a fundraiser on Sept. 7. Though neither candidate has run television ads for the general election, McDaniel will soon be on the air and DeLay has produced a radio ad that is available on conservative websites. A little-known conservative 527 called Campaign for Arkansas’ Future began radio attack ads against Beebe last week, and may get involved in down-ballot races too. Ahead by 18 points in the most recent poll, McDaniel enters the post-Labor Day home stretch as the favorite for the Attorney General’s race.

Democrats are well positioned to sweep the statewide offices in 2006 due to their strong candidates and the growing fractiousness of the Arkansas GOP, as its conservative wing overtakes its moderate pro-business faction. CNM believes that Dustin McDaniel’s campaign against Gunner DeLay offers voters a clear contrast between a strong Democratic agenda that responds to the genuine concerns of Arkansas’s residents and a negative Republican agenda that offers more vitriol than solutions. Through his perseverance and vigorous efforts to fight for Arkansas’ families, as Attorney General McDaniel will ensure that Arkansas will lead the nation in consumer protection and expanding access to affordable health care.

CNM believes Dustin McDaniel has an inspiring track record and a bright future fighting for ordinary Americans.

Please contribute directly to Dustin McDaniel's Campaign by clicking here!

Attn: Michael Fertik

Campaign for National Majority
251 W. 89th St. #7D
New York, NY 10024