Ballinger says he did not authorize anti-King ads

Bobby Ballinger Jr., who is challenging incumbent Bryan King in the March 3 Republican primary for the District 28 seat in the Arkansas state Senate, said last week that he is not responsible for a series of mailers criticizing King.

Ballinger’s response came after deadline for the Jan. 20 issue of the Carroll County News, which included a report on the mailers and King’s response to them. The mailers say they are “not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.” The mailers indicate they are paid for by “Freedom Forward Alliance.” In an email message Tuesday, Jan. 20, Ballinger wrote: “The only mailers I have approved and authorized are those sent from my political campaign account ‘Ballinger for Arkansas.’ I have not approved or authorized any voter contact that does not come officially from my campaign.”

King cited “dark money” — campaign spending from undisclosed sources — in responding to the mailers. King has been vocal in his opposition to Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ plans to build a new state prison in rural Franklin County and also voted against Sanders’ LEARNS Act.

“I’m not going to have the money to fight all this back,” King said. “What they’re doing is they’re trying to get you to keep swatting flies. … Their strategy is to throw all this money behind this and keep me swatting flies.”

Asked if he supports the current plan to build a prison in Franklin County, Ballinger did not say yes or no.

“(U)nlike my opponent, who hollers and calls people names, I would actually work to solve the issues surrounding the need for more prison beds in our state,” Ballinger said in his email. “Right now, I fear that very hardened criminals such as child sex offenders and those who commit felonies are shuffled from local jail to local jail because of overcrowding, and that must be fixed. As I have said numerous times, the best way to find a responsible solution is to partner with our state and locally elected leaders.”

At a candidate forum Thursday, Jan. 22, in Berryville, Ballinger said he does not support a prison in Franklin County.