Jed Duggar will not be representing the people of Arkansas in the State House after being defeated by incumbent Democrat Megan Godfrey on Election Day, reports the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Godfrey, running for a second term, brought in 56 percent of the vote, while the 10th child of Counting On stars Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar got 44 percent, according to the unofficial final results.
Godfrey, 36, is the ESL co-director at Fayetteville Schools, while Duggar, 21, currently owns a car dealership in Springdale. The candidates’ resumes were a major point of contention during the race, as Godfrey is currently pursuing her doctorate after a term in office, while the much-younger Duggar has no political experience and his high school diploma.
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“I am grateful to everyone who supported my campaign in Springdale and to all who came out to vote for conservative values. While I am disappointed that we came up short, I am grateful for the opportunity to listen and learn from so many amazing people that make Northwest Arkansas one of the best places to live in the USA,” Duggar wrote on Facebook to concede.
“I called to congratulate Representative Megan Godfrey on her win last night, and I thanked her for keeping the campaign focused on the issues and for being courteous throughout this campaign,” he continued. “I will be praying for her and I wish her and her family nothing but the best as she embarks on serving another term representing District 89 in Little Rock.”
Duggar’s campaign wasn’t without controversy, as constituents branded him “childish” for distributing leaflets calling Godfrey a “liberal princess,” as per The Sun. The outlet also noted that he allegedly accepted an $8,400 donation from retired banker Ross Little, who lives in Louisiana, which would break Arkansas’ maximum single donor contribution of $2,400. The first $2,800 donation was made at the end of August, while the second donation of $5,600 was recorded on Sept. 9, according to financial filings with the Arkansas Secretary of State.
Prior to the election, Godfrey told 40/29 News that she would be focusing on coronavirus aid right off the bad if reelected. “I think that one of the issues that we’ve seen, the most important all across the state of Arkansas, but especially in District 89, is just how significantly COVID-19 has hit some of our communities,” she said. “In particular the Hispanic and Marshallese community have been disproportionately impacted by COVID.”
