The Arkansas House approved a bill Monday, 62-to-14, to allow a candidate to run for two federal offices at the same time.
The bill’s author, Republican Senator Bart Hester of Cave Springs, said he had the political future of U.S. Republican Senator Tom Cotton in mind when he wrote the bill.
Fellow Republican representative Nate Bell of Mena, spoke in favor of the bill on the House floor.
“This bill will allow a sitting U.S. Congressman or U.S. Senator to simultaneously run for President or Vice President while simultaneously running for a seat. The same thing has been done by a few folks that you’re familiar with from history, Joe Lieberman, Paul Ryan, Joe Biden, have all exercised that privilege in states where they are from,” said Bell.
Cotton will be up for re-election for his U.S. Senate seat in 2020. The bill would make it possible for him to run for Senate while also running for President or Vice-President.
Hester said existing state law allows for any vacancies. The bill now heads to the Governor’s desk.
