This article is a repost of an older article with major updates.
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Jed Duggar, one of the Duggar boys who’s not that one, has lost his race for Arkansas State Representative. The 21-year-old ran on a campaign of being pro-life and pro-gun (and apparently pro-irony).
… I’m a Christian and I will stand up for religious liberties.
I’m pro-life, and I will be an advocate for the unborn. And I will always defend our Second Amendment. With your prayer, support, and help, I look forward to serving you as a strong conservative voice in Little Rock.
In short, he was no different from every other while male Republican who runs for office in the South. What’s interesting is that he played down the whole connection with his family. Even his campaign website only said he’s the “10th of 19 biological children”… which is an interesting way to avoid dwelling on the only reason anyone might be familiar with his name.
Can’t blame him. I wouldn’t want to be associated with a child molester either. (I’m shocked his campaign slogan was not “Don’t Google my family.”)
So why this race? In 2018, a Democrat, Megan Godfrey, won the seat by an extremely narrow margin: 1,859 – 1,830. She was vulnerable even as an incumbent.
But her résumé was lengthy. She’s earning a Ph.D. She helps run English Language Learning for Fayetteville Public Schools. She passed legislation in a state where Republicans dominate the legislature. She’s been an important voice in Arkansas politics.
Jed Duggar’s main accomplishment appeared to be his ability to parrot right-wing talking points by staring into a camera.
It wouldn’t be the family’s first foray into politics. His father, Jim Bob Duggar, was a member of the State House from 1999-2002. In 2014, his mother was the voice of a robocall to rally voters against a local non-discrimination ordinance. I repeat: The mother of Joshua F’ing Duggar said that protecting trans people would enable predatory behavior.
But those family connections never meant he’d be a good representative. Voters would theoretically be putting their pensions and health care plans in the hands of someone who just reached the age at which he can legally drink. Not that age is a concern if we’re talking about someone with serious knowledge of the issues, but Jed Duggar had yet to prove he has a grasp on them.
And voters saw that too. This time around, Godfrey won by a much more comfortable margin, winning with about 56.9% of the votes:
Let’s hope that marks the end of his political career — and the next step in a very long one for Godfrey.
(Thanks to @ParamedicSnooki for the link)